The EU’s “blue” economy – economic activity linked to the seas, oceans and coastal areas - is a sector with the wind in its sails, according to the first EU annual report on the blue economy, published on Wednesday 27 June.
With a turnover of €566 billion, the blue economy sector generates €174 billion of value added and creates jobs for nearly 3.5 million people, the report states. European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs Karmenu Vella points out that the EU’s blue economy has continued to thrive over the past decade and its future potential is promising. “We can double the sector in a sustainable way by 2030”, he predicts.
The United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France and Greece have the largest blue economies in Europe. Spain accounts for one fifth of total employment in this area, followed by Italy, the United Kingdom and Greece.
Among the different sectors, that of “living resources” (i.e. fisheries, aquaculture and processing) grew by 22% between 2009 and 2016.
The biotechnology sector marks double-digit growth in member states such as Ireland, and employment in the offshore wind industry has leapt from 23,700 people in 2009 to 160,000 in 2016, thus outnumbering employment of the EU fishing sector. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)