Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Developing the international dimension of the Integrated Maritime Policy of the European Union
Date: 2009-10-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: biodiversity, climate change, freedom of navigation, governance, marine ecosystem, maritime safety, shipping policy, the EU's international role

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 15.10.2009 
COM(2009)536 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Developing the international dimension of the Integrated Maritime Policy of the 
European Union 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Need and purpose ....................................................................................................................... 3 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Key themes for an EU platform in international maritime affairs ............................... 3 

Enhancing the role of the EU in multilateral fora ........................................................ 7 

Establishing regional cooperation within shared sea-basins........................................ 9 

Developing bilateral relations with key partners ....................................................... 10 

EU policy agenda ..................................................................................................................... 11 

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Need and purpose 

Sustainable development lies at the heart of the EU policy agenda. The Integrated Maritime 
Policy  (IMP)  has  a  central  role  to  play  in  achieving  this  objective.  Europe  is  a  maritime 
continent. Our various oceans and seas and extensive coastline have long been  the  scene of 
substantial maritime activities, which continue to make a major contribution – economically, 
environmentally  and  socially.  The  aim  of  the  IMP  is  to  promote  the  sustainable  growth  of 
both  the  maritime  economy  in  particular,  and  the  coastal  regions  more  generally,  by 
improving  coordination  between  the  different  sectoral  policies  and  by  developing  cross-
cutting  tools.  In  this  way,  we  will  be  able  to  develop  integrated  responses  to  maritime 
challenges. 

If the IMP is to succeed, however, it cannot be just a European policy. Marine ecosystems and 
maritime economies transcend national boundaries. The IMP cannot afford to ignore what is 
going on beyond Europe's borders. Indeed, many of the most urgent challenges which demand 
an  integrated  approach  cannot  be  effectively  addressed  without  robust  international 
cooperation.  This  is  true  both  of  those  challenges  which  are  explicitly  global,  like  climate 
change,  biodiversity  loss,  sustainable  use  of  marine  resources,  fair  competition  in  shipping 
and shipbuilding, and promotion of decent working conditions in those sectors, and of those 
issues which are more closely circumscribed at regional level - think, for instance, of the need 
to  protect  the  environment  against  the  impacts  of  certain  maritime  activities  in  the 
Mediterranean or the Baltic Sea. In both cases, it is clear that the EU has to tackle these issues 
in international partnerships. Indeed, we have a clear-cut responsibility as both a global player 
and a regional partner to do our part, and even lead the way on maritime challenges. 

Where  the  challenges  facing  the  regional  seas  adjacent  to  the  EU  are  concerned,  the 
Commission  has  already,  or  will  shortly,  set  out  its  vision  of  the  steps  required  in  specific 
Communications.  This  regional  approach  follows  on  directly  from  the  request  made  by  the 
European  Council  that  the  Commission  take  close  account  of  regional  specificities  as  it 
continues to develop the IMP agenda. 

The present Communication complements this regional approach by exploring how the IMP 
should  be  extended  into  the  wider  international  arena.  It  envisages  the  creation  of  an  EU 
framework for a global integrated approach to maritime affairs. It outlines ways in which the 
EU's authority, as an international maritime power, should be strengthened at the multilateral 
level.  This  would  also  facilitate  regional  cooperation  with  maritime  neighbours  with  whom 
the  EU  shares  sea-basins,  as  well  as  helping  develop  closer  bilateral  relations  with  key 
partners.  Efforts  promoted  in  the  framework  of  the  international  dimension  of  the  EU  IMP 
will  be  coherent  with  the  EU's  overarching  external  relations  policy  and  the  development 
policy.  

1. 

KEY THEMES FOR AN EU PLATFORM IN INTERNATIONAL MARITIME AFFAIRS  

The  2002  World  Summit  on  Sustainable  Development  in  Johannesburg  established 
ambitious  global  targets  for  restoring  oceans  to  ecological  health  and  optimal 
productivity. These include a programme for integrated, ecosystem-based ocean and 
coastal management, reducing the loss of marine biodiversity, establishing networks 
of  marine  protected  areas,  and  restoring  world  fish  stocks  to  good  biological 
condition.  The  latter  objective  incorporates  a  focus  on  the  fight  against  Illegal, 

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Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, the reduction of fishing capacity where 
necessary, and the achievement of maximum sustainable yield by 2015. 

The EU has made good progress on many of these goals, and remains committed to 
achieving all of them. However, not only does much remain to be done in some of 
these  areas,  but  certain  challenges  have  become  more  prominent  in  the  intervening 
years – some long term, such as climate change others more sporadic such as piracy. 
The  EU  is  determined  to  help  build  up  the  international  community's  capacity  to 
master both existing and future maritime challenges. 

International governance based on the rule of law  

The  more  globalised  our  world  becomes,  the  greater  the  demands  it  makes  on  our 
planet's  marine  ecosystems.  If  we  are  to  cope  with  the  strains  this  can  create,  it  is 
more  than  ever  necessary  that  the  rules  of  the  game  be  clearly  defined,  explicitly 
shared  and  easily  enforceable.  The  1982  UN  Convention  on  the  Law  of  the  Sea 
(UNCLOS)  remains  the  key  reference  in  this  domain,  as  supplemented  by  the  UN 
Fish Stocks Agreement in the field of fisheries. Yet despite repeated calls from the 
international community, and in particular from the UN General Assembly in both its 
relevant  annual  resolutions,  a  number  of  countries  have  still  to  become  a  party  to 
these instruments and implement them. The EU should promote real progress in this 
area,  as  success  can  best  be  achieved  globally.  It  should  also  provide  assistance  to 
developing  countries  to  ensure  that  they  are  not  left  behind  for  lack  of  appropriate 
means.  

Global membership of UNCLOS should be an EU priority. This position should be 
promoted  through  dialogue  with  those  countries  that  are  not  yet  signatories  to  the 
Convention. The EU will continue to support the UN efforts to ensure that UNCLOS 
and  other  international  key  agreements  in  the  maritime  field  are  ratified  by  partner 
countries  and  that  appropriate  international  monitoring  and  law  enforcement 
instruments are duly strengthened. To this end, the EU will recommend and promote 
the  ratification  and  implementation  of  these  key  instruments  in  the  context  of 
relevant bilateral negotiations and agreements. Policy projects such as the renewal of 
the  Generalised  System  of  Preferences  foreseen  for  2015  should  envisage  giving 
greater prominence to international maritime governance. 

The EU should also promote a better use of the institutions set up under UNCLOS 
and ensure an appropriate representation of the EU in all of these. 

Protection of marine biodiversity, including in the high seas 

The  EU  strongly  supports  a  range  of  commitments  and  initiatives  relating  to  the 
protection  of  the  marine  environment  in  a  number  of  maritime  areas  governed  by 
global and/or regional conventions. The EU should reaffirm its support for the work 
on marine biodiversity that has been carried out in the context of the Convention on 
Biological  Diversity,  including  the  decision  to  establish  a  set  of  criteria  for  the 
identification of areas in need of protection in areas beyond national jurisdiction, and 
the  creation  of  a  list  of  marine  areas  that  meet  these  criteria,  as  well  as  the 
development  of  guidance  for  the  assessment  of  environmental  impacts  of  activities 
undertaken in the high seas. 

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While  UNCLOS  contains  general  obligations  for  the  protection  of  the  marine 
environment and for cooperation, there are no mechanisms for taking effective action 
in  the  high  seas  from  a  cross-cutting  approach.  The  EU  is  also  advocating  an 
integrated  approach  to  the  protecting  and  sustainable  use  of  marine  biodiversity  in 
areas  beyond  national  jurisdiction.  It  has  proposed  an  Implementation  Agreement 
under UNCLOS for this purpose, which could play a key role in filling gaps in the 
current legal framework, in particular for the establishment of marine protected areas 
in the high seas. 

Fishing  activities  have  a  major  impact  on  biodiversity.  The  EU  is  continuously 
working  to  curb  fleet  overcapacity,  eradicate  IUU  fishing  and  outlaw  fishing 
practices  which  cause  serious  damage  to  marine  ecosystems.  The  EU  is  also 
supporting  developing  countries  highly  dependent  on  sea  resources  to  use  them 
sustainably, while at the same time promoting economic and social development. 

In  2008  the  Council  adopted  Regulation  (EC)  N° 734/2008  on  the  protection  of 
vulnerable  marine  ecosystems  in  the  high  seas  from  the  adverse  impacts  of  bottom 
fishing  gears,  thus  transposing  UNGA  Resolution  61/105  into  EU  law.  The  EU  is 
now looking for effective global implementation of this resolution.  

Climate change 

Current projections indicate that climate changes are expected to have a broad range 
of significant ecological, social and economic consequences, in particular for islands 
and coastal communities. 

Oceans, seas and coasts are not only the areas that will be impacted. They also have 
the  potential  to  contribute  significantly  to  effective  mitigation  strategies,  including 
the  development  of  new  sources  of  energy  (e.g.  alternative  renewables),  and 
techniques for the storage of CO2 emissions. Additional efforts to reduce man-made 
climate  change  are  still  required  from  several  maritime  sectors,  including  a  global 
sectoral  measure  to  reduce  emissions  from  ships.  The  International  Maritime 
Organisation has a responsibility to facilitate the development and adoption of such 
global reduction measures and the EU looks forward to seeing the conclusion of this 
work  in  the  near  future.  The  EU  has  established  a  strategic  approach  to  reduce 
greenhouse  gas  emissions  and  minimise  its  vulnerability  to  the  likely  impacts  of 
climate change through adaptation strategies. The EU must now step up its efforts to 
put in place a post-2012 climate change agreement, in collaboration with its partners 
in  the  United  Nations  Framework  Convention  on  Climate  Change.  It  should  also 
continue  to  provide  technical  and  financial  assistance  for  adaptation  to  climate 
change  impacts1  to  developing  coastal  and  island  states,  through  initiatives  like  the 
Global  Climate  Change  Alliance2  and  in  order  to  help  partner  countries  establish 
longer term national adaptation plans. 

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COM( 2009)475/3 Communication on Stepping up international climate finance: A European Blueprint 
for the Copenhagen deal 
COM(2007)540) Communication on Building a Global Climate Change Alliance between the European 
Union and poor developing countries most vulnerable to climate change  

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Ensuring maritime safety, maritime security and freedom of navigation 

The  growth  of  shipping  operations  has  made  maritime  safety  a  matter  of  utmost 
importance  for  the  EU.  With  the  adoption  of  the  3rd  Maritime  Safety  Package  on 
11 March  2009,  the  EU  now  has  one  of  the  most  comprehensive  and  advanced 
regulatory  frameworks  to  guarantee  the  safety  of  shipping,  essentially  through  a 
convergent application of internationally agreed rules. 

Ensuring  freedom  and  security  of  navigation,  as  well  as  continuity  of  supply  and 
passenger transport, is of paramount importance for the EU. That is why the EU is 
committed  to  continue  implementing  and  enforcing  all  relevant  international 
instruments in this area in a timely manner. It expects its partners to do likewise, and 
to  provide  reciprocal  and  equivalent  levels  of  protection  for  EU  maritime  activities 
outside EU waters. 

Piracy  and  armed  robbery  at  sea  represent  a  serious  threat  not  only  to  specific 
maritime  activities  per  se,  but  also  to  a  wide  range  of  international  economic  and 
security interests. The EU has been active in the development of international efforts 
against  this  scourge,  in  particular  in  the  UN  context  It  considers  that  enhanced 
cooperation among partners to combat piracy and its root causes through both naval 
and  civilian  actions  is  necessary.  However,  it  also  recognises  that  it  is  only  by  re-
establishing order on land that it will be possible to effectively tackle piracy in those 
regions most affected. 

Promoting decent work in the maritime sectors 

Maritime transport, shipping, shipbuilding and fisheries are highly globalised sectors 
of  the  economy,  promoting  working  conditions  in  these  sectors  in  accordance  with 
internationally  recognised  standards  is  of  crucial  importance  for  competition  and 
social  justice.  Based  on  the  ILO  instruments  as  well  as  on  the  European  Council 
conclusions  on  decent  work  for  all,  the  EU  should  increase  efforts,  in  cooperation 
with its partners to further promote decent work in the maritime sectors. 

Understanding the sea better  

Science and technology will be key to achieving truly sustainable economic growth 
in sea-based activities. Continuing research efforts will be necessary to explore and 
understand the potential and problems of the sea and to increase the eco-efficiency of 
existing maritime processes and find solutions to the unsustainable over-exploitation 
of  resources,  applying  an  ecosystem  approach.  The  EU  and  third  country  partners 
should enhance participation in large-scale international research programmes going 
beyond  national  jurisdictions  and  deep-sea  research,  as  recommended  in  the  EU 
strategy for Marine and Marine Research3. This would allow them better to identify 
common  interests  and  mutual  benefits  and  elaborate  a  collective  response  to  vital 
international commitments, while making the best use of results already achieved in 
on-going  projects  with  third  countries  funded  under  the  6th  and  7th  Research 
Framework programmes.  

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COM(2008)  534  final  European  Strategy  for  Marine  and  Maritime  Research  -  A  coherent  European 
Research Area framework in support of a sustainable use of oceans and seas 

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2. 

ENHANCING THE ROLE OF THE EU IN MULTILATERAL FORA 

One of the pillars of the EU's external relations is the "effective of multilateralism4as 
the  most  participatory,  non-discriminatory  and  inclusive  way  to  build  international 
governance.  Yet,  the  EU's  performance  as  a  player  within  the  existing  multilateral 
system  should  be  strengthened  in  dealing  with  maritime  issues.  The  EU  should 
consistently  seek  membership  in  international  organisations  that  are  relevant  for 
maritime affairs, notwithstanding , the complex distribution of competence between 
the  EU  and  its  Member  States.The  difficulty  which  traditional  intergovernmental 
organisations  face  in  trying  to  accommodate  the  specificity  of  the  EU  needs  to  be 
overcome. 

The  Commission  firmly  believes  that  all  activities  of  EU  institutions  and  Member 
States  should  be  coherent  with  the  principle  of  unity  of  the  EU  external 
representation. Full EU membership and maximum participation need to be pursued 
in  all  relevant  agreements  and  organisations.  Common  or  coordinated  positions 
should be adopted in line with the duty of loyal cooperation. It is crucial that the EU 
speaks with a single voice or at least delivers a consistent message, if it is to enhance 
its influence in key multilateral fora. 

United Nations fora 

Through its annual resolutions on oceans and the law of the sea, and on sustainable 
fisheries,  the  UN  General  Assembly  has  a  central  role  in  advancing  the  maritime 
agenda at global level. In the future, EU participation in the UN should be enhanced 
so as to be more influential. The EU should also try to ensure that the texts adopted 
for  both  annual  resolutions  are  streamlined  and  focused  on  its  commonly  agreed 
policy priorities.  

The annual meetings of the UN Informal Consultative Processes on the Law of the 
Sea  have  become  influential  in  shaping  the  agenda  for  maritime  affairs.  The 
importance  of  these  processes  should  be  reaffirmed  and  their  functioning  actively 
maintained. 

While  the  most  recent  binding  instrument  adopted  under  its  auspices  dates  back  to 
1993  (the  FAO  Compliance  Agreement),  the  Food  and  Agriculture  Organisation 
(FAO)  remains  an  important  forum  for  the  examination  of  international  fisheries 
issues,  especially  to  ensure  a  broad  participation  of  developing  countries.  The  EU 
should continue to play an active role in this forum.  

Since 2005, the Commission and Member States apply a coordination process prior 
to meetings of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) which allows for the 
preparation  of  either  common  or  coordinated  positions,  and  the  presentation  of 
common submissions on matters of EU competence or interest. The Commission is 
working  to  enhance  the  role  of  the  EU  within  the  IMO  by  formalising  the  EU 
coordination mechanism and obtaining the grant of formal observer status, if not full 

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Report  on  the  Implementation  of  the  European  Security  Strategy  –  Providing  Security  in  a  changing 
World approved by the European Council held in Brussels on 11 and 12 December 2008 and drafted 
under the responsibilities of the EU High Representative Javier SOLANA 

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membership,  to  the  EU5.  This  will  not  affect  the  rights  and  obligations  of  the  EU 
Member States in their capacity as IMO contracting parties. 

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is a key partner for the EU in the area 
of  maritime  labour  standards  and  cooperation  and  has  a  crucial  role  to  play  in 
achieving decent working conditions. In line with the 2005 World Summit Outcome 
and the Ministerial Declaration of the UN ECOSOC 2006 High Level Segment, the 
Commission  will  continue  to  promote  decent  work  for  all  in  all  its  internal  and 
external  policies  as  one  of  the  key  ways  of  fostering  competitiveness,  sustainable 
development and fair globalisation. 

Other intergovernmental fora 

The number and the role of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) 
as the primary fora for the conservation and management of international fish stocks 
have  greatly  expanded  over  recent  years6.  Despite  this,  RFMOs  have  still  not 
managed to prevent the overexploitation of many fish stocks and the accompanying 
degradation  of  the  marine  ecosystems under their  remit.  The  EU  should  step  up  its 
work to strengthen the work of RFMOs so as to improve their performance and the 
global coherence of their measures. 

In recent years, the EU has started for the first time to develop common positions in 
the International Whaling Commission. However, the limited observer status remains 
a limitation on its means of action. 

Regional sea conventions address the protection of the marine environment from an 
integrated perspective, having regard to the cumulative pressures. They should have 
a key role in the coming years in pursuing at regional level the implementation of the 
Marine Strategy Framework Directive.As part of the integrated approach to maritime 
affairs,  the  EU  should  ensure  coherence  and  look  for  synergies  between  different 
fora,  for  instance  between  such  environmental  conventions  (such  as  Regional  Seas 
Conventions and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and 
RFMOs or IMO instruments7. 

The  OECD  has  developed  expertise  and  hosted  policy  discussions  on  a  number  of 
maritime  sectors.  It  could  therefore  be  an  important  forum  for  the  exchange  and 
further development of best practices in integrated policies for the seas. 

Informal processes 

The EU should be more active in international "second track" informal processes, as 
it was in the Task Force on Illegal, Unreported and Undeclared Fishing on the High 

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Communication  from  the  Commission  "Strategic  goals  and  recommendations  for  the  EU's  maritime 
transport policy until 2018", COM(2009) 8. 
Particularly  important  are  the  following  ones:  the  International  Commission  for  the  Conservation  of 
Atlantic  Tunas,  the  North  East  Atlantic  Fisheries  Organisation,  the  Northwest  Atlantic  Fisheries 
Organisation,  the  Indian  Ocean  Tuna  Organisation,  the  Western  and  Central  Pacific  Commission  and 
the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. 
Of  particular  importance  are  the  OSPAR  Convention  for  the  North-East  Atlantic,  the  Barcelona 
Convention  for  the  Mediterranean,  the  Helsinki  Convention  for  the  Baltic  Sea,  and  the  Bucharest 
Convention for the Black Sea. 

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Seas  (2003-2006).  A  stronger  EU  presence  is  desirable  in  particular  in  the 
International  Union  for  the  Conservation  of  Nature  and  in  the  Global  Forum  on 
Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, an international forum for multi-stakeholder dialogue on 
marine issues with the aim of informing and supporting formal processes within the 
UN. 

3. 

ESTABLISHING REGIONAL COOPERATION WITHIN SHARED SEA-BASINS 

General framework  

The IMP is not a one-size-fits-all policy. Instead, it seeks to promote measures that 
are  adapted  to  the  individual  needs  of  Europe's  various  coastal  regions,  and  the 
different  oceans  and  seas  that  surround  the  European  continent.  In  order  to  ensure 
that  implementation  of  the  IMP  fully  responds  to  the  concerns  of  coastal 
communities,  and  to  facilitate  improved  maritime  governance,  the  Commission  is 
developing individual approaches tailored to fit each sea basin. Because the maritime 
challenges are inherently shared with all the riparian states, sea-basin strategies need 
to be developed in close cooperation with neighbouring partners. 

Regional approaches have already been launched for the Arctic8, the Baltic9 and the 
Mediterranean10.  Their  endorsement  and  implementation  are  now  of  paramount 
importance.  The  Commission  also  intends  to  develop  similar  approaches  for  other 
sea-basins. 

Indeed, there are a number of issues which provide cause for common concern in the 
EU  Atlantic  basin,  such  as  overfishing,  pollution  from  ships,  eutrophication  and 
marine litter. Efforts are ongoing in the context of the OSPAR Convention to align 
strategic  objectives  with  those  of  the  Marine  Strategy  Framework  Directive.  The 
spectacular growth of the tourism sector of the Atlantic economies and the reinforced 
protection  of  these  natural  areas,  are  major  issues  that  need  to  be  addressed.  The 
Atlantic  sea  basin  also  has  great  potential  for  maritime  renewable  energies:  wind 
turbines, tidal energy, marine currents and wave energy all have important potential 
for development.  

The  Black  Sea  is  also  faced  with  major  challenges  like  eutrophication,  chemical 
pollution, threats to biodiversity and a serious decline in living marine resources, due 
to  mainly  the  inadequate  fisheries  conservation  measures  at  sea-basin  level.  The 
Bucharest  Convention  on  the  protection  of  the  Black  Sea  against  pollution  remains 
the  only  major  regional  sea  convention  around  Europe11  to  which  the  EU  is  not  a 
party,  and  this  clearly  hinders  greater  EU  involvement  in  actions  specifically 
addressing environmental protection. In the framework of the EU Black Sea Synergy 
initiative,  sectoral  partnerships  on  environment,  transport  and  energy  are  being 

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Communication from the Commission "The European Union and the Arctic region", COM(2008) 763 
Communication  from  the  Commission  "The  European  Union  Strategy  for  the  Baltic  Sea  Region", 
COM(2009) 248 
Communication from the Commission "Towards an Integrated Maritime Policy for better governance in 
the Mediterranean", COM(2009) 0466 final 
Communication from the Commission ”Black Sea Synergy - A New Regional Cooperation Initiative ” 
COM(2007) 160 final 

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developed  for  implementing  projects  of  regional  significance  by  pooling  together 
resources  from  the  EU  budget  and  from  other  sources,  including  international 
financial institutions.  

Cooperation on EU IMP tools at regional level 

The Commission also intends to promote regional cooperation on the development of 
cross-cutting  tools  for  integrated  policy-making.  This  concerns  in  particular  the 
integrated surveillance of maritime activities, the improvement of marine knowledge, 
maritime  spatial  planning  and  integrated  coastal  management  zones  with  third 
countries sharing with the EU the same sea-basins. 

Besides, in the context of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the EU should 
pursue  its  efforts  to  enhance  dialogue  for  the  enhanced  protection  of  the  marine 
environment  with  neighbouring  partners,  at  both  bilateral  and  regional  level, 
including through the regional sea conventions.  

4. 

DEVELOPING BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH KEY PARTNERS 

Dialogue  is  the  cornerstone  of  the  EU’s  strategy  for  engaging  with  international 
partners. It provides a platform for alliance-building, promotes mutual understanding 
and enables the exchange of best practice. 

A number of sectoral dialogues are currently underway with key partners on matters 
relevant to the Integrated Maritime Policy such as maritime transport, shipbuilding, 
environmental issues, employment and social affairs and the management of fisheries 
resources. These dialogues are usually based on either agreements or memoranda of 
understanding.  

Many common features can be identified in the principles, objectives, and modalities 
of  the  maritime  policies  currently  in  development  by  some  of  the  EU's  key 
international partners (e.g. Canada, Norway, Japan, USA, Brazil, India, Russia, and 
China).  In  particular,  they  all  recognise  the  need  for  an  integrated  approach  to 
promote the protection and sustainable use of oceans and seas and sustainable growth 
in coastal regions. 

The  Commission  intends  to  gradually  expand  the  scope  of  such  sectoral  dialogues 
into a more overarching cooperation on global maritime affairs. In doing so, it should 
strive  to  increase  transparency  and  consistency  across  the  different  sectors 
concerned,  with  a  view  to  better  identifying  synergies.  The  main  items  to  be 
discussed will focus on the cross-cutting tools such as maritime surveillance, marine 
technology 
integrated  costal  zones  management  and  marine 
knowledge, 
development. These should also  focus on  those themes which are on the agenda of 
coming multilateral meetings, in order to promote mutual support and where possible 
develop joint initiatives. 

The  EU  should  focus  on  developing  its  relations  with  those  of  our  international 
partners  which  already  have  an  integrated  maritime  policy,  or  which  are  making 
concrete  steps  in  this  direction,  and  with  which  we  already  have  a  history  of  close 
collaboration in multilateral fora.  

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EU policy agenda 

An integrated approach to maritime affairs is beginning to establish itself as the gold-standard 
for maritime governance around the world. The EU's Integrated Maritime Policy positions it 
as a forerunner in this field. However, to capitalise on this momentum, and to ensure it reaps 
the full benefits of integrated policy making at home, it needs to ensure that its influence in 
the  international  debate  is  maintained  and  enhanced.  The  EU  should  therefore  support  and 
encourage the widespread adoption of IMP-type principles, tools and processes based on the 
ecosystem approach, as both a necessary precondition for effective integrated management in 
the EU's own waters, and as a good in itself, in line with its belief in cooperative multilateral 
decision-making. 

In particular, the EU should: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

Strengthen its role as a global player through greater and more unified participation in 
multilateral  fora,  in  coherence  with  the  principle  of  the  unity  of  the  EU  external 
representation. 

Promote global membership of UNCLOS. 

Establish  by  mutual  consent  high-level  dialogues  on  maritime  affairs  with  key 
partners, ensuring synergies with existing sectoral dialogues in other policy areas  

Pursue dialogue on IMP bilaterally through both the ENP instruments and multilateral 
dialogue  at  sea-basin-level  within  existing  frameworks  (e.g.  Union  for 
the 
Mediterranean,  Northern  Dimension,  Black  Sea  Synergy),  sharing  best  practice  in 
implementing the IMP tools with its neighbours and encouraging them to implement 
such tools. 

Continue to work on moving oceans and coasts higher up the climate change agenda 
and provide assistance to developing coastal and island states in this field, in line with 
the EU development cooperation strategies and initiatives. 

Continue to support an integrated approach to the conservation and sustainable use of 
marine  biodiversity,  particularly  in  areas  beyond  national  jurisdiction,  including  for 
the establishment of marine protected areas.  

Pursue  its  cooperation  with  the  ILO  to  encourage  decent  working  conditions  in  the 
maritime sector. 

Pursue  its  actions  to  ensure  freedom,  safety  and  security  of  navigation,  including 
actions against piracy.  

Continue and strengthen cooperation research activities with third countries in order to 
enhance  participation  in  large-scale  international  research  programmes  and  with 
countries  neighbouring  the  EU  in  order  to  define  common  regional  marine  research 
strategies. 

(10)  Ensure  coherence  between  the  activities  of  various  organisations,  notably  in  the 

fisheries, environment and transport fields. 

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(11)  Encourage  the  OECD  to  develop  a  structure  for  exchange  of  best  practices  on 

integrated approaches to maritime affairs. 

(12)  Develop strategies for all relevant shared sea basins. 

The Commission invites the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and 
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions to endorse the Commission's objectives 
and  proposed  actions  as  set  out  in  this  Communication  and  to  support  and  promote  the 
approach outlined therein. 

EN 

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   EN