Own-initiative Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on EU maritime policy — a question of sustainable development for local and regional authorities
Date: 2005-10-12
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: coastal protection, common fisheries policy, common ports policy, exploitation of the sea-bed, island region, maritime area, shipbuilding, shipping policy

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Own-initiative Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on EU maritime policy — a question of
sustainable development for local and regional authorities

(2006/C 81/06)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

HAVING REGARD TO the decision of the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions, at its meeting on 25
January 2005, to instruct the Commission for Sustainable Development (DEVE) to draw up an own-initia-
tive opinion under Article 265 of the EC Treaty on EU maritime policy — a question of sustainable development
for local and regional authorities;

HAVING REGARD TO the 2005 work programme (1) of the Committee of the Regions' Commission for
Sustainable Development (DEVE), which is to pay ‘particular attention to the integrated, horizontal
approach to EU maritime policy’;

HAVING REGARD TO Articles I-13 and I-14 of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (2),
which refers to aspects of maritime policy;

HAVING REGARD TO the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 9 April 2003 on the Commis-
sion Communication Towards a strategy to protect and conserve the marine environment, COM(2002) 539
final (3);

HAVING REGARD TO the Commission Communication of 2 March 2005 Towards a future EU maritime
policy: a European vision for oceans and seas;

HAVING REGARD TO the Commission Communication of 26 January 2005 on Strategic objectives 2005-
2009 (4), which refers to the particular need for ‘an all-embracing maritime policy aimed at developing a
thriving maritime economy and the full potential of sea-based activity in an environmentally sustainable
manner’;

HAVING REGARD TO the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May
2002 concerning the implementation of integrated coastal zone management in Europe (5);

HAVING REGARD TO the White Paper European transport policy for 2010: time to decide of 12 September
2001 (6);

HAVING REGARD TO the draft opinion adopted on 28 June 2005 by the Commission for Sustainable
Development (CdR 84/2005 rev. 1) (rapporteur: Mr Döring, Minister for Justice, Employment and Euro-
pean Affairs of Schleswig-Holstein, DE-PES);

Whereas:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

the sea is fundamental to the physical and economic survival of the human race and the continent
of Europe has been particularly influenced by the sea, as the European Union including the islands
lying offshore has around 325 000 km of coastline and, if its outermost regions are taken into
account, the EU has the largest maritime territory in the world, one-third of the EU's 450 million
people live on or near the coast, and over 100 regions border directly on the sea;

the sea is of crucial importance to the lives of more than 14 million people in the European Union
who live on islands and is the most significant factor in the socio-economic development of all
island regions;

the seas, which cover around 1,4 billion km2, are the world's largest habitat;

the sea and the climate are closely interlinked, with 70 % of the oxygen we breathe being produced
by marine flora;

the various maritime sectors of the economy, such as transport, energy and food will need to face
the difficult task of boosting economic growth in a sustainable manner in line with the objective of
preserving resources;

(1) CdR 7/2005 rev. 1.
(2) OJ C 310 of 16.12.2004, p. 1.
(3) CdR 24/2003 fin.
(4) COM(2005) 12 final.
(5) OJ L 148 of 6.6.2002, p. 24.
(6) White Paper: European transport policy for 2010: time to decide, COM(2001) 370 final.

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6.

7.

the preamble of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea states, inter alia, that ‘issues
relating to the law of the sea’ are to be settled ‘in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation’,
that ‘the problems of ocean space are closely interrelated and need to be considered as a whole’, that
‘international communication’ should be facilitated, and that an ‘equitable and efficient utilisation of
their resources’ and ‘the conservation of their living resources, and the … protection and preserva-
tion of the marine environment’ should be promoted;

regional and local authorities in coastal areas have a particular wealth of experience that ought to be
used in developing future maritime policy;

adopted the following opinion at its 61st plenary session, held on 12 and 13 October 2005
(meeting of 12 October):

1. Views of the Committee of the Regions

The Committee of the Regions

1.8
stresses that a sustainable and effective European mari-
time policy must have as its overarching principle an integrated
approach aimed at strategically merging various individual poli-
cies;

Introduction

points out that there are already a number of examples

1.9
of integrated maritime policy outside the European Union;

1.1
notes that, for the first time, the sea as a whole is the
subject of political focus in the European Union, and that the
individual EU measures, some of which have been in operation
for many years, can thus be brought together constructively,
under a common approach that
takes their synergies into
account, to form a modern European maritime policy so that
maximum benefit can be gained from them;

1.2
expects the European Commission to go beyond a
mere stocktaking exercise and to introduce, during this term of
office, initial measures for a European maritime policy and put
forward relevant legislative proposals;

1.3 welcomes the European Commission's decision to draw
up a Green Paper on maritime affairs with the aim of taking
stock and establishing a basis for a sustainable European mari-
time economy as a key initiative for 2010;

supports

1.4
regions and
regional networks aimed at providing thorough-going support
for this process;

the initiatives of

individual

1.5
also welcomes the Communication of 2 March 2005
entitled Towards a Future EU Maritime Policy: A European Vision
for Oceans and Seas and the conclusions and aims concerning
the EU maritime sector contained in that communication;

the

central

stresses

1.6
the European
Commission's decision to carry out during the drafting of the
Green Paper a wide-ranging consultation in which European
regional and local authorities will have a pivotal role to play;

importance of

Integrated approach as the overarching principle

1.10
hopes that an integrated approach to European mari-
time policy will also facilitate an effective relaunch of the
Barcelona process,
the contribution that
regional and local authorities can make here.

taking account of

Individual policies

1.11
points out that European maritime policy affects a
large number of sectoral policy areas, some of which are regu-
lated at European level but have not as yet been brought
together in an integrated approach;

1.12
active maritime policy must cover:

lists the following important individual policies that an

Tr a de , tr anspor t, sh i p bui ldi ng a nd por t i ndu str i e s

interest of

stresses the vital

1.13
the European Union's
regions in the competitiveness of shipping, shipbuilding, and
port industries. The development of inland waterway and ship-
ping routes is indispensable, given the geographical circum-
stances, Europe's heavily export-based economy, and the
increase in traffic volumes. The transfer of land-based traffic to
sea routes offers part of the solution to the rise in traffic levels.
In addition, a European maritime policy needs to create circum-
stances that ensure fair opportunities for economic players in
European shipping, shipbuilding and port industries. At the
same time, not only must there be clear, binding safety regula-
tions governing globalised sea traffic and safety at sea, but
these regulations must also be enforced;

considers that

1.7
the aim must be to recognise and
preserve the great potential of Europe's seas and to design an
active maritime policy in such a way that future generations
can also share in the economic, biological and cultural wealth
of the sea;

1.14
notes that Europe has a strategic advantage to gain by
retaining a competitive commercial fleet and a thriving ship-
building industry;
this would require developing an active
industrial policy based on innovation, research and scientific
knowledge;

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1.15
stresses that the infrastructure for repairing and main-
taining ships must be developed in European ports and the
safety standards raised, in order to help strengthen this sector;

1.16
suggests that thought be given to ways of disposing of
shipping waste in an environmentally sensitive manner such as
the introduction of a specific port tax;

F i s h e r i e s a n d m a r i c u lt u r e

1.17
notes that despite the EU's Common Fisheries Policy
(CFP), traditional fishing — whilst it is a resource for some
operating businesses — has been brought to the brink by over-
fishing, although the EU has the largest market in the world for
processed fish products. Unless the CFP is implemented with
determination and, where necessary,
is supported by further
specific measures for individual European seas, the collapse of
large parts of European fish stocks and, as a result,
the
economic ruin of many fisheries businesses appears inevitable;

1.18
stresses that, alongside traditional fishing, the develop-
ment of mariculture for highly-priced fish, crustaceans and
algae at sea and on land, as well as the harvesting and cultiva-
tion of natural products in the seas through the use of ‘blue’
biotechnology could, if carried out sustainably, make a signifi-
cant contribution to economic growth;

E ne r g y , ma r i ne mi n e r a l s, ma r i ne t e c h nolog y

1.19
notes that, in the area of offshore energy, alongside oil
and gas extraction, wind energy in particular is gaining in
economic significance as a form of renewable energy. In the
context of the European Union's increasing dependence on
energy imports,
this sea-based energy
should also be promoted;

the development of

1.20
notes that marine minerals are very extensive and that
their exploitation is in some cases just beginning and must take
place in a way that does not destroy the long-term ecological
balance;

stresses the innovative potential of a many-faceted
1.21
marine technology with a wide range of applications, such as
the whole sea transport sector including ship maintenance,
port industries and shipyards, equipment for offshore activities,
hydrography, mariculture and the environment. Environmental
technology, too, opens up significant economic opportunities.
Marine technology, with its high innovative potential, is thus
both an important economic factor and a powerful engine for
research and development;

M a r i ne e nv i r on me nt

stresses that the sea's physical, chemical and biological
1.22
makeup is influenced by outside factors such as increasing
pollution, including the build-up of persistent pollutants and
the inappropriate exploitation of some of the sea's biological
and non-biological raw materials and climate change, which
are threatening the future of the sea as a source of biodiversity
and a vital
for millions of people
resource
throughout
the EU, and thus urgently require appropriate
corrective measures. Examples of this are the EU Water Frame-
work Directive and the efforts that have been made over many
years to improve the state of the Baltic Sea, which has recently
almost become a sea within the EU;

economic

T o u r i sm

1.23
notes that sporting and healthcare facilities, high-
quality bathing water, clean beaches, unspoilt coastlines, restric-
tions on urban development, and culture and leisure facilities
influence holidaymakers' choice of coastal resort for their holi-
days. The further development of
the European maritime
including marinas for sail and motor craft,
tourist industry,
remains a key precondition for this. The promotion of coastal
areas as places in which to invest with their high employment
rates must be given proper consideration in any European
maritime policy;

Coastal p r ote ct i on

1.24
recalls that rising sea levels and coastal erosion call for
direct structural measures to protect coastlines and that, at the
same time, the potential consequences of climate change must
be investigated and assessed in economic terms in order to
ensure the further development of coastal protection; in this
context, it would seem vital to foster exchange of best practice
on integrated coastal zone management in order to establish
procedures which meet the requirements of coastal areas, thus
ensuring that both the quality of these areas and maritime
regional identity are preserved. Similarly, it is vital to draw up
measures to protect
the natural resources of coastal areas,
which are the most productive marine environments;

Island di mensi on

1.25
considers that European maritime policy must take
account of the specific characteristics of islands and must be
able to help them to overcome the natural handicaps they
suffer and which give rise to additional structural costs that
place them at a disadvantage when competing with continental
Europe;

1.26
is of the view that, because island economies depend
heavily on maritime transport, EU maritime policy should be a
useful mechanism for helping island markets to operate in the
single market on an equal footing with regions in continental
Europe;

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M a r i ne r e sou r c e s i n th e for e i g n p o li c y di me nsi on
a nd i n t h e ne i g h b ou r h ood p oli cy

Public awareness

1.27
believes that it is clearly in the interests of the EU, as
a global player, to use marine resources in a way that is fair to
all countries and also takes global sustainability into considera-
tion; in this context, the applicable international conventions
and in particular International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
legislation must be considered;

it

for

regrets that

1.33
took spectacular shipping disasters
involving ships that did not meet EU standards, such as the
Erika and the Prestige,
the public to become aware
throughout Europe of the sea's existence as a resource. It will
only be possible to successfully implement a European mari-
time policy if, through the use of appropriate instruments, the
people affected on the ground are involved in its formulation
and implementation at
level. The many
examples of best practice in Europe's regions should be taken
into consideration here;

local and regional

Instruments of an integrated maritime policy

R e s e a r c h a nd e du c a t i on

Inland dimension

1.28
notes that marine research must become not only an
integral part of European research policy, but also one of its
priorities;

1.34
considers that the inland dimension plays an impor-
tant role in maritime policy, as inland activities have significant
effects on coastal areas and the seas.

1.29
supports the Galway Declaration of European mari-
time research institutes of 13 May 2004 in favour of support
for marine science and technology in the seventh research
framework programme; and stresses that, alongside sectoral
technical areas such as materials and technology research,
health and food research, climate and marine biological
research and non-technical areas such as trade and tourism,
there is an urgent need to support overarching international
research institutions that can collect comprehensive data on
horizontal issues;

1.30
approves the promotion of a training system for the
maritime professions in the Member States and regions, based
on the needs of all of Europe's labour markets.

Spati a l p lanni ng a nd moni tor i ng

1.31
considers that spatial planning instruments are an
important part of an integrated maritime policy. Appropriate
monitoring systems and their evaluation could produce impor-
tant data for the development over time of the various marine
parameters and their use. The management of the territorial
waters and of the exclusive economic zone of the EU could be
optimised within an integrated approach. This is in Europe's
common interest, not least because of the high infrastructure
costs involved;

supports in this context the Recommendation of the
1.32
European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2002
concerning the implementation of
Integrated Coastal Zone
Management (ICZM) in Europe. The ICZM covers: a holistic
approach to land, coast and open sea; balancing the various
interests within and between the economy, the environment,
social policy and security; and the involvement of politicians,
administrations and social groups in order to recognise and
resolve conflicts at an early stage;

2. The Committee of the Regions' recommendations

The Committee of the Regions

supports the active inclusion of a European maritime

2.1
policy in the overarching aims of the Lisbon strategy;

requests the Commission to recognise the positive and
2.2
multifaceted contribution of local and regional authorities to
managing maritime resources and to ensure that this role is
built into the future Maritime Policy;

recommends that the Commission should take account
2.3
of
three key themes: a) building the Capacity and facility
construction of Coastal Areas for businesses and communities
— including support for innovation, skills and enterprise, espe-
cially for new maritime technology development
including
adequate resourcing for such facilities and development of
required human resources; b) using the Sea and our Coasts to
Support Economic Development including support for coastal
regeneration, and countryside based activities where there are
social and economic outputs, c) assisting Coastal Settlements
and Hinterlands by supporting improved access with wider
rural areas, as well as to regional towns and cities;

2.4
recommends that an overview of existing laws and
regulations with maritime aspects be drawn up, and that
Regional Policy instruments, the European Agricultural Fund
for Rural Development Regulation, the lifelong learning fund
regulations, and the 7th Community Framework Programme
for Research & Development be checked as to whether they
give adequate consideration to those maritime aspects;

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2.5 wishes to see the maritime dimension of the Union
taken into account in future competitiveness and cooperation
objectives, especially as regards the transnational and cross-
border aspects of the combating of pollution, the enhancement
of safety at sea, and the management of airport systems and
waterways in the 2007-2013 regional policy programming
period and recommends that existing EU financial instruments
be checked and coordinated with respect to maritime affairs;

2.6
calls on the Commission to do everything possible to
collect data on the economic and environmental value of indi-
vidual marine resources and to evaluate the current and
planned use of marine resources and,
if appropriate, deduce
what changes may be necessary;

2.7
calls on the Commission to indicate the various sectors
of the maritime economy's current and future potential for
wealth and job creation and to put forward proposals as to
how that potential might be realised;

encourages the Commission to continue to work
2.8
together with Member States to strengthen,
improve and
develop shipping routes and to ensure that they are given
proper consideration as part of the trans-European networks;

2.9
requests that, in order to improve transport links with
the islands and their access to continental markets, develop-
ment of secondary networks be stepped up and islands should
be fully connected to the ‘motorways of the sea’;

structure and,
to diversify existing infrastructure in ports,
paying particular attention to the port infrastructure of islands,
while complying with measures to protect the natural resources
of coastal areas;

2.14
facilities in ports, for example accommodation for crews;

calls for greater consideration to be paid to social

2.15
urges that safety strategies and measures in port instal-
lations and their immediate surroundings be adapted to the
new threat of terrorism without further delay;

2.16
eries policy,
waters and the livelihoods of fishermen in the long term;

calls on the Commission to continue its reform of fish-
in order to safeguard fish stocks in European

asks

the Commission and the Council

the
2.17
relaunch of Euromed policy gives a central role to the common
fisheries policy, inter alia in view of the creation by 2010 of
the Mediterranean free trade area;

that

2.18
appeals to the Commission to facilitate the further
development of wind farms in the EU. The potential of other
renewable energy sources, such as tidal flows, should be looked
included in support
into more carefully and,
measures;

if appropriate,

2.19
friendly underwater oil and gas extraction in the EU's waters;

requests the Commission to ensure environmentally-

2.10
calls for sound spatial planning, for example by imple-
menting ICZM and distribution or reservation of areas that
might be required for different uses;

2.20
calls on the Commission to develop scenarios for
coastal protection measures that may be necessary, based on
the various forecasts for the rise in sea levels;

2.11
supports the EU shipbuilding industry's LeaderSHIP
2015 initiative, and calls on the Commission to support the
competitiveness of high-quality European shipbuilding;

calls for the development for the maritime sector of
2.21
an instrument similar to the INSPIRE spatial information infra-
structure,
thereby enabling the various user interests to be
weighed against each other on the basis of sound data;

calls on the Commission to make the avoidance of
2.12
shipping accidents on the high seas,
in coastal areas and in
ports one of the priorities of the European Union and to
increase security levels already established in international
conventions that are binding under public international
law,
such as the IMO's SOLAS and MARPOL conventions, by means
of EU initiatives, speed up the ratification of these conventions
in this
and improve their implementation and monitoring;
context thought should be given to the extent to which the
Structural Funds could be used for risk management;

calls for increased efforts to expand the capacity and/
2.13
or develop infrastructure for land access to port
facilities,
construction of logistical distribution networks and new infra-

2.22
recommends more targeted support for shipbuilding
and marine technology, such as the introduction of double-
hulled tankers or the forthcoming dismantling over the next
few years of around 200 offshore oil and gas platforms;

2.23
calls on the Commission to promote the creation of
national strategic plans and support trans-regional and trans-
national ICZM approaches;

2.24
calls on the Commission to boost funding for marine
research and to focus it on promoting new technologies, such
as polar technology, and to harmonise conditions across the
EU,
for example for mariculture, and to involve business
therein at an early stage;

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requests

the Commission,

2.25
the purpose of
improving public awareness, to develop a systematic strategy
for a modern maritime policy in order to have it
firmly
embedded at grassroots level and to ensure that it actually gets
implemented;

for

2.26
requests the Commission to take into consideration
the inland dimension and the interactions between inland
areas, coastal areas and the sea, so that all regions — not only
those immediately next to the sea — are involved in maritime
policy;

2.27
requests the Commission to take into consideration
broader regional approaches, particularly those that already
exist in the four large European maritime areas of the North
East Atlantic, the Baltic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea;

2.28
recommends that the Commission should specifically
take account of cultural interests and local knowledge in mari-
time communities and incorporate this into planning, manage-
ment and related policy development. Further, it is imperative
to encourage continued cultural contact between coastal
communities and the sea especially where the sea contribute to
the sustainability of communities. This will add value to the
tourism product;

Brussels, 12 October 2005.

2.29
calls on the Commission to ensure that the regional
and local dimension is included in the formulation and imple-
mentation of European maritime policy and that the wide-
ranging expertise existing at regional level is taken into consid-
eration when drafting the Green Paper. In particular, examples
of best practice and also model maritime regions could be very
significant for the introduction of integrated policies. Further
the highly successful LEADER model should be considered to
ensure a local dimension in delivery;

recommends that over the course of the broad consul-
2.30
its publication, various
tation on the Green Paper and until
regional conferences be held in coastal regions in order, on the
one hand, to bring regional and local expertise to bear, and, on
the other, to help raise public awareness of maritime issues.
Conferences should be balanced between those regions with
large industrial ports and those with smaller artisanal ports;

2.31
offers to play a significant partnering role in the
consultations that are to accompany the drafting of the Green
Paper on maritime policy; and recommends a long-term publi-
city campaign involving local and regional authorities.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB