Brussels, 13/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - In a communication adopted on Thursday 13 September, the European Commission identified five areas in which additional effort at EU level could stimulate long-term growth and jobs in the blue economy, such as blue energy, marine mineral resources, tourism and blue biotechnology. For each of the five activities highlighted, the Commission will analyse policy options and consider further initiatives.
Blue energy. In 2013, the Commission is to adopt a communication on offshore renewable energy technologies. It plans to assess the solutions possible to give the industry the confidence it needs for investing in offshore renewable energies, taking into account the framework provided by the strategic plan for energy technologies.
Offshore energy can make the exploitation of European energy resources more effective, reduce to a minimum the requirements of the electricity production sector regarding the use of land and reduce Europe's greenhouse gas emissions (by around 65 million tonnes of CO2 in 2020). Offshore wind could meet 4% of the EU electricity demand by 2020 and 14% by 2030, which would mean 170,000 jobs in 2020 and 300,000 jobs in 2030. Other offshore renewable energy technologies are still at an early stage of development, such as tidal barrages; wave power devices (turbines driven by currents, whether tidal, or other), and ocean thermal energy conversion. The commercial operation of blue energy technologies will need investment in grid connections and transmission capacity, the Commission explains.
Aquaculture. The Commission proposes to work in cooperation with member states in order to establish best practice and develop a common agreement on strategic guidelines for aquaculture in the EU, to be adopted early 2013. Over 90% of aquaculture businesses in the EU are SMEs, providing around 80,000 jobs. Aquaculture has the potential to grow by providing more quality merchandise to consumers willing to choose fresh, trustworthy products, increasingly including those that are sustainably or organically produced. It can also help coastal communities to diversify their activities while alleviating fishing pressure and thus helping to preserve fish stocks, the Commission explains.
Tourism. The Commission proposes to determine how maritime and coastal tourism can contribute more to economic growth and provide less precarious employment, while improving its environmental friendliness. An impact assessment will be carried out and followed up with a communication in 2013.
Marine mineral resources. It is appropriate to determine how European industry can become competitive in the extraction of minerals from the sea bottom and how to best ensure that this activity does not deprive future generations of the benefits of the ecosystems that have hitherto remained intact. An impact analysis, followed by a communication, will be presented in 2014. By 2020, 5% of the world's minerals, including cobalt, copper and zinc could come from the ocean floors. This could rise to 10% by 2030. The global annual turnover of marine mineral mining can be expected to grow from virtually nothing to €5 billion in the next ten years and up to €10 billion by 2030. It may also become economically feasible to extract dissolved minerals, such as bore or lithium, from seawater. The most promising deposits are found in metallic sulphides which emerge from hydrothermal ore deposits (such as “black smokers”) in volcanically active zones.
Blue biotechnology. The Commission takes the view that it is necessary to find solutions allowing blue technology to exploit the diversity of marine life. An impact analysis, followed by a communication, will be presented in 2014. While estimated current employment in the sector in Europe is still relatively low, the sector is expected to become a niche market in the very short term, focused on high-value products for the health, cosmetic and industrial biomaterials sectors. By 2020, it could develop into a medium-sized market, expanding towards the production of metabolites and primary compounds (lipids, sugars, polymers, proteins) as inputs for the food, feed and chemical industries. In a third stage, around 15 years from now and subject to technological breakthroughs, the blue biotechnology sector could become a provider of mass-market products, together with a range of high added value specialised products. (LC/transl.jl)