Brussels, 08/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - Following the adoption on 2 March of the communication “towards a Union maritime policy: a European vision on oceans and seas”, the European Commission is continuing its consultations for a Green Paper on future Union maritime policy, a task it has conferred to the Maritime Task Force Policy (EUROPE 8900). Tiaggo Pitta e Cunha, member of the fisheries and maritime affairs Commissioner Joe Borg's cabinet addressed the German de Norske Veritas committee on 30 May in Brussels. He was invited by the Schleswig-Holstein region and spoke about the Commission's “vision” on future Union maritime policy. The Task Force's transversal approach and the launch of a consultation process of those involved aims to move on from the prevailing sectoral and fragmented approach. It aims to implement a policy that, “achieves a good mix of using the economic advantages of the maritime sector while preserving the maritime milieu”. The Green Paper, which's expected for the first half of 2006 is just a “starting point”, he repeated. The Commission wants the maritime sector's importance to be fully acknowledged at European level, especially among the public. The Commission will also ensure that the international dimension is integrated into its work, while taking into account the standards of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and policies caries out by other countries such as the USA and Canada.