When it comes to maritime policy, the regions expect a lot from the Maltese Presidency of the Council, which took office on 1 January, explains a source from the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), consulted by this newsletter on Friday 6 January. A ministerial statement on maritime policy may be issued in April.
Among its priorities for the next six months, Malta, an island nation, includes maritime issues in the ‘Blue Growth’ initiative (see EUROPE 11696). Valetta wants to formally launch international ocean governance and a specific initiative for the Western Mediterranean to improve governance in the region and lay down the conditions for ‘fair’ and ‘sustainable’ competition.
This announcement has a special resonance among CPMR members concerned about the possible consequences for European maritime policies of the United Kingdom leaving the EU.
‘Peripheral and maritime regions are ready to enhance investments in the maritime economy. We need a clear signal from the EU institutions giving a strong endorsement of our shared ambitions,’ explained the CPMR president, Vasco Cordeiro, in a written statement. The organisation is calling for an ambitious ministerial statement to be adopted that recognises the economic potential of the maritime sector for the EU within the framework of the review of the Multiannual Financial Framework and the talks that have begun on EU policies post-2020. Such a statement may be published in April. The CPMR says the maritime sector has to be at the heart of investment priorities and therefore receive the necessary financial support.
The Committee of the Regions has been asked by the Maltese Presidency to present an opinion over the next few months on ‘Entrepreneurship on islands: contributing towards territorial cohesion,’ an opinion that is due to be adopted in May. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)