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Marine Board-ESF comments on EC’s Proposal for an Integrated Maritime Policy
The Blue Paper on the Maritime Policy, which includes a plan of action to improve cross-sectoral collaboration between maritime players, is adopted today (10 October 2007) by the College of Commissioners of the European Commission.
Issues raised during the year-long consultation on the European Commission's Green Paper on a Future European Maritime Policy were discussed at over 200 events that took place throughout the EU, while some 500 written contributions were received by the European Commission.
In May 2007 the Marine Board, which represents 28 marine research organisations from 20 European countries, produced an extensive response to the Green Paper and submitted a statement to the European Commission in May 2007.
Through the EurOCEAN 2007 Science Policy Conference (Aberdeen, 22 June 2007) the Marine Board gathered representatives from major marine and maritime networks (including transport and oil and gas industries). The resultant Aberdeen Declaration calls for the development of a coordinated approach to marine and maritime science across Europe, supporting the development of the Future European Maritime Policy, as well as the strengthening of the marine component of the European Research Area.
The Marine Board particularly welcomes the European Commission’s intentions which echo the priorities stated in the Aberdeen Declaration and in the Marine Board’s submission; these are:
• Present a comprehensive European Strategy for Marine and Maritime Research in 2008;
• Support research to predict, mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change on maritime activities, the marine environment, coastal zones and islands;
• Support the creation of a European marine science partnership for a concerted dialogue between the scientific community, the industry and policy makers.
To build on the current momentum the Marine Board now calls on representatives of the European marine and maritime research community, together with the European Commission, to move towards the development of a European marine and maritime research strategy and investigate the options to create a network of existing marine and maritime networks as an implementation tool.
Media contact:
- Ms. Maud EvrardE-Mail
Category: Marine, Media Centre, Homepage, Press Releases 2007