The future Maritime Policy: taking stock of the process. CPMR SEMINAR: Governance and the Future EU Maritime Policy: which Role for the Regions

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1 Dr. Joe Borg Member of the European Commission responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs The future Maritime Policy: taking stock of the process CPMR SEMINAR: Governance and the Future EU Maritime Policy: which Role for the Regions Livorno, 6 November 2006 Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a particular pleasure for me to be here at this conference, which addresses one of the most important issues of the Green Paper on a future EU Maritime Policy: the role of the European regions and their contribution to the prosperity of European citizens. Before I turn to the topic in hand, allow me to express my sincere appreciation to the CPMR for its valuable contribution to the Green Paper process, both before and now during this consultation phase. Our mutual cooperation comes from the beginning of this process, when in January 2005 I addressed the CPMR in Galicia, in what was to be my very first public intervention on maritime policy. In this intervention I said: "It is clear that the Maritime Policy will have to be guided by a recognition of the need for an integrated, intersectoral and interdisciplinary approach to the oceans and seas; an awareness and recognition of the environmental threats and problems; and an awareness of the importance of the oceans and seas as a continuation of European territory for the purposes of spatial planning, management and conservation." I am glad that I can affirm, almost two years later, that we have been faithful to these words. Since then, the European Commission has been working hard towards obtaining such a more integrated, intersectoral and interdisciplinary approach to our oceans and seas. But this, of course is not something that can happen overnight. It is a process that takes time time for all players to feel a part of the process, time for what we are trying to achieve to become a reality for those involved at all levels. The Green Paper itself is the result of months of internal consultations in the Commission and many contributions and influences from outside. Taking time and therefore making good use of it seems to me to be particularly wise when we have before us such a complex and broad project.

2 Notwithstanding our step by step approach, no one should doubt that a positive outcome of this process is our main goal. In this respect, I think you would agree that the Green Paper manages to a large extent to present the holistic and integrated approach I asked for in Galicia. This was no mean feat! I am stressing this point because I have not yet had the chance to speak about the Green Paper with you, the CPMR, since its publication. I am pressing for prudence because we continue, despite already much progress, to navigate through uncharted waters where nothing is a given and nothing can be taken for granted. I find it useful, from time to time, to recall this fact so that we can remain focused to renew our efforts to move the process forward. As you are aware the ongoing consultation of the Green Paper lasts for one year. Such an extended period finds almost no parallel in other Commission's initiatives. It is a lot of time, but it is not by any means a waste of time. It gives all, including yourselves, the opportunity to come forward and have their say. Every contribution counts. Your views, as the views of coastal regions will be critical because for a new maritime policy to be accepted it must be the result of clear demand. Let me explain better. This is a two way avenue: It is true that a holistic and more sustainable maritime policy cannot be tackled by a few Member States alone. The oceans and seas know no borders and the maritime activities we develop tend to be global in their reach and scope. It makes a lot of sense therefore to build a common approach and a policy framework at European level. This is exactly what the EU should be for. On the other hand, there must be visible a clear need to move forward and in so doing, bring about necessary changes. The case for this must be made by Europe, its stakeholders, the Member States but also the regions, maritime sectors, NGOs, academy and citizens. You are the source of inspiration for the project. You are the cause and the main reason to embark on this process and you are the ones who will benefit from a future maritime policy. I have no doubt about this. The more numerous and substantial the contributions of the consultation phase will be, the better for the future of a maritime policy. Your ambition will determine how ambitious the policy is. At this stage of the consultation is still too early to draw a balance. It is important, nevertheless, to keep recalling why we have embarked on this process of building a new approach to the way we should deal with our oceans and seas. By doing it we strengthen our determination and we avoid losing sight of our original vision and of our aims. In this respect, let me say to you, that the more we develop our work, the more we understand how a holistic, cross-cutting and horizontal approach will fit and contribute into the urgent actions that Europe needs to take in order to address the most decisive challenges. A new holistic maritime policy is needed because globalisation is fast increasing its pace and magnitude, generating more trade and economic interactions between the different regions of the world. In these circumstances, Europe will depend even more on its seaports and its merchant fleet, on its shipyards, the marine equipment and its logistics. This is why the Commission in its strategic objectives for the current mandate has recognised the need, within the context of the Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs, of a thriving maritime economy.

3 A new maritime policy, based on improved knowledge and research, is also important in the face of the formidable challenge that is global climate change. The oceans are key to understand more of what is happening with climate change. What is really changing with their salinity, their temperature, their acidification and, most important, their currents, as well as in understanding the influence of all these elements in atmospheric climate. Also, coastal regions will be the first to be affected by sea rising levels. We need therefore more and better marine research and we can only achieve it by avoiding overlapping and duplication of efforts. On other words we can do it if we integrate further marine science and research and we can do it together at European level. A new maritime policy is also very important because we urgently need to better preserve the source of all maritime economic activities and of coastal tourism, which is the sea itself. This is a point of extreme relevance and it means that we have to decouple the development of ocean uses and of maritime activities with marine environmental degradation. In the Commission we are concerned with this. We have put forward a Marine Thematic Strategy and we have made it clear in the Green Paper that this issue is a priority for any future maritime policy. We mean this, as we have to reduce pollution from land sources and from shipping and to protect habitats and ecosystems and to embrace genuine sustainable fisheries, or otherwise we will not only compromise the future of our maritime economy, but even of the sustainability of the planet we live in. A new maritime policy is also important in the context of the acute energy challenge Europe is facing. This is an issue in the top of our international agenda as could be seen recently in the EU Summit in Lahti in Finland. We need to improve security of supply and this requires to have access to more sources and to different types of energy. We cannot therefore avoid but to continue to exploit offshore oil and gas operations, which provide a considerable amount of the energy we consume in Europe. We need to diversify entry routes of energy to Europe, relying more on safe maritime transport of these energies, and expanding our LNG terminals. In this context, maritime transport (less fuel consuming than other modes of transport), namely through the development of short sea shipping and the motorways of the sea, represents a great potential for increasing energy efficiency. Finally, it is clear to all today that Europe still needs to do much more for developing renewable sources of energy, including expanding offshore wind and working for the future exploitation of wave energy. Demographics trends in Europe and the considerable ageing of the European population also demand a prompt response from a new maritime policy. Retirees, as holiday makers, tend to spend more time by the sea. A trend of senior Europeans moving from cities to coastal areas will create opportunities but also challenges for the maritime regions of Europe which require planning and are a further reason to develop and improve integrated coastal zone management. These are convincing reasons for us to realise all that is at stake in a future maritime policy for Europe and to renew our commitment and efforts to achieve a holistic and all-embracing policy. Let me now turn to calendar and where we are in the process of launching a maritime policy. As you may recall we started in the beginning of 2005 with a Communication from the Commission which set the tone and laid down the scope of our action. This Communication put forward a vision: A vision for Europe's oceans and seas, thereby declaring that a policy framework at European level is vital if Europe is to make the most of its maritime potential. It also referred to the fact that there is a growing awareness of the need for integrated coastal management and development in Europe s regional policy. You also know that the Green Paper launched last June followed immediately after that. A steering group made up of first seven, but now ten, Commissioners directed this project. All the while we have been working to advocate and link maritime affairs with other relevant issues of the Commission agenda, joining the dots between different policies and various documents. We have done this in the 7th Framework Program on Research, in the Marine Thematic Strategy, and in other

4 environmental strategies such as the soil protection strategy, where the action of the sea on coastal zones and of degraded soil on coastal waters seriously contributes to create a negative impact on the sea. We have advocated the importance of oceans and seas in other relevant initiatives. For instance, on innovation and competitiveness, where maritime technologies and future uses of the sea qualify as products and services for lead markets, and in the recent Action Plan on Energy Efficiency where the link between energy savings and maritime transport is clearly established. Consultation on some of your and our ideas is now underway. Both the Maritime Affairs Task Force team and I are sparing no effort to ensure this consultation is as wide as possible. We are participating in as many events as possible and are also recipients of a growing number of written contributions which we are analysing as we go along. We have also been working closely with institutional stakeholders which are key to the success of this process. Hence, we continue our work with a Member State Experts' Group, who have contributed significantly to the preparation of the Green Paper itself. The Austrian Presidency has supported us by ensuring a very positive reference to the Green Paper in the conclusions of the Vienna European Council of June this year. The Finnish Presidency has also been supportive and has organised a series of meetings, which has attempted to cater to our wish of discussing the Green Paper in a cross-sectoral format. At the end of this we expect that the Presidency will produce a short report of the Member States' preliminary discussions. In 2007, the German Presidency will take the process forward by organising a major event early May, which will begin to bring the consultation phase to an end. The Portuguese Presidency, we expect will also be helpful in moving the process forward, at a time however when the ball in really in our court and we will be busy charting the way ahead. The European Parliament, in turn, is appointing a rapporteur on the Green Paper as we speak. We expect its report to be adopted during the first half of Finally, the Committee of the Regions is also preparing a new Opinion on the Green Paper, further to the one it had already adopted before the publication of the Green Paper. We expect both reports to be supportive and to contain useful suggestions. After the end of the Consultation period the Commission will come up in the fall of 2007 with a Communication, declaring the way forward of the Green Paper. This document will reflect the analysis of the inputs made during the consultation phase, it will draw the pertinent political conclusions of the wide debate maintained and will point out future actions to be featured in a coming Action Plan. This action Plan should then be adopted in From the vast interaction done so far with all involved stakeholders it looks like relevant decisions will have to be taken on at least four key areas: maritime governance; the sustainable use of the oceans and seas, including its economic development and its environmental protection; knowledge and innovation; and on quality of life in coastal areas. Ladies and gentlemen, Co-operation between all the actors involved is indispensable in a new maritime policy. In this context, I am convinced that the regions should play an important role in such a co-operative scheme. I remember that last February in Brest your organisation suggested the consideration of informal, ad hoc mechanisms and discussions between relevant stakeholders. Allow me to say that today s seminar is an excellent opportunity to collect and share fresh and valuable input from the regions.

5 Ladies and gentlemen, The Green Paper is an opportunity but also a challenge to the European ethos of securing a better future for the oceans and seas and for our coastal regions. This exercise requires not only patience and prudence but also a strong commitment to the goals that we set ourselves. The clear message I want to deliver to this distinguished gathering is that this effort towards the identification of a future Maritime Policy is a joint one. I am confident that the regions of Europe will always be at the forefront of this bold initiative. It may be a long process, but maybe it is in Europe s nature to move slowly. Our duty is to keep it moving steadily and in the right direction. Thank you.