Brussels, 24/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 24 May, the European Union, the United States and Canada decided to join forces on research on the Atlantic Ocean. The agreement focuses on aligning the ocean observation efforts of the three partners. It should enable better understanding of the Atlantic Ocean and the promotion of sustainable management of its resources. It will also involve studying the interplay of the Atlantic Ocean with the Arctic Ocean, particularly with regard to climate change. The EU and its member states alone invest nearly €2 billion per year in marine and maritime research.
The Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation was signed on Friday at a high-level conference at the Irish Marine Institute in Galway. The prime minister of Ireland, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, attended the event. The agreement recognises that research on the Atlantic Ocean will be more effective if coordinated on a transatlantic basis. The potential areas for cooperation identified by the agreement included: - ocean observation; - sharing of data, such as on temperature, salinity and acidity; - interoperability and coordination of observing infrastructure, such as measurement buoys and research vessels; - sustainable management of ocean resources; - seabed and benthic habitat mapping; - promoting researcher mobility; - identifying and recommending future research priorities.
As well as Enda Kenny, the launch event in Galway was attended by Irish Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Research Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, representatives from the Atlantic Coastal States of the USA, Canada and EU, as well as representatives from research and industry. (LC/transl.fl)