Brussels, 01/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 10 October, the European Commission is to adopt documents and an action plan on the implementation of a “maritime policy for the European Union”. The initiatives which make up this “maritime policy” package will be discussed in October and November by the competent European ministers. Then, in Brussels on 13 December, the European Council will examine and enshrine the action plan on the creation of an integrated maritime policy.
After more than a year of consultations with the interested parties, the Commission is reaching the conclusion that it is necessary to create an “integrated” European maritime policy, turning its back on the sectorial approach followed until now. This “holistic” approach will presuppose the best possible coordination of the various fields and tools of the maritime life of the Union (environment, transport, fisheries, research, industrial aspects and border security, etc).
“We are extremely satisfied with the results of the consultation”, announced European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs Joe Borg at a meeting with the press on 27 September. The Commission received more than 500 written contributions and took part in over 200 events on the European maritime policy. “The maritime policy must adopt a holistic vision of everything to do with the seas”, thus putting an end to a solely sectorial approach to the issues. According to the commissioner, the improvement in coordination must be “horizontal” (between the various sectors) and “vertical” (between the various levels of decision-making). In conducting this exercise, the Commission is respecting the principle of subsidiarity (action at EU level only if it brings added value over and above what was being done at member state level), particularly in the fight against illegal immigration and the exploitation of non-living resources.
In its communication and its action plan, the Commission presents several “tools” to be developed in order to implement this integrated maritime policy: - the European network for marine environment observation and data; - plans for a maritime space, using the “Integrated Management of Coastal Areas” (GIZC) and taking account of the provisions of the “Marine strategy” directive; - the promotion of “maritime clusters” (to promote synergies between inter-connected sectors); - a more integrated network made up of the various surveillance systems of the European seas (the Commission has given up on the idea, supported by the European Parliament, of proposing a European coastguard corps); - exhaustive (and three-dimensional) cartography of the European coastal waters (“European Atlas of the Seas”).
The action plan includes some 30 initiatives, most of which will be implemented between 2008 and 2009. “The introduction of any new legislative measures should be the exception rather than the rule”, commented Joe Borg, who pledged that the Commission would propose legislation only when absolutely necessary.
The two major areas which may bring about new legislative instruments are: - ports policy (a communication on this subject may be adopted on 17 October) and measures aiming to reduce air pollution caused by ships (nitrogen oxide and sulphur). The Commission is still showing some reluctance, before the adoption of the documents on the future maritime policy, to take position in favour of presenting legislation to reduce CO2 emissions from ships. Furthermore, the Commission intends to make proposals on the (socially and ecologically sustainable) dismantling of old vessels and the capture and geological storage of carbon (within the context of the fight against climate change).
The Commission is looking into other initiatives, including: - presenting a maritime research strategy, in 2008; - setting in place a “common European space for maritime transport” with a strategy for 2008-2018 for maritime transport and an initial list of sea motorways in 2009; - launching a debate, in close cooperation with the social partners, on the exclusion of the maritime sectors from the social legislation of the EU; - presentation of proposals on improving safety conditions for fishermen on board vessels.
It is worth noting that on 7 June 2006, the European Commission adopted a Green Paper sketching the broad outlines of a future integrated maritime policy for the EU. The Green Paper came in the wake of a decision taken by the Commission in 2005 to launch a consultation on the future of the European seas. The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, then asked the commissioner for fisheries and maritime affairs, Joe Borg, to head up a “maritime task force” to launch a broad consultation on a future maritime policy for the Union. In its conclusions of 15-16 June this year, the European Council welcomed the launch of the debate on maritime policy and urged the Commission to put forward proposals in autumn 2007. (lc)