Brussels, 15/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 15 October, the European Commission presented a progress report outlining the achievements of the EU's integrated maritime policy (IMP) over the past two years. It is proposing six development strategies for the future. These last two years have demonstrated that maritime policy has been very promising and that it has significantly contributed to growth, employment, environmental protection, coastal zones and beyond. In its report, to be submitted to the European Council next December, the Commission states that although this new European policy is recent, it has already changed the way Europe manages its maritime and coastal wealth.
The president of the Commission, José Manuel Barroso, affirmed: “I believe that we can build on our work so far and take the next steps with vigour and confidence”. He also wants to see motorways of the sea to become a reality, greater maritime spatial planning, integration of maritime surveillance across borders and across countries, and the development of a marine observation and data network..
During a meeting with the press, Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs, noted that the Commission had accomplished most of its tasks in the EU martitime policy action plan (50 out of 60 initiatives). In its progress report, the Commission defines six strategic orientations for the future: - Integration of maritime governance (EU institutions, member states and coastal regions have a particular responsibility in ensuring synergies from sectoral policies impacting on the seas); Development of cross-cutting policy tools: namely maritime spatial planning, comprehensive marine knowledge and data, and integrated maritime surveillance; Definition of limitations to maritime activities as necessary in order to guarantee sustainability: within the framework of the marine strategy framework directive, this will ensure that no maritime activities are allowed to develop without real consideration for their cumulative impact on the marine environment; Development of sea-basin regional strategies: priorities and policy-making tools of maritime affairs need to be adapted to the unique geo-physical, economical and political context of Europe's major maritime basins; Development of the international dimension of the integrated maritime policy for the EU's leadership in global maritime affairs, including debating climate change and preservation of marine biodiversity will greatly strengthen the EU's position in multilateral and bilateral relations; Renewed focus on sustainable economic growth, employment and innovation: the EU should have a coherent, comprehensive agenda for economics on maritime affairs, including pushing for the development of intra-European maritime transport, stimulating investments in EU flagged shipping and in the shipbuilding sector, taking forward the project of clean ships, linking further the EU energy and climate change policies with maritime policy, and by ensuring that in the debate on territorial cohesion policy maritime and coastal areas are fully taken into account.
Maritime surveillance. Currently, it is still standard practice in member states for each sectoral authority that monitors and surveys actions at sea to gather operational data independently of its counterparts. If these data were shared, surveillance activities would become more efficient and cost-effective. However, data-sharing and the interoperability of surveillance systems pose certain technological, legal and security challenges. These challenges are identified in the Commission's proposal, and solutions to them are put forward. Also by making best use of existing systems, different user communities - from border control to fisheries, from maritime transport to the fight against irregular immigration, from customs to defence - will be able to obtain an enhanced maritime awareness picture, which will boost their respective operational effectiveness. Among other initiatives being envisaged, two pilot projects to test the integration of maritime surveillance in practice are in the process of being launched - one in the Mediterranean and its Atlantic approaches and another in a Northern sea basin.
International dimension. The Commission has also published a strategy document which sets out the way to ensure that the EU exert stronger influence in the international arena on maritime affairs in order to strengthen the global governance of the oceans and seas. This would be the best guarantee for the safeguarding of the economic, ecological and social interests of the EU in the maritime sphere. The Commission pinpoints a number of areas that clearly require international solutions, such as the protection of marine biodiversity, including on the high seas, climate change, maritime safety and security, decent onboard working conditions and marine research. It also reviews the instruments that are available at the international, regional, neighbourhood and bilateral levels to fulfil its strategy and the priority actions that it envisages to undertake in order to contribute to sustainable maritime governance at the global level. (L.C./transl.rh)