COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Action Plan for a Maritime Strategy in the Atlantic area Delivering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth
Date: 2013-05-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Atlantic Arc, EU investment, regional development, sea fishing, tidal energy

EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION 

Brussels, 13.5.2013  
COM(2013) 279 final 

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

Action Plan for a Maritime Strategy in the Atlantic area 

Delivering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

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

Action Plan for a Maritime Strategy in the Atlantic area 

Delivering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The marine and maritime sectors that make up the 'blue economy' have the potential 
to  provide  7  million  jobs  in  Europe  by  2020.  These  jobs  will  be  found  not  only  in 
emerging  sectors,  such  as  offshore  renewable  energy,  but  also  through  revitalising 
traditional maritime industries. The Atlantic area can make a significant contribution 
to this 'blue growth'. At the same time, the environmental and ecological stability of 
Europe's  largest  and  most  important  ecosystem  needs  to  be  safeguarded  for  future 
generations. 

This Action Plan therefore sets out priorities for research and investment to drive the 
‘blue economy’ forwards in the Atlantic area. The five Atlantic Member States1 and 
their  regions  can  draw  on  the  Action  Plan  to  help  create  sustainable  and  inclusive 
growth  in  coastal  areas.  The  Action  Plan  builds  on  the  Commission's  Atlantic 
Strategy2,  and  is  the  result  of  consultations  conducted  through  the  Atlantic  Forum. 
The Forum has enabled Member States, the European Parliament, regional and local 
authorities, civil society and industry to contribute to the development of the Action 
Plan  and  consider  response  to  the  challenges  of  delivering  growth,  reducing  the 
Atlantic  area's  carbon  footprint,  ensuring  sustainable  use  of  the  sea's  natural 
threats  and  emergencies  and 
resources,  setting  up  effective  responses 
implementing  an  ecosystem  based  management  approach  in  Atlantic  waters.  The 
Forum also drew on input from stakeholders through a series of workshops, an on-
line call for suggestions, and contributions provided by Member States and regional 
authorities. 

to 

The  timing  of  the  Action  Plan  fits  well  with  the  development  of  the  Common 
Strategic  Framework  (CSF)  for  the  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds 
(ESIF)3.  The  thematic  objectives  of  the  CSF  have  broad  relevance  to  the  Atlantic 
Strategy, notably:  

– 

– 

supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy; 

increasing  the  capacity  for  research  and  innovation  through  education  and 
training and bringing industry closer to research; and  

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France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. 
COM 782/2011 of 21 November 2011. 
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Funds (ESF), the European 
Agricultural  and  Rural  Development  Fund  (EARDF)  and  the  European  Maritime  and  Fisheries  Fund 
(EMFF).  

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– 

enhancing the competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), such 
as those prevalent in the EU's tourism, fishing and aquaculture industries.  

The  Action  Plan  is  intended  to  have  a  strong  signalling  effect  for  regions  and  the 
private sector. They should begin consideration of where they could work together, 
including on a cross-border basis, to implement the agreed priorities. The process of 
developing the Action Plan, conducted in partnership with the five Atlantic Member 
States,  has  encouraged  stakeholders,  including  regions,  port  cities  and  the  private 
sector,  to  consider  how  they  could  take  action  to  grow  the  blue  economy  and 
contribute to sustainable development in the Atlantic area. This should help to attract 
investment and private sector activity into the blue economy and, in doing so, help to 
revitalise coastal regions in the Atlantic area. 

Successful  implementation  of  the  Action  Plan  needs  to  be  underpinned  by  a 
combination of efforts in three areas to enable the blue economy to reach its potential 
in  the  Atlantic  area  –  targeted  investment,  increasing  research  capacity  and  higher 
skills:  

– 

– 

– 

to  be 

towards 

targeted 

investment  will  need 

investment: 
innovation, 
technological capabilities and smart specialisation strategies with SMEs being 
particularly important. Effective use of the European Structural and Investment 
Funds (ESIF) in these areas is key to achieving the overarching  objectives of 
growth,  competitiveness  and  jobs.  Investment  in  infrastructure  may  also  be 
needed. For example, vessel technology and marine infrastructure such as ports 
and  marinas  have  an  important  role  to  play  in  supporting  the  blue  economy. 
The  Atlantic  Forum  has  identified  their  potential  for  providing  new  services, 
for  instance,  to  the  growing  cruise  tourism  market  and  to  offer  assembly  and 
maintenance  stations  for  new  offshore  installations.  The  EU  has  already 
including 
provided  considerable 
complementary  loan  finance  from  the  European  Investment  Bank.  The  ESIF 
will  in  future  allow  greater  coherence  between  EU  funding  mechanisms, 
though finance for infrastructure or tourism investment will still need to come 
largely from the private sector;  

this  process, 

financial 

support 

to 

research:  ocean  governance,  the  sustainable  exploitation  and  management  of 
marine resources, safety at sea, marine environmental protection (including the 
designation of coastal and high-seas Marine Protected Areas) require not only 
data and an understanding of how ecosystems function and interact, but also an 
ability to model, forecast and predict.. This approach facilitates the assessment 
and mitigation of risk. It encourages investment and reduces operational costs. 
Ocean  observation,  mapping  and  forecasting  are  therefore  critical  for  the 
sustainable growth of economic activity in the Atlantic area and for furthering 
our  understanding  of  the  oceanic  processes  in  the  Atlantic  which  play  an 
important  role  in  determining  our  climate.  Making  this  information  widely 
available  is  critical.  There  is  growing  evidence  of  the  significant  push  to 
innovation that better access to public sector information can provide.  

higher skills: shortage of a suitably-skilled workforce for certain sectors of the 
marine and maritime industry must be tackled if the blue economy is to reach 
its potential, both by upskilling the existing workforce and by attracting young 
people into the sector. This is particularly the case for emerging fields such as 
renewable  energy,  but  is  also  true  for  more  traditional  sectors  such  as 
shipbuilding, fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing, where innovation, 

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specialisation and adaptation to new technologies are needed to compete in the 
global market.  

2. 

ACTION PLAN 

Discussions with Member States and feedback from the Atlantic Forum have resulted 
in the following Action Plan, which should be implemented through to 2020. These 
action areas are designed to meet the challenges of the Atlantic strategy and deliver 
smart,  sustainable  and  socially  inclusive  growth  and  jobs.  This  Action  Plan  is  not 
intended to be exhaustive. It comprises an indicative set of action areas for research 
and  investment  to  tackle  common  challenges.  Much  is  already  being  done  by  the 
Member  States  in  question,  both  individually  and  collectively,  to  develop  their 
marine  and  maritime  economies.  This  Action  Plan  therefore  identifies  areas  where 
there is scope for additional collective work. Addressing these priorities can promote 
innovation, contribute to the protection and improvement of the Atlantic's marine and 
coastal  environment,  improve  connectivity  and  create  synergies  for  a  socially 
inclusive and sustainable model of regional development.  

This  Action  Plan  is  an  invitation  to  the  private  sector,  researchers,  regional  and 
national public bodies and other actors to start designing projects that respond to the 
priorities.  

Priority 1: Promote entrepreneurship and innovation  

Specific objectives of this priority include: 

– 

sharing  knowledge  between  higher  education  organisations,  companies  and 
research centres 

Increasing the capacity of the Atlantic area to innovate through research and 
technology by encouraging: 

(a)  networking  and  co-operative  research  between  research  centres,  higher 

education and business in the Member States; 

(b) 

transferring  knowledge  and  insights,  as  well  as  skills  between  higher 
education,  business  and  research,  including  through  regional,  national 
and cross-border maritime clusters and technology platforms. 

– 

enhancement  of  competitiveness  and  innovation  capacities  in  the  maritime 
economy of the Atlantic area 

Improving  skills  in  traditional  Atlantic  industries,  such  as  shipbuilding, 
aquaculture  and  fisheries,  as  well  as  in  the  emerging  sectors  of  the  blue 
economy by: 

(a)  putting  in  place  educational  and  training  measures,  including  cross-
border  programmes  and  mutual  recognition  of  national  education  and 
training programmes;  

(b) 

raising  awareness  of  sea-related  careers,  generating  an  enthusiasm  for 
maritime  culture  and  careers  among  young  people  and  addressing  other 
barriers  that  discourage  young  people  from  embarking  on  a  maritime 

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career4;for  example  through  sail-training,  advanced  technology  courses 
and other joint Atlantic initiatives. 

– 

fostering  adaptation  and  diversification  of  economic  activities  by  promoting 
the potential of the Atlantic area 

Supporting  the  reform  of  the  Common  Fisheries  Policy  and  revitalising  the 
EU's aquaculture industry through: 

(a)  developing  improved  multi-species  modelling,  fishing  gear  and  related 
techniques  and  technologies  so  as  to  minimise  carbon  footprint,  seabed 
damage, discards and by-catch; 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

information  on 

sharing 
understanding  of 
management measures; 

tools 

that 

improve 

the  socio-economic  and  ecosystem 

fisheries  managers' 
impacts  of 

research 

carrying  out 
the  growth,  productivity, 
improve 
competitiveness  and  environmental  sustainability  of  aquaculture 
(including  offshore  aquaculture)  and  the  industry's  ability  to  respond  to 
market needs; 

to 

improving  the  market  position  of  EU-sourced  fisheries  and  aquaculture 
traceability  and 
products  by 
certification.  

improving  processing, 

labelling, 

Priority 2: Protect, secure and develop the potential of the Atlantic marine and 
coastal environment  

Specific objectives of this priority include: 

– 

improving maritime safety and security 

Reinforcing the safety and security of seafarers, coastal populations, property 
and ecosystems by: 

(a) 

(b) 

evaluating  and  extending  as  necessary  existing  warning,  reporting  and 
response mechanisms for invasive and harmful marine species and foster 
exchanges of best practice on how to deal with such threats; 

supporting  initiatives  undertaken  by  Member  States  in  the  Atlantic, 
including  risk  assessments,  coordinated  response  mechanisms  and 
investments in state-of-the-art equipment that contribute appropriately to 
enhancing  coordinated  preparedness  and  responses  to  marine  threats, 
natural disasters, marine accidents, spills of oil and hazardous material or 
trafficking5; 

(c)  developing,  testing  and  deploying  new  technologies  to  improve  the 
inspection  of  vessels  and  enhance  the  safety  and  security  of  ports  and 
shipping  by  better  integrating  data  from  satellites  and  from  air,  sea  and 

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a number of recommendations on this issue were delivered to the Commission on 9 June 2011 by The 
Task Force on Maritime Employment and Competitiveness.. 
Existing  initiatives  include  the  Maritime  Analysis  and  Operations  Centre -  Narcotics  (MAOC-N)  and 
the  European  Border  Surveillance  System  (EUROSUR)  coordinated  by  the  European  Agency  for  the 
Management  of  Operational  Cooperation  at  the  External  Borders  of  the  Member  States  of  the  EU 
(Frontex). 

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land-based  surveillance  facilities  and  innovative  in-situ  instruments  to 
improve situational awareness in the maritime domain; 

(d)  helping to deliver regional sea-basin-related information services within 
the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE), based on agreed 
EU-wide  standards  and  experience  gained  by  Member  States  in  pilot 
projects. 

– 

exploring and protecting marine waters and coastal zones 

Developing a European Atlantic ocean observing and predictive capability, 
based  on  existing  structures,  platforms  and  mechanisms  to  support  the 
implementation of EU policies, reduce costs for industry, public authorities and 
research  institutions,  stimulate  innovation  and  reduce  uncertainty  in  the 
behaviour of the Atlantic ocean and the impact of climate change by: 

(a)  using  existing  systems  and  mechanisms  to  develop  and  maintain  a 
sustainable integrated programme for surveying and observing the coasts, 
seabed  and  water  column,  covering  the  waters  of  EU  Member  States, 
Outermost  Regions  and  Overseas  Countries  and  Territories  from  the 
coasts to the deep ocean; 

(b)  developing  new  instruments  and  platforms  for  ocean  observation  and 
ecosystem  monitoring  (including  seabed  mapping)  that  increase  the 
number  of  parameters  that  can  be  measured  automatically,  lower  the 
costs of observation and accelerate the dissemination of data to users; 

(c) 

contributing to a more effective stewardship, cataloguing and distribution 
of interoperable marine data and a multi-resolution seabed map through 
contributions to a European Marine Observation and Data Network; 

(d)  developing  a  network  of  coastal  oceanographic  forecasting  systems 
(including risk assessments) that build on the Copernicus marine service. 

Contributing  to  the  development  of  tools  and  strategies  to  address  global 
climate change issues, including mitigation and adaptation strategies by:  

(a) 

supporting an assessment of the carbon footprint of the blue economy in 
the Atlantic area; 

(b)  develop  a  platform  for  exchanging  best  practice  on  emissions  reduction 

and energy efficiency; 

(c)  developing co-operative partnerships to identify and monitor the impacts 
of  global  climate  change  on  marine  activities,  ecosystems  and  coastal 
communities in the Atlantic area, including developing better predictive 
and risk assessment capabilities. 

Supporting  marine  environmental  protection  and  efforts  to  achieve  "good 
environmental status" of Atlantic waters by 20206 by:  

(a) 

continuing to build on national plans, OSPAR processes and Natura 2000 
sites  to  help  develop  a  coherent  network  of  Marine  Protected  Areas  for 
Europe's  Atlantic  coast  by  agreeing  on  good  practices  and  shared 

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As set out in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) 

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evaluation  processes  that  could  also  benefit  Macaronesia  and  the 
Outermost Regions in the Caribbean; 

(b) 

encouraging  further  cooperation  between  Member  States,  including 
through OSPAR,  for  example  on  coordinated and  integrated monitoring 
programmes and joint action to restore ecosystems. 

Assessing  the  social  and  economic  value  and  functioning  of  the  Atlantic's 
ecosystems and biodiversity in order to support decision-making.  

Contributing  to  Member  States  maritime  spatial  planning  and  integrated 
coastal  management  processes,  for  example  by  sharing  best  practice  and 
facilitating cross-border coordination. 

– 

sustainable management of marine resources  

Developing  a  better  understanding  of  the  technical  feasibility,  economic 
viability  and  environmental  impact  of  mining  for  minerals  in  the  Atlantic 
Ocean, and develop and test innovative mining technologies. 

Laying  the  foundations  for  a  sustainable,  high-value-added  European  marine 
biotechnology industry by: 

(a) 

(b) 

exploring the seafloor and assessing its genetic make-up, biodiversity and 
potential  for  providing  material  for  the  biotechnology  industry,  taking 
account of applicable international law and the need to protect the marine 
environment;  

strengthening links between research and industry in the Atlantic area in 
order  to  develop  biobanks  and  identify  markets  for  innovative  marine 
bioproducts (biomedicine, tissue engineering, pharmaceuticals, industrial 
enzymes)  and  focusing  research  on  delivering  industrial  processes  for 
manufacturing them. 

– 

exploitation  of  the  renewable  energy  potential  of  the  Atlantic  area's  marine 
and coastal environment  

Considering  ways  to  accelerate  the  deployment  of  sustainable  offshore 
renewable energy by: 

(a) 

encouraging  assessment  and  mapping  of  the  potential  of  the  European 
Atlantic  Ocean's  energy  resource  and  determining  how  to  mitigate  the 
environmental and navigational impact of the construction, operation and 
decommissioning of installations as part of regional Smart Specialisation 
Strategies for offshore renewable energy; 

(b) 

contributing to a European electricity transmission system that allows the 
balancing  of  loads  between  national  systems  and  provides  better  links 
between offshore and onshore energies; 

(c)  promoting research, development and demonstration of technologies for 
the  construction  and  maintenance  of  renewable  energy  installations  for 
offshore  wind,  wave,  tidal  and  biomass  energies  including  integration 
with desalination plants and multipurpose offshore platforms; 

(d) 

encouraging the harnessing of the special geological, oceanographic and 
meteorological  conditions  of  the  Outermost  Regions  of  the  Atlantic  in 

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order  to  help  them  achieve  energy  self-sufficiency  and  meet  carbon 
emission reduction targets. 

Priority 3: Improve accessibility and connectivity 

Specific objectives of this priority include: 

– 

promoting cooperation between ports  

Facilitating the development of ports as hubs of the blue economy by: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

facilitating  upgrades  of  infrastructure  to  improve  connectivity  with  the 
hinterland,  enhance  intermodality  and  promote  fast  turnaround  of  ships 
through  measures  such  as  provision  of  shore  side  electricity,  equipping 
ports  with  liquefied  natural  gas  refuelling  capacity  and  tackling 
administrative bottlenecks; 

enabling  ports  to  diversify  into  new  business  activities  such  as  the 
maintenance of offshore renewable energy installations or tourism; 

analysing  and  promoting  port  networks  and  short-sea  shipping  routes 
between  European  ports,  within  archipelagos  and  to  the  coast  of  Africa 
through  initiatives  such  as  Motorways  of  the  Sea  to  increase  seaborne 
traffic. 

Priority  4:  Create  a  socially  inclusive  and  sustainable  model  of  regional 
development 

Specific objectives of this priority include: 

– 

fostering better knowledge of social challenges in the Atlantic area  

Exchanging  best  practice  on  enhancing  the  health,  social  inclusion  and  well-
being  of  coastal  populations  and  developing  appropriate  and  usable  marine 
socio-economic  indicators  to  measure,  compare  and  follow  trends  in  the 
development of the blue economy; 

– 

preserving and promoting the Atlantic's cultural heritage  

Combating  seasonality  and 
through 
diversification of maritime and coastal tourism products and development of 
niche markets by investing in: 

improving  prospects 

for  SMEs 

(a)  marine sport, marinas and nautical leisure activities; 

(b)  port services, including those for cruise passengers; 

(c) 

identifying and promoting cultural and natural attractions of the Atlantic 
seaboard such as artisanal fishing, local cuisine and maritime heritage; 

(d)  protecting  and  restoring  tourist  attractions,  including  coastal  and 
underwater  cultural  attractions  and  maritime  heritage  sites,  with 
archaeological, ecological or historical value7.  

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following  as  appropriate  the  principles  of  the  2001  UNESCO  Convention  on  the  Protection  of  the 
Underwater Cultural Heritage; 

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3. 

IMPLEMENTATION 

3.1. 

Funding channels 

The  timing  of  this  Action  Plan  will  enable  Member  States  to  take  account  of  the 
priorities identified in their Partnership Agreements with the Commission that are to 
be negotiated before the end of 2013.  

– 

– 

The 2014-2020 Partnership Agreements for the ESIF are an important funding 
channel  that  Member  States  can  use,  where  appropriate,  to  implement  the 
priorities of the Action Plan. Partnership Agreements should take into account 
relevant  sea-basin  strategies,  such  as  the  Atlantic  Strategy,  when  identifying 
priority areas for cooperation. They provide an opportunity to identify the main 
development  needs  and  development  potential  of  the  blue  economy  in  the 
Atlantic  Member  States  and  their  coastal  regions.  They  also  allow  Member 
States to put in place arrangements that will ensure coordination between ESIF 
and  other  funding  sources.  National  authorities  in  Member  States  responsible 
for  the  negotiation  of  Partnership  Agreements  and  the  authorities  responsible 
for  drawing  up  operational  programmes  therefore  have  an  important  role  to 
play  in  in  the  implementation  process  of  the  Action  Plan  over  the  coming 
months. The Action Plan can also be a source of inspiration to those drawing 
up operational programmes at national and regional level, subject to the needs 
of the programme area.  

Furthermore,  the  Action  Plan  will  serve  to  guide  the  Commission  itself  in 
implementing  directly  managed  funds,  including  Horizon  2020,  LIFE+, 
COSME  and  the  directly  managed  elements  of  the  European  Maritime  and 
Fisheries  Fund.  Indeed,  Horizon  2020  will  be  a  key  support  to  the 
implementation of the Action Plan and is already considering "blue growth" as 
one of its focus areas for research in the coming years. It can support the blue 
growth agenda to explore and maximise the potential of the diversity of marine 
life, to harvest deep-sea resources in a sustainable way and develop new ocean 
observation  technologies.  This  will  help  boost  the  marine  and  maritime 
economy and the marine environment by accelerating the transfer of research 
and innovation into the economy. 

– 

–  Well-targeted public investment can and should trigger private investment and 
business  initiatives.  Member  States  may  also  wish  to  approach  the  private 
sector in order to explore complementary involvement and finance. 
In addition, the European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group8) stands ready 
to  mobilise  its  financing  tools  and  expertise  in  support  of  suitable  projects  in 
order to further the Action Plan's priorities. The EIB can extend support to both 
public  and  private  sector  activities  in  the  form  of  lending,  blending9  and 
technical  advice.  It  offers  a  variety  of  financing  instruments,  ranging  from 
investment loans for both direct and indirect financing to equity funds via the 
EIF, in order to support activities across a range of sizes.  

In the context of budgetary restraint and the need for authorities in the Atlantic area 
to consider a range of development priorities it should be stressed that the process of 
implementing  the  Action  Plan  remains  voluntary,  but  should  be  in  line  with  the 

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European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Investment Fund (EIF) 
Blending: EIB loan finance to complement grant support from either EU or other public sources 

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implementing  priorities  set  out  in  the  Partnership  Agreements  of  the  five  Member 
States concerned. All projects that are submitted to relevant authorities in response to 
the Action Plan will need to comply with the criteria established in relevant funding 
regulations. Under the shared management of EU funds, the decision on whether or 
not to take up a specific project will be taken by the competent managing authority.  

3.2. 

Intelligent collaboration 

The  Action  Plan  identifies  opportunities  for  Member  States,  regional  and  local 
authorities  and  EU  institutions  to  work  together  where  necessary  to  meet  the 
challenge of sustainable growth. But such collective work is not, of course, the only 
way in which the Action Plan can be implemented. Specific actions and projects at 
national, regional and local level can also play an important part in delivering on the 
Action  Plan.  Where  appropriate,  cooperation  between  different  country-specific 
programmes should be fostered. 

Working together in a targeted way can bring a range of additional benefits, not least 
in  sharing  information,  sharing  costs,  sharing  results  and  sharing  best  practice,  as 
well  as  generating  ideas  for  further  areas  of  collaboration.  More  specifically, 
Member States and regions can work with the support of different funding sources to 
develop joint projects or other approaches.  

The  Horizon  2020  programme  and  other  EU  programmes  and  funding  instruments 
can support cooperation in research by facilitating projects proposed by consortia of 
public and private institutions. For example, these projects can test different solutions 
to common problems or compare the performance of different technologies. France, 
Ireland,  Portugal,  Spain  and  the  United  Kingdom  are  already  participating  in  a 
number  of  joint  projects,  research  networks,  technology  platforms,  and  a  joint 
programming initiative on Healthy Seas and Oceans. These mechanisms offer a way 
for Member States to work together in ways that can be reinforced by Horizon 2020. 
Establishing  an  intra-European  coordination  and  cooperation  could  also  be  the 
foundation of enhanced transatlantic research cooperation. 

Joint  projects  and  actions  are  not  restricted  to  research.  European  Territorial 
Cooperation  (for  example  through  the  Atlantic  Area  Programme),  which  will  be 
funded  through  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF),  provides  a 
mechanism for neighbouring regions and cities from different EU Member States to 
work  together  and  learn  from  each  other  through  projects  that  explore  options  to 
cooperate  on  common  challenges.  The  Erasmus  for  All  programme  will  provide 
opportunities for partnerships in education and training  

Working together can also involve collaborative actions to exchange information and 
good practice. Initiatives such  as Copernicus10,  or  "Marine  Knowledge 2020"11 can 
provide  a  framework.  For  instance,  understanding  how  neighbouring  countries  or 
regions  with  similar  oceanographic  or  meteorological  conditions  tackle  coastal 
erosion  can  help  drive  operational  efficiency.  Knowing  what  has  worked  and  what 
has  not  worked  elsewhere  can  prevent  the  same  mistakes  being  made  twice.  Good 

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11 

Copernicus,  formerly  Global  Monitoring  for  Environment  and  Security  (or  GMES)  is  a  European 
satellite system for monitoring the Earth (http://copernicus.eu) 
Marine Knowledge 2020 is an EU project bringing together marine data from different sources with the 
aim of helping industry, public authorities and researchers find the data and make more effective use of 
them  to  develop  new  products  and  services  as  well  as  improving  our  understanding  of  how  the  seas 
behave (http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/marine_knowledge_2020/index_en.htm) 

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practice can be exchanged through dedicated workshops, staff exchanges or internet 
fora. 

3.3. 

Support 

In order to implement the Action Plan successfully at national and regional level, an 
appropriate implementation mechanism would enhance the engagement of national, 
regional  and  local  actors  and  enable  progress  to  be  monitored.  The  Atlantic  Forum 
has  provided  useful  lessons  in  organising  dialogue  and  coordination.  To  move 
forward  with  implementation,  it  will  be  important  to  continue  that  dialogue  with 
Member  States  and  regions,  including  the  private  sector.  Implementing  the  Action 
Plan will not  only  depend on the public sector, it will also depend on the extent to 
which the private sector becomes involved.  

Any  implementation  mechanism  should  be light, tightly-focused and draw on  good 
practices that have been successful in other sea-basin strategies by:  

– 

– 

– 

– 

providing political commitment and oversight;  

raising awareness of the Action Plan and its objectives;  

promoting private sector buy-in; 

providing an evaluation and assessment of progress. 

It could also: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

give guidance to stakeholders and potential project promoters;  

enable cooperation across the Atlantic area;  

liaise with managing authorities of EU funding programmes; 

bring together possible project partners to develop activities that would respond 
to the priorities set out in the Action Plan; 

identify potential funding sources for projects at both EU and national level. 

The  implementation  mechanism  for  the  Action  Plan  should  be  defined  in 
consultation with Member States and stakeholders before the end of 2013. In order to 
encourage further networking and exchanges of best practice in project development 
and implementation, the Commission may organise Atlantic stakeholder conferences.  

4. 

TAKING STOCK OF PROGRESS 

In  order  to  maintain  momentum  over  the  period  2014-2020,  it  will  be  important  to 
understand  how  the  implementation  of  the  Action  Plan  is contributing  to  achieving 
the  EU's  wider  jobs,  growth  and  sustainability  objectives.  We  will  want  to 
understand,  for  example,  whether  we  have  been  able  to  deliver  a  truly  predictive 
capacity  for  the  major  risks  and  changes  to  the  dynamics  of  the  North  Atlantic's 
circulation  system;  the  extent  to  which  critical  areas  of  the  Atlantic  seafloor  have 
been mapped; whether the Action Plan has supported the development of a range of 
new  and  innovative  products  and  services;  and  improved  the  operational  and  risk 
management  environment  for  offshore  industries.  We  will  also  want  to  understand 
the  extent  to  which  socially  inclusive  growth  has  been  achieved,  skills  needs  have 
been  addressed  and  whether  an  ecosystem  based  management  approach  in  the 
Atlantic  area  has  been  implemented.  We  will  also  want  to  be  able  to  draw  lessons 
that can be applied to other sea basins.  

EN 

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Monitoring  progress  should  not  create  any  new  reporting  requirements.  Instead, 
existing  baseline  information  would  be  used  in  order  to  build  a  picture  of  how  the 
Atlantic area is changing as a result of implementation of the Action Plan, and other 
factors.  The  Commission  will  begin  work  rapidly  with  the  five  Atlantic  Member 
States to define and agree a methodology for preparing this stocktaking. 

As innovation and technology progress, the Action Plan may need to be adapted and 
further developed. The Commission will closely monitor the implementation of the 
Action Plan, draw lessons learned and assess progress made. It will prepare a mid-
term  review  of  the  implementation  of  the  Action  Plan  before  the  end  of  2017.  An 
independent evaluation of a sample of completed projects will feed into the review, 
which will be discussed with Member States and other stakeholders. 

5. 

INTERNATIONALISATION OF THE ATLANTIC STRATEGY 

The  Atlantic  Ocean  is  not  confined  to  Europe.  It  is  a  shared  resource  and  unified 
system  linking  the  continent  of  Europe  with  Africa  and  America.  All  coastal  states 
have  a  common  interest  and  responsibility  for  ensuring  good  ocean  governance, 
including through UNCLOS12, the IMO13 and the International Seabed Authority. 

The economic value of the Atlantic Ocean is enormous for the countries located on 
its shores.  The Commission believes that  over time, the Action Plan could create a 
solid foundation  for cooperation with other Atlantic nations. The potential for joint 
work,  for  example  in  oceanographic  research  and  observation,  is  clear.  There  is 
already  the  prospect  of  real  engagement  from  the  US  and  Canada  to  establish  a 
transatlantic research alliance, to deepen our common understanding of the Atlantic 
ecosystem  and  its  potential  to  support  the  blue  economy.  Developing  this 
transatlantic research alliance would take place step by step, following a stock-taking 
exercise and agreeing on the most promising areas for cooperation. It is possible that 
other Atlantic nations would also be willing to discuss engagement on either research 
or  other  issues.  The  Commission  and  Member  States  should  jointly  consider  what 
steps can be taken to engage international partners in the phased development of the 
Atlantic Strategy. 

6. 

CONCLUSION  

The  Commission  invites  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  to  endorse  the 
Action Plan and the orientation set out in this Communication.  

12 
13 

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 
The International Maritime Organisation 

EN 

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