Brussels, 14/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - Innovation and research in the maritime economy can drive a European growth and jobs recovery whilst securing a sustainable future for Europe's seas and oceans, and all those whose livelihoods depend on them. That is the focus of this year's European Maritime Day, to be held in Bremen (Germany) on 19 and 20 May, which will host an exchange of ideas between experts, stakeholders and policymakers from across the Union.
Maria Damanaki, the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and co-host of the event, said: “Europe's economy is still in choppy waters and we have a duty to maximise every drop of potential to help its recovery.(…) The European Maritime Day is an occasion for the maritime economy to discuss how to make sure that growth and sustainability go hand in hand in the blue economy”.
The European Commission's Blue Growth agenda seeks to make sustainability the cornerstone for maritime growth; it will also be the central theme of the discussions to take place in Bremen. European Maritime Day was inaugurated on 20 May 2008 by a tripartite declaration by the Presidents of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. (LC)