The EC Maritime Industries Forum 1992: Marine Resources And Research And Development
Authors: Jenisch U.K. 
Published: October 2008

The "Maritime Industries Forum" (MIF) of the European Community has prepared a comprehensive report covering all the EC maritime industries. The report, published on October 29, 1992, addresses maritime activities such as shipbuilding, shipping, fishing, energy, marine resources and environmental protection. Focal points are research and development measures and strategies. A major objective is to strengthen the competitiveness of the maritime industries via a global and horizontal approach.

This paper briefly analyses the M.I.F. Report and concentrates on the EC interests in the field of marine resources such as oil and gas, potable water, aquiculture and fishing, minerals, OTEC/DOWA as well as the environmentally sound technology that is required to allow for a future oriented and sustainable exploitation. Export opportunities for such new technologies and cooperation with third states are an important objective.

The proposals of the M.I.F. Report are of a positive, future-oriented nature, appropriate to replace many of the hitherto defensive policies in the maritime area. The industries recognize the responsibility for the revitalization of their industrial sectors. However, some of the accompanying measures concerning the overall framework and conditions under which maritime industries operate, have to be improved by the EC Commission and/or EC Member States.

The method of this broad sectoral approach for a new industrial policy in Europe is innovative and a model in itself. With the installation of three specialized new industrial panels in January 1993 the work continues.

BACKGROUND, ORIGIN AND STRUCTURE OF THE M.I.F.

For many years there have been attempts from various sides to point out the maritime dimension of the European Community. Both the growing importance of our planet as a "blue"one and the conclusions required have found more and more attention not only amongst interest groups of maritime industries but also politicians, national and European, marine scientists and representatives of coastal areas.

For Europe this means that of twelve Member States of EC eleven border the sea. Altogether they have over 15,000 km of coastline and out the, 2,000 ports along six different regional seas. This means a dimension of maritime matters that has so far been neglected in comparison to EC policies dealing with land, air and space.

A recent attempt was made in 1990 to respond to these European challenges. The first proposal in November 1990 by the German "Vulkan-GruppelS" was based on the concept of a so called "European Maritime Agency" (EMA), following thesuccessful example of the "European Space Agency" (ESA). Its conclusion was that a response to maritime challenges could be to create a supranational European Maritime Agency, with a view to be able to safeguard the European maritime interests in a comprehensive manner.

It was Vice-President Bangemann of the EC Commission who supported the idea of a "European Maritime Agency" on a conference in Ebenhausen/Munich, dealing with how to launch the concept on a national and European basis. Additionally, the European Parliament, together with the Italian enterprise "FincantierTorganized a round table forum in Genoa in 1991 to discuss this idea.