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Tag ‘Blue growth’

A SHARED VISION FOR THE ATLANTIC

Friday, April 20th, 2012
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At the end of last year, I presented the new maritime strategy for growth and jobs in the Atlantic Ocean area at the high-level Lisbon Atlantic Conference.

The Atlantic offers specific opportunities, such as strong winds and powerful tides to create green energy; productive fisheries that can sustain their communities if we fish responsibly; potentially vast sea-bed resources to be exploited; opportunities for the tourism industry; motorways of the sea that can bring new development to ports and coastal regions.

To turn these opportunities into economic growth we need to interconnect sectors, administrations and regions across borders and multiply effects. To deliver on the objectives set by the strategy, we need a collective effort and a shared vision. We all have to work together to achieve an ecosystem approach, to reduce our carbon footprint and exploit seafloor resources; to manage risks and emergencies and to achieve socially inclusive growth.

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MANAGING SEA SPACE TO SECURE BLUE GROWTH

Monday, March 26th, 2012
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Maritime spatial planning: the right answer to secure and support Blue growth for the European Union

I have already said it on this blog and I repeat it: we have not yet fully grasped the contribution that our seas and oceans can deliver to European economy.

We know that in some fields developments can be stunning: maritime transport grows at an average rate of over 8.5% every year, and cruise tourism alone has tripled its size between 1999 and 2009; offshore wind energy is expected to grow from 4 GW capacity this year to 150 GW in 2030 – this is 4000%! You have to add to this the potential of other sectors now growing up as aquaculture, deep-sea mining or non-wind renewable energies, to have the full picture.

So it is evident that the demand for space is already high and can lead to conflicts between different uses in marine areas. And it is also patent that economic developments can deliver their benefits only if the pressure on marine ecosystems is correctly managed. Read the full entry

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TOWARDS RIO PLUS 20: THE WAY TO GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY

Tuesday, March 6th, 2012
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Rio plus 20

The future we want

In June, the UN Conference on sustainable development will take place in Rio. Oceans are one of the main priorities and I will bring to the “Rio plus 20″ conference the EU commitment to move forward on several fronts, towards ambitious goals.

The impact of our plans to phase out discards will be lessened in the absence of a roadmap for the rest of the world. The same goes for illegal fishing: we have to seize the opportunity to step up international commitment and work toward a worldwide catch certification scheme.

My hope is that our partners’ ambition will match ours and that the contribution of civil society will help us to tackle outstanding issues. To do so, we need to fill the serious governance gap that exists today. Only through concrete actions across borders and sectors we will be able to achieve overarching objectives of the international community, such as biodiversity protection and address the conservation and the sustainable use of marine biological diversity in deep-sea areas, beyond national jurisdiction. Read the full entry

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EUROPEAN MARITIME DAY: A MARITIME POLICY FOR THE CITIZENS

Friday, May 20th, 2011
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Yesterday, more than one thousand people, from different sectors and backgrounds met in Gdańsk, to celebrate the European Maritime Day.

This city is itself an example of the potential of emerging maritime sectors: despite the problems, a part of the Shipyard has diversified its production and offers wind turbine towers and wave energy plants. At the same time, the Gdynia Maritime Academy prepares young people to be the skilled professionals of tomorrow’s maritime industry.

The sea and oceans can bring us more jobs, higher standards of living and longer, healthier lives for our people. 

But we need to do more to unlock this potential and make sure that the maritime economy can benefit the 88 million Europeans who work in coastal regions, as well as any other. Read the full entry

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VISITING TURKEY

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010
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Turkey: the country where Asia meets Europe and East meets West. It is a land which can justifiably be proud of its huge contribution to world history and culture. If you have been fortunate enough to visit this fascinating country, you will know what I mean.

My visit to Turkey last week was a great opportunity. I wanted to reinforce our cooperation to further improve our results in the international for a in which we participate: the General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean (GFCM), The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the Black Sea Initiatives. But I also wanted something more. I wanted to encourage the public administration to participate actively in the elaboration of the European fisheries and maritime policies, irrespective of the negotiations for Turkey’s accession to the EU.

I am not underestimating the importance of that policy. On the contrary, I have been a supporter for decades. Read the full entry

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