COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PALIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A new approach to the Atlantic maritime strategy – Atlantic action plan 2.0 An updated action plan for a sustainable, resilient and competitive blue economy in the European Union Atlantic area
Date: 2020-07-23
Institutions: Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
Subjects: Atlantic Ocean, EU action, EU environmental policy, common ports policy, education, integrated maritime policy, marine energy, marine environment, marine pollution, maritime economy, sustainable development

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 23.7.2020  SWD(2020) 140 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PALIAMENT, THE COUNCIL,   THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A new approach to the Atlantic maritime strategy – Atlantic action plan 2.0      An updated action plan for a sustainable, resilient and competitive blue economy in the European Union  Atlantic area {COM(2020) 329 final}  
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 2 

2.  STRUCTURE of the ATLANTIC ACTION PLAN 2.0 .................................................... 4 

PILLAR I: ATLANTIC PORTS AS GATEWAYS AND HUBS FOR BLUE ECONOMY 5 

Goal 1:   Ports as gateways for trade in the Atlantic ....................................................... 5 

Goal 2:   Ports as catalysts for business ........................................................................... 6 

PILLAR II: BLUE SKILLS OF THE FUTURE AND OCEAN LITERACY ...................... 7 

Goal 3:   Quality education, training and life-long learning ............................................ 7 

Goal 4:   Ocean Literacy .................................................................................................. 9 

PILLAR III: MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY .............................................................. 10 

Goal 5:   Promote carbon neutrality through marine renewable energy ........................ 11 

PILLAR IV: HEALTHY OCEAN AND RESILIENT COASTS ........................................ 13 

Goal 6:   Enhance coastal resilience .............................................................................. 13 

Goal 7:   Fight against marine pollution ........................................................................ 15 

3.  COMMUNICATION ....................................................................................................... 17 

4.  GOVERNANCE OF THE ATLANTIC STRATEGY ..................................................... 18 

4.1. 

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 18 

4.2.  GOVERNANCE ........................................................................................................ 18 

4.3. 

IMPLEMENTATION AND REPORTING .............................................................. 18 

4.4.  GOVERNANCE ARCHITECTURE ........................................................................ 19 

Atlantic Strategy Committee ............................................................................................ 19 

Role: ................................................................................................................................. 19 

Composition ..................................................................................................................... 20 

Meetings and working arrangements ............................................................................... 21 

Working groups ................................................................................................................ 21 

Pillar/goal coordinators .................................................................................................... 21 

4.5.  The Assistance Mechanism ....................................................................................... 21 

5.  MONITORING FRAMEWORK ..................................................................................... 22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

This staff working document provides additional information on the European Commission’s 
proposal for a new approach to the Atlantic maritime strategy-Atlantic action plan 2.0. 

The purpose of the Atlantic action plan 2.0 is to unlock the potential of blue economy in the 
Atlantic  area  while  preserving  marine  ecosystems  and  contributing  to  climate  change 
adaptation and mitigation. This will be achieved through coordination and cooperation among 
the relevant countries across seven priority areas (goals) backed by concrete actions.  

While  geographically  speaking  the  Atlantic  action  plan  2.0  focuses  mainly  on  the  seas  and 
coasts surrounding the EU Atlantic Member States, including their Outermost regions in the 
Atlantic Ocean, it also addresses the marine and coastal areas as interconnected systems. The 
scope  of  the  actions  may  therefore  vary  depending  on  specific  needs,  and  the  action  plan 
remains open to other partners in the EU Atlantic area.  
The Atlantic action plan 2.0 builds on the original Atlantic action plan1 (adopted in 2013) and 
its mid-term review2 (published in 2018). With a track record of only 4 years, it has spurred 
more than 1,200 projects that can be attributed to implementation of the action plan across the 
Atlantic area.  Altogether, these projects  represent investment  of nearly  €6 billion, including 
funding  from  the  EU,  the  European  Investment  Bank  and  national,  regional  and  private 
sources.  

Despite  these  positive  developments,  the  mid-term  review  revealed  some  important 
weaknesses in the:  

  strategy  design:  with  the  wide-ranging  nature  of  the  objectives  of  the  action  plan,  it 
was  not  possible to  meaningfully influence  concrete policy developments at  national 
and regional level; 

  monitoring  and  evaluation:  a  solid  framework  for  monitoring  and  evaluating  the 

performance of the action plan was absent; and 

  governance structure: the governance mechanism was informal and thus rather weak.  

Backed  by  the  results  of  a  public  consultation,  the  mid-term  review  showed  that  the  action 
plan  could  deliver  even  better.  It  suggested  various  avenues  to  improve  its  implementation, 
mainly by: 

 

improving the action plan’s architecture and internal coherence;  

  developing a framework for monitoring and evaluating performance; 

  strengthening governance and better involving the regions; and 

 

further  improving  the  strategy  for  communication  on  the  action  plan  among  funding 
authorities and investors. 

Recognising the results of the review and the fact that the economic and political landscape 
has changed both in the EU and its coastal regions and worldwide, the five EU Member States 

1 Communication from the Commission –Action Plan for a Maritime Strategy in the Atlantic area Delivering smart, sustainable and inclusive 
growth, COM/2013/0279 final 

2 Commission Staff Working Document on the mid-erm review of the Atlantic action plan, SWD(2018)49 final, 23.02.2018 

2 

 
 
                                                 
decided to adjust the priorities of the Atlantic action plan based on a comprehensive, bottom-
up stakeholder consultation.  

To  this  effect,  a  series  of  workshops  were  organised  in  Gran  Canaria  (Spain),  Viana  do 
Castelo (Portugal), Dublin (Ireland), Liverpool (UK) and Bordeaux (France). They involved a 
wide range of stakeholders from the region representing international, national, regional and 
local authorities, but also the private sector, academia and civil society. The work focused on 
a  few,  but  highly  relevant,  areas  with  development  potential  for  the  EU  Atlantic  area.  Here 
joint  action  is  expected  to  increase  competitiveness  and  foster  growth,  while  reflecting  a 
higher level of environmental and climate ambition, and address people’s concerns about the 
conservation and sustainable use of the ocean.  

This work resulted in the following four mutually-reinforcing pillars:  

  Atlantic ports as gateways and hubs for the blue economy; 

  blue skills and ocean literacy;  

  marine renewable energy;  

  a healthy ocean and resilient coasts.  

To make sure that concrete results are obtained, the Atlantic action plan 2.0 sets seven goals 
to  be  pursued  and  outlines  some  of  the  possible  actions,  including  potential  avenues  for 
implementation.  It  is  conceived  as  a  rolling  document,  meaning  that  new  actions  are  added 
over time and existing ones are adapted as they move towards completion.  

The five States concerned have been fully involved in preparing the Atlantic action plan 2.0. 
Its  implementation  is  the  responsibility  of  all  (at  national,  regional,  and  local  level),  and 
throughout its duration sufficient information and outreach will be crucial to make it widely 
known among all types of stakeholders.  

Finally, it is worthwhile highlighting that the revision exercise that resulted in this revamped 
plan  started  already  almost  two  years  ago.  However,  the  global  unprecedented  socio-
economic crisis triggered by the current COVID-19 pandemic has put this action plan into a 
new perspective.  

Notably,  as  a  result  of  the  crisis,  several  sectors  linked  to  the  blue  economy  in  the  Atlantic 
area are expected to suffer. Coastal and maritime tourism represents a significant part of the 
EU tourism industry and is the largest sector of the EU Blue Economy. While blue economy 
in  Atlantic  is  more  diversified  and  less  dependent  on  tourism  than  in  some  other  coastal 
regions, the impacts on local economies including jobs and revenue losses is expected to be 
severe. 

Still,  the  actions  identified  by  the  national  and  regional  actors  prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the 
crisis  remain  valid  offering  innovative  solutions  to  accompany  the  Atlantic  member  states’ 
recovery efforts towards sustainable growth and jobs while safeguarding the environment and 
securing  a  healthy  ocean  to  make  blue  economy  more  resilient.  They  complement  the 
recovery  plan  recently  adopted  by  the  European  Commission  and  will  contribute  to  its 
implementation. 

3 

 
 
2. 

STRUCTURE OF THE ATLANTIC ACTION PLAN 2.0 

The Atlantic action plan 2.0 reflects the goals and actions selected in the Communication. Its 
structure includes:  

Pillars: The pillars focus on issues that one coastal region and one single State cannot solve 
alone or where it is more efficient to act together and deliver on challenges that matter in the 
daily lives of people living in the coastal areas. For each pillar, the action plan presents tables 
with possible actions. Research and innovation, as well as the international dimension of the 
action plan, cut across all pillars to complement and add value to the implementation. 

Goals: The goals address the core challenges for the region and are therefore essential to the 
action plan’s success. The seven goals are: 1. Ports as gateways for trade in the Atlantic; 2. 
Ports as catalysts for business; 3. Quality education, training and life-long learning; 4. Ocean 
literacy; 5. The promotion of carbon neutrality through marine renewable energy; 6. Stronger 
coastal resilience; 7. The fight against marine pollution.  

Actions:  Actions  and  interventions  (such  as  new  approaches,  closer  coordination  in  policy 
making,  investments,  training  or  networking  initiatives,  policy  reviews)  that  countries  and 
stakeholders  carry  out  to  address  the  different  goals  of  the  action  plan.  All  actions  and 
interventions should not preclude existing EU competences and legislation.  

Avenues for implementation:  Implementation of the proposed actions will rely on existing 
working  groups  or  inter-institutional  and  transnational  cooperation  frameworks  in  order  to 
avoid overlaps and duplications. 

Governance: A formal governance architecture of the Atlantic strategy ensures political and 
operational coordination of the revised action plan and supports its implementation. 

A  monitoring  framework:  Result  indicators  are  proposed  and,  to  the  extent  possible, 
quantified  for  each  goal.  Baselines  and  timeframes  have  been  determined  or  estimated  for 
most targets. 

4 

 
 
 
 
PILLAR I: PORTS AS GATEWAYS AND HUBS FOR THE BLUE ECONOMY 

Coastal  tourism,  aquaculture,  shipbuilding,  as  well  as  growing  industries  like  marine 
renewables, are centred on or closely interlinked with the activity of ports. Ports can play a 
major role in the sustainable development of these sectors and for the transition to carbon-
free economy. To seize this opportunity, the role and potential of Atlantic ports need to be 
re-considered.  At the same time, the role of port operators as catalysts for blue businesses 
needs  to  strengthened.  On  the  other  hand,  ports  must  cooperate  among  themselves  to 
mobilise financing for smart infrastructures and better plan the development of capacity to 
accommodate trade growth.  

Maritime innovation can help with the decarbonisation of maritime sources. For instance, 
there are available technologies that reduce the carbon produced by vessels. They include 
liquefied  natural  gas,  hydrogen  production,  air  lubrication,  wind  propulsion  and  exhaust 
technologies. Installing recharging and refuelling infrastructure for alternative fuels in ports 
and  cargo  terminals,  including  for  docked  vessels,  would  significantly  improve  the  air 
quality in coastal communities. 

To  address  the  needs  identified  above,  the  pillar  includes  two  specific  goals  and  a  set  of 
concrete actions. 

Goal 1:  

Ports as gateways for trade in the Atlantic 

The  central  supporting  tool  to  advance  this  goal  is  the  recently  created  Atlantic  Sea-Basin 
Working Group3. It will allow Atlantic ports to get together and coordinate in areas where 
they are not directly competing. It will also facilitate further actions included under this goal. 
For  example,  through  the  group,  Atlantic  ports  that  have  taken  a  leadership  role  in 
environmental  action  can  cooperate  to  create  a  network  of  green  ports,  which  will  allow 
them to exchange and share best practices to develop environmentally friendly service.  

To further advance the development of ports to become eco-friendlier, this specific goal also 
includes  the  development  of  eco-incentive  schemes,  as  well  as  the  joint  development  of 
waste reception and handling plans for ports4. Currently, Portugal, Italy, France and Spain 
are already working on a common scheme5, which could be shared through the coordination 
mechanisms established and expanded across the Atlantic area. Further environmental action 
under this specific goal includes the launch of an Atlantic strategy for liquefied natural gas. 
A coordinated strategy would help avoid unnecessary investments and could be supported by 
the EIB’s financing programme for green shipping. 

Next  to  environmental  action,  this  specific  goal  also  includes  actions  to  foster  short-sea 
shipping activity in the Atlantic area. This area is of increasing importance in light of Brexit. 
One  concrete  action  would  be  to  develop  a  strategy  to  better  integrate  Ireland  with 
continental  Europe.  This  would  include  ensuring  the  ports  have  the  necessary  capabilities 

3 The Atlantic Sea-Basin Working Group was set up at a joint seminar on ‘Ireland's European Connectivity - ports and maritime links in the 
Atlantic sea basin’ in Dublin on 16-17 April 2019. The seminar was organised by the three European TEN-T Coordinators (Kurt Bodewig 
(MoS), Peter Balazs (NSM) and Carlo Secchi (ATL) in close cooperation with the Irish Maritime Development Office. The working group 
will be chaired by the TEN-T Motorways of the Sea Coordinator in cooperation with the Atlantic and North Sea Mediterranean Corridor 
Coordinators. 

4  The  new  Directive  on  port  reception  facilities  for  the  delivery  of  waste  from  ships  (COM/2018/033  final)  suggests  that  the  waste  and 
handling  plans  which  Member  States  must  put  in  place,  may  be  developed  jointly  by  two  or  more  neighbouring  ports  in  the  same 
geographical region for reasons of efficiency, provided that the need for and availability of port  reception facilities are specified for each 
port (see Article 5(3)). 
5 http://mae-project.eu/  

5 

 
 
                                                 
and infrastructure to further develop short-sea shipping in the region. To better understand the 
circumstances and needs for developing this field, this specific goal includes commissioning a 
study  to  analyse  the  existing  freight  flows,  looking  at  both  the  maritime  and  hinterland 
flows.  

The actions will be mainly implemented through the Atlantic Sea-Basin Working Group, led 
by the European Coordinator of the Motorways of the Sea. Partners will include all core ports 
of the Atlantic and North Sea Mediterranean corridors, as well as comprehensive ports within 
the  range  of  between  Amsterdam  and  Algeciras.  They  will  also  include  EU  Member  State 
representatives,  as  well  as  shipping  and  ferry  lines,  freight  forwarders  and  other  logistical 
stakeholders. 

Actions 

►  Develop the TEN-T Motorways of the Sea in the Atlantic 

►  Create a network of green ports by 2025 

►  Foster short-sea shipping links in the Atlantic area to better integrate Ireland 

►  Launch an Atlantic strategy on liquefied natural gas 

►  Develop eco-incentive schemes to upgrade port infrastructure 

►  Jointly develop waste and handling plans for Atlantic ports 

Goal 2:  

Ports as catalysts for business 

In  order  to  act  as  blue  growth  hubs,  ports  need  to  become  enablers  and  catalysts  for  blue 
businesses. This specific goal includes a few actions to address this issue. A first action is to 
create blue hubs of excellence across the EU Atlantic area. This would entail ports actively 
seeking  cooperation  with  other  local  maritime  stakeholders  and  acting  as  a  catalyst  for  the 
blue  economy.  To  ensure  this  action  has  maximum  effect,  it  will  be  important  to 
simultaneously create conditions to attract new stakeholders in ports. This could be done 
by encouraging partnerships with research institutions or the tourism industry, for example, or 
by  installing  incubators  and  accelerators  for  blue  economy  start-ups  or  allocating  dedicated 
areas to industry. 

For  ports  to  develop  and  evolve,  they  need  the  support  of  the  public  and  should  be 
underpinned  by  communication  and  awareness  campaigns  and  the  regular  engagement  of 
citizens. To ensure support from legislators and make necessary funding available, ports will 
need to expand the collection of data beyond traditional data on logistics. Although in terms 
of logistical activity ports are already among the largest hubs, they may increase their impact 
on the local economy through diversification. To show this, it will be important for ports and 
communities  to  gather  and  communicate  data  on  the  impact  ports  have  on  social  and 
environmental issues, particularly on employment and air pollution. 

The creation of blue hubs of excellence could be built on the example of successful initiatives 
in Portugal and Spain, namely the Portuguese Port Tech Accelerator6 programme, as well as 
the  Port  of  Vigo’s  blue  growth  strategy7.  The  Atlantic  ports  themselves  and  local  blue 

6 http://bluetechaccelerator.com/ 
7 http://bluegrowthvigo.eu/en/impact 

6 

 
 
 
                                                 
economy stakeholders should lead the implementation.  

On the other hand, the Atlantic Sea-Basin Working Group will help to share knowledge and 
exchange  best  practices,  aiming  to  raise  political  awareness  and  leverage  the  necessary 
funding. 

Actions 

►  Develop a blue accelerator scheme for Atlantic ports to help scale up innovative 

businesses  

►  Share best practices, exchange ideas and tackle problems jointly 

►  Expand data collection beyond traditional (logistics) data 

►  Increase  communication  and  availability  of data  on  the  economic  potential  of 

ports 

PILLAR II: BLUE SKILLS OF THE FUTURE AND OCEAN LITERACY 

Having the right set of skills is essential to take advantage of innovation and rapidly deploy 
blue  technologies.  A  specialised  blue  education  and  training  offer  based  on  a  business 
intelligence scheme can attract young talent to the blue economy, stimulate productivity and 
increase  the  competitiveness  of  the  EU  Atlantic  area.  While  specialised  clusters  already 
operate  at  local  and  regional  level,  efficient  sea-basin  cooperation  can  facilitate  cross-
border circulation of qualified workers to match the evolving labour market demand. 

Another  focus  area  is  ocean  literacy.  Ocean  literate  citizens  can  ‘adapt  their  everyday 
behaviour to make informed and responsible decisions that promote ocean stewardship in a 
co-creation approach’. 

To  address  the  needs  identified  above,  the  pillar  includes  two  specific  goals  and  a  set  of 
concrete actions. 

Goal 3:  

Quality education, training and life-long learning 

To ensure quality training  and the promotion  of  blue skills,  it will be important  to  continue 
identifying  the  existing  blue  skills  gaps in  maritime  communities through  a  comprehensive 
mapping  of  current  and  future  skills  sets  and  training  programmes  on  offer.  The  premise  is 
that both need to cooperate in a structured and regular way: curricula need to be reviewed and 
updated  in  order  to  keep  pace  with  the  requirements  and  skills  needs  of  the  labour  market. 
Projects such as MATES8 work on this aspect by looking closely at two specific sectors of the 
blue  economy,  namely  shipbuilding  and  offshore  renewable  energy.  It  will  be  important  to 
deepen  cooperation  between  stakeholders  by  building,  for  example,  on  the  results  of  all 
relevant projects in this area, and expand it further.  

8  MATES  implements  the  Blueprint  for  sectoral  cooperation  on  skills,  which  is  an  initiative  of  the  2016  Skills  Agenda  for  Europe;  the 

Blueprint will be continued through the updated Skills Agenda. 

7 

 
 
 
                                                 
A first step would be to  enhance data collection across all sectors in the EU Atlantic area, 
tapping  into  existing  databases,  studies,  project  deliverables  and  experiences  to  avoid 
duplication.  To  facilitate  this  process,  it  will  be  important  to  improve  cooperation  between 
businesses  and  training  providers.  One  action  could  be  to  promote  institutions  that  act  as 
liaison centres. These institutions can help align the future workforce with the skills demand. 
On this basis, a business intelligence scheme can help collect data from businesses on their 
demand  (for  apprenticeships,  permanent  workforce  skills,  etc.),    building  upon  existing  EU 
big data projects  on skills  and try and match them  with  relevant  skills supply for all actors, 
thus facilitating exchange. A functioning social dialogue could also be an important factor for 
such a cooperation. 

Further,  it  will  also  be  important  to  facilitate  cross-border  mobility  of  workers  to  match 
evolving  labour  demand.  This  specific  goal  could  foresee  as  an  action  the  identification  of 
good  practices,  through  peer  learning,  to  help  match  employers  and  jobseekers  in  the  blue 
economy.  A  mapping  of  their  roles  and  responsibilities  across  coastal  regions  would  help 
understand  the  labour  demand  and  supply  in  the  blue  economy  of  each  region.  Through 
strengthening the links between these actors, best practices should be shared and approaches 
possibly  further  coordinated.  At  the  same  time,  taking  advantage  of  a  geographic 
information platform on the existence of job opportunities in the blue economy could assist 
mobility and help fill short-term demand gaps. This could be explored also with the support of 
the existing EURES portal9. Cooperation and exchanges through it would be useful to avoid a 
duplication of efforts. 

Projects  funded through  the  European Maritime  and Fisheries  Fund  and  launched under the 
blue careers topic of the 2016 and 2018 blue economy calls for projects could also serve as a 
starting  point  for  future  actions.  Actual  implementation  will  rely  on  local  and  national 
authorities, regional  development  authorities and agencies as well as employers, facilitators, 
regional  social  partners,  educators  and  VET  providers.  In  bringing  together  a  variety  of 
stakeholders, maritime clusters can play an important role in this respect too. 

Cooperation and exchanges through it would be useful to avoid a duplication of efforts. 

The  actions  under  Goal  3  could  also  inform  the  international  work  under  the  Galway  and 
Belém Statements. 

Actions 

►  Identify blue skill gaps in the EU Atlantic area 

►  Harmonise data collection in the area of blue careers 

►  Create a business intelligence scheme and promote liaison centres for improved 

cooperation between businesses and training providers 

►  Identify through peer learning best practices for matchmaking employers and 

jobseekers that serve as inspiration 

►  Take  advantage  of  existing  information  platforms  for  job  opportunities  and 

harvest their potential for blue jobs. 

9 At EU-wide level: https://ec.europa.eu/eures/public/language-selection and in particular for the young: 
https://ec.europa.eu/eures/public/opportunitieshttps://ec.europa.eu/eures/public/opportunities 

8 

 
 
 
                                                 
Goal 4: Ocean literacy 

A  key  action  under  this  specific  goal  would  be  to  pursue  activities  under  the  future  pan-
European  Ocean  Literacy  platform,  ‘EU4Ocean’10,  specifically  in  the  EU  Atlantic  area. 
This  can  complement  and  build  on  the  already  existing  transatlantic  ocean  literacy 
implementation strategy11 developed by the Ocean Literacy Working Group of the All-
Atlantic  Ocean  Research  Alliance  (AORA).  This  strategy  would  serve  as  an  additional 
guiding document for ocean literacy actions in the EU Atlantic area, as it includes actions on 
formal  and  informal  education  involving  schools,  civil  society,  training  and  general 
awareness.  Synergies between ocean literacy actions in  the EU Atlantic  Member States  and 
those in other parts of Europe could also be sought.  

Regarding  schools,  the  ‘EU4Ocean’  platform  can  be  used  to  pursue  two  actions  to  increase 
ocean literacy and education on maritime issues in the EU Atlantic area. One action would be 
to screen the national curricula to understand to what extent the intrinsic value of the ocean is 
embedded in what schools teach with a view to launching an  Atlantic Ocean literacy pilot 
curriculum.  Such  a  pilot  would  detail  the  potential  actions  that  schools  and  education 
departments  of  the  Atlantic  area  can  implement  to  increase  ocean  literacy  among  students. 
This action could be integrated into existing curricula, or act as a stand-alone action. It would 
serve  as  a  basis  to  create  25  Atlantic  blue  schools  by  2025,  inspired  by  the  Escola  Azul 
action12 in Portugal. 

The AORA Ocean Literacy Working Group could serve as an additional vehicle to promote 
best practices in this field and help distinguish schools with a genuine maritime focus in order 
to promote, for example, the EU Atlantic area as a ‘marine educational area’13. In all cases, to 
step  up  the  formal  education  component,  a  dialogue  should  be  opened  with  the  national 
education systems to explore the best ways possible to include ocean literacy in the national 
curricula. 

To ensure that ocean literacy is part of a robust life-long learning process, future national and 
EU blue skills training projects as well as research and innovation projects are encouraged to 
include  an  ocean  literacy  component  in  their  activities.  For  instance,  research  projects  on 
blue growth in Horizon 2020 are already including specific evaluation criteria on the impact 
of such projects in raising public awareness and engaging citizens. Good practices and ideas 
can be exchanged through the ocean literacy implementation strategy. 

The  EU  continues  to  work  on  implementing  the  Galway  and  Belém  Statements  towards  an 
All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance by  fostering closer cooperation with  Atlantic partners 
along and across the Atlantic basin. Through the All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Forum14, the EU 
will  support  the implementation  of  an  All-Atlantic  wide  community  of  Youth  Ambassadors 

10  The  ‘EU4Ocean’  platform  on  ocean  literacy  envisages  various  actions,  including  the  creation  and  management  of  a  network  of  blue 
schools across Europe active or potentially interested in ocean-awareness activities. This network would be open to primary schools as well 
as lower and upper secondary technical and vocational schools. 

11https://www.atlanticresource.org/aora/sites/default/files/GalleryFiles/Publications/TransAtlanticOceanLiteracyImplementationStrategy22Ja

n2016.pdf  

12 For which the blueprint was developed as part of a Horizon 2020 project called ‘SeaChange’ on ocean literacy. 
13 To recognise and highlight the commitment of schools that raise awareness about ocean protection, France has developed a national label – 
‘Marine Educational Area’. Each year, selected schools receive an award for actively promoting participatory management of the marine 
environment.  More  information  can  be  found  here:  http://www.aires-marines.fr/Proteger/Sensibiliser-le-public/Les-aires-marines-
educatives/Le-label-Aire-marine-educative 

14 The All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Forum was launched by the European Commission on 6-7 February 2020 and follows on from the first All-
Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador Summer School in Galway (Ireland) on 23–27 August 2019. The Forum is an example of how the EU 
works with its transatlantic partners along and across the Atlantic basin, to empower the next generation of leaders to engage in sustainable 
development along and across the Atlantic Ocean. 

9 

 
 
                                                 
and  work  towards  the  integration  of  training  on  science  and  citizen  engagement, 
communication and outreach as part of their training pathway for career development.  

Actions to raise awareness in civil society at large and engage citizens with the ocean should 
be organised, for example, around the celebration of World  Oceans  Day on 8 June15. These 
can include an annual Atlantic beach-cleaning day or initiatives such as the Irish pilot action 
‘Go  Atlantic  Blue’16.  More  events  could  also  be  organised  annually  on  European  Maritime 
Day17 and under the future ‘EU ocean literacy’ platform to  give these issues more visibility 
and generate impact, with marine research institutions and museums opening their doors and 
facilitating  access  for  the  general  public  to  help  raise  ocean  literacy  throughout  the  EU 
Atlantic area. 

The actions on ocean literacy for the EU Atlantic area in particular could also be implemented 
with or through AORA and build on the work of its Ocean Literacy Working Group. 

There should be more coordination of activities with the work under the future ‘EU4Ocean’ 
platform, which will include the European Network of Blue Schools and the European Youth 
Forum for the Ocean. The latter will support and where appropriate complement the European 
Commission’s  All-Atlantic  Ocean  Youth  Forum  and  its  Youth  Ambassador  Programme 
launched in the summer of 2019. 

The  actions  under  Goal  4  will  also  be  part  of  the  international  work  under  the  Galway  and 
Belém Statements. 

Actions 

►  Launch an Atlantic Ocean literacy pilot curriculum 

►  Create 25 Atlantic blue schools by 2025 

►  Implement an ocean literacy component (dissemination) in relevant projects 

►  Make use of  the All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Forum  

►  Engage citizens in ocean-related actions in the EU Atlantic area 

►  Engage  citizens 

in  activities  organised  for  European  Maritime  Day, 

International Ocean Day and under the future EU4Ocean platform 

PILLAR III: MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY 

The  EU  Atlantic  area  is  the  leader  in  and  testbed  for  the  development  of  novel  marine 
renewables18, especially ocean energy and floating offshore wind. To reach the next step of 
development,  namely  the  commercial  maturity  of  successful  prototypes,  is  essential  to 
maintain technological leadership, retain talent and provide affordable clean energy. The 
countries  participating  in  the  Atlantic  maritime  strategy  have  developed  a  strong 

15  Potential  activities  on  World  Oceans  Day,  8  June,  could include  ensuring  open  doors  and  easy  access  for  the  general  public to  marine 

research institutions and museums in order to help raise ocean literacy throughout the EU Atlantic area. 

16  https://www.marine.ie/Home/site-area/news-events/press-releases/go-atlantic-blue-celebrate-our-atlantic-ocean-world-oceans-day.  The 
pilot action was developed under the framework of the Galway Statement and will be replicated through the All-Atlantic Ocean Research 
Alliance on World Oceans Day. 

17 https://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/maritimeday/en 
18 Marine renewable energy includes offshore wind (bottom fixed and floating) and ocean energy (waves and tidal energy). 

10 

 
 
 
                                                 
cooperation  on  maritime  spatial  planning.  This  pillar  responds  to  several  interconnected 
challenges, which are to increase access to finance, obtain the necessary political support 
and public acceptance, facilitate knowledge sharing and make use of best practices across 
the region. 

To  address  the  needs  identified  above,  the  pillar  includes  one  specific  goal  and  a  set  of 
concrete actions. 

Goal 5: The promotion of carbon neutrality through marine renewable energy 

The Atlantic has the most powerful tide and wave resources in Europe and is home to most of 
Europe’s marine renewable energy test centres and development sites. Renewable electricity 
is key to decarbonisation, contributing to the decarbonisation of transport, home heating and 
industry.  Hydrogen  cannot  contribute  to  decarbonisation  if  it  is  not  produced  with  a  low 
carbon  footprint.  It  is  therefore  essential  to  use  the  Atlantic  resources  to  the  maximum 
possible extent. 

To this aim, it is proposed to set  specific deployment objectives in the Atlantic region by 
supporting the work of the Set Plan Implementation Group for Ocean Energy19.  

By setting  specific objectives, development  could be steered in  a  concrete direction and the 
next steps taken towards commercialisation. It would be part of a more general action to pool 
together different initiatives in the area, which would facilitate knowledge sharing and avoid 
duplication of efforts. Part of the knowledge sharing would entail defining the best sites for 
marine  renewable  energy  farms  across  the  Atlantic  as  demonstrated  by  the  use  of 
Copernicus  data,  while  ensuring  appropriate  attention  to  environmental  impacts  and 
information services20. This includes both identifying which type of renewable energy would 
be the most profitable in a certain area as well as which infrastructure, especially which type 
of  ports,  are  available  in  the  area  to  facilitate  the  deployment  of  the  technology.  The  area 
should  also  be  selected  taking  into  account  the  ecosystems  found  there  and  taking  all 
necessary  measures  to  prevent  and  minimise  negative  impacts  on  the  marine  environment. 
Exploiting synergies with other economic activities, e.g. fisheries, in the selected area could 
also prove beneficial.  In this sense making the best use of the existing planning tools at EU 
level  can  facilitate  the  attainment  of  this  goal.  The  Strategic  Environmental  Assessment 
Directive  (SEA  Directive)21  allows  the  consideration  of  reasonable  alternatives  to  be  taken 
into account with view of the geographical scope of the plan and programme and thus better 
allow  integrating  environmental  considerations  in  the  plan  making  process.  The  Maritime 
Spatial  Planning Directive is  also  an important  tool to  integrate different sectors and ensure 
good appropriation by the different actors.  

To  ensure  funding  availability,  the  goal  includes  two  actions.  The  first  would  see  the 
development  of  incentives  for  demonstrations  that  recognise  that  costs  are  higher  for 
technologies  before  they  are  deployed  at  scale,  such  as  floating  wind  turbines  and  devices 
harnessing  the  energy  of  waves  and  tides.  The  second  would  strengthen  the  regional 
funding  mechanisms22  implemented  beyond  2021,  through  longer  projects  and  funding 

19 https://setis.ec.europa.eu/ocean-implementation 
20 https://www.copernicus.eu/en/use-cases?f%5B0%5D=domain_taxonomy_term_name%3ABlue%20Economy, 

http://marine.copernicus.eu/natural-resources-energy/ 

21 Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the 

environment, OJ L 197, 21.7.2001 

22 Based on the experience of the Ocean ERA net mechanism. More information can be found here: https://oceaneranet.eu 

11 

 
 
                                                 
possibilities.  This  would  also  entail  facilitating  access  to  test  facilities  through  a  future 
scheme  designed  according  to  the  lessons  learnt  from  past  or  ongoing  projects  such  as 
Marinet23,  Marinet224,  Foresea25,  Blue-Gift26  or  OceanDemo27,  for  example.  The  closer 
cooperation through these networks would also make it possible to identify flagship projects 
for each of the ocean energies. This could help inform the coastal communities about ocean 
energy and engage them in it.  

On  a  more  general  level,  this  specific  goal  includes  developing  public  awareness  using 
appropriate  communication  tools  on  marine  renewable  energy  in  the  Atlantic  and  assessing 
the  socioeconomic  and  environmental  impact  of  the  different  available  technologies.  This 
would help local communities to better understand the risks and benefits of marine renewable 
energy. This would help inform and engage both policy makers and the wider public. In this 
sense, it will complement the work of stakeholders and flagship projects. 

Lastly, the specific goal can be attained by developing a specific framework for islands that 
facilitates the development of ocean energy. This could be done through the Clean Energy for 
EU  Islands  initiative28  and  would  need  to  be  coordinated  with  both  national  and  local 
authorities  to  allow  fast-track  processes.  It  would  help  to  address  the  issues  of  cost  and 
administrative burden. 

The actions could be initiated and steered through the SET Plan29 Working Group on Ocean 
Energy,  under  the  co-leadership  of  the  European  Commission.  Technical  implementation 
would rely on marine renewable energy developers and interest organisations. It would also 
need the expertise and support of regional and local authorities. 

Actions 

►  Set specific deployment objectives for marine renewable energy in the Atlantic 

regions taking into account their environmental impacts 

►  Define best sites for marine renewable energy farms (including offshore wind) 

and adjacent ports across the Atlantic 

►  Implement 

incentives  for  deployment  of 

innovative  renewable  energy 

installations 

►  Pool  together  different  marine  renewable  energy  initiatives  covering  the  EU 
Atlantic  area,  based  on  the  philosophy  and  furthering  the  objectives  of  the 
Strategic Energy Technology plan (SET plan) 

►  Develop a communication strategy on marine renewable energy in the Atlantic 

►  Strengthen cooperation in the European ocean energy community 

►  Develop  a  specific  ocean  energy  framework  for  EU  islands  in  the  Atlantic,  in 

line with the Clean Energy for EU islands initiative 

23 http://www.fp7-marinet.eu/ 
24 http://www.marinet2.eu  
25 http://www.nweurope.eu/projects/project-search/funding-ocean-renewable-energy-through-strategic-european-action/ 
26 http://bluegift.eu/ 
27 http://www.nweurope.eu/projects/project-search/oceandemo-demonstration-programme-for-ocean-energy-pilot-farms-and-supporting-

technologies/ 

28 https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/renewable-energy/initiatives-and-events/clean-energy-eu-islands 
29 https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/technology-and-innovation/strategic-energy-technology-plan 

12 

 
 
 
                                                 
PILLAR IV: A HEALTHY OCEAN AND RESILIENT COASTS 

The  EU  Atlantic  coast  is  vulnerable,  considering  the  high  number  of  human  activities  in 
this area. Large storms, floods and erosion also have a detrimental effect on large parts  of 
the  coast  and  will  likely  be  exacerbated  through  climate  change.  Both  the  ocean  and 
cryosphere  in  a  changing  climate30  report  from  the  UN’s  Intergovernmental  Panel  on 
Climate  Change31  and  the  annual  ocean  state  report32  from  the  EU  Copernicus  Earth 
Observation programme33, predict a continued rise of sea level at an accelerated pace by the 
end  of  the  century,  increased  marine  heat  waves  or  storm  surges.  Risk  prevention  and 
adaptation measures are necessary to protect the coastal habitats and biodiversity, as well 
as  infrastructure  and  economic  activities  at  risk.  Marine  and  coastal  habitats  should  be 
preserved  and  valorised,  notably  with  the  view  to  develop  new  forms  of  maritime  and 
coastal tourism. In this particular economic sector, circular economy, zero pollution, energy 
efficiency  and  biodiversity  preservation  should  be  the  guiding  principles  to  develop  more 
sustainable practices that benefit local development and local employment all over the year. 
Although shipping has become safer over the past decades, marine pollution resulting from 
deliberate  and  accidental  spills  of  oil  and  other  harmful  substances  remains  a  high  risk. 
Effective  risk  management  of  spills  and  their  impact  requires  cross-sectoral  cooperation 
and work at regional level. Marine pollution and notably plastics, is another major problem. 
Materials  valuable  for  recycling  are  polluting  Atlantic  beaches  and  damaging  the 
environment They could be collected and pumped back into the economy, making it more 
circular.  Coastal  regions  and  citizens  can  develop  an  Atlantic  response  to  marine  litter 
through  a  system  of  coordinated  actions,  adding  to  the  ongoing  initiatives  under  the 
Convention  for  the  Protection  of  the  Marine  Environment  of  the  North-East  Atlantic 
(OSPAR)34  the  EU  Marine  Strategy  Framework  Directive35  (MSFD),  the  SEA  Directive 
and the EU Strategy for Plastics. 

To  address  the  needs  identified  above,  the  pillar  includes  three  specific  goals  and  a  set  of 
concrete actions. 

Goal 6:  

Stronger coastal resilience 

To test the level of protection of coastal communities and make them safer, it is necessary to 
demonstrate  a  comprehensive  EU  Atlantic  area-observing  system  that  provides  enough 
advanced notice and precision to support ocean climate forecasting and projections at regional 
scale  and  successful  emergency  response  to  storm  surge,  hurricane,  floods  and  tsunami 
warnings.  To  this  effect,  the  results  of  research  projects  and  EU-wide  and  international 
initiatives36 in this area, including those of EU Member States, should be taken into account, 

30 https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/home/ 
31 The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was tasked with assessing the scientific evidence on climate change. 
32 http://marine.copernicus.eu/2nd-ocean-state-report-available/, http://marine.copernicus.eu/3rd-ocean-state-report-now-available/ 
33 www.copernicus.eu  
34  The  Convention  for  the  Protection  of  the  Marine  Environment  of  the  North-East  Atlantic  (the  ‘OSPAR  Convention')  was  open  for 
signature at the Ministerial Meeting of the Oslo and Paris Commissions in Paris on 22 September 1992. It was adopted together with a final 
declaration and an action plan. All five EU Member States, participants in the Atlantic strategy, are members of OSPAR. 

35 Directive 2008/56/EC of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine 

Strategy Framework Directive)  

36 For example, the results of EU research infrastructure projects such as EMSO ERIC (http://emso.eu/), the AtlantOS project funded under 
Horizon  2020  (https://www.atlantos-h2020.eu/);  as  well  as  international  initiatives,  for  example:  the  Global  Ocean  Observing  System  – 
GOOS 
initiative 
(https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/rcn/702822/en). 

(https://www.goosocean.org/),  GEO  –  GEOSS 

the  G7  Future  of 

and  Oceans 

the  Seas 

and 

13 

 
 
                                                 
e.g.  the  AtlantOS  project  that  will  become  a  programme37,  the  evolution  of  the  Copernicus 
marine environment and climate services to the regional and coastal scale.  

In addition to that, closer synergies between existing infrastructures for coastal protection 
will  improve  the  monitoring  of  the  coastline’s  evolution  in  the  EU  Atlantic  area.  As  a  first 
step,  this  would  include  compiling  an  inventory  of  regional  adaptation  strategies  and 
infrastructures to know what has already been done and share potential best practices. The 
link between the strategies and the risk assessments as well as risk management plans should 
be established38. Following an environmental impact assessment, test spaces and pilot areas 
should be developed to test different methods of coastal protection. 

Accelerating sea level-rise exacerbated by loss of sediments due to damming of rivers mean 
that  authorities  need  to  decide  appropriate  remedial  action  to  protect  coastal  populations  – 
retreat,  traditional  grey  infrastructure  or  green  infrastructure.  Coastal  wetlands  can  filter 
pollutants  and  regulate  flooding  but  should  not  be  considered  only  as  useful  for  humans. 
There  are  no  formal  assessments  of  European  wetland  loss  for  the  European  continent,  but 
losses have been  roughly  estimated  at  80% of the total  resource with  the greater part in  the 
past  75  years.  The  value  as  hotspots  for  biodiversity  cannot  be  estimated  only  in  economic 
terms. To support these management, conservation and restoration measures, the partners of 
the  European  Marine  Observation  and  Data  Network39  (EMODnet)  will  begin  mapping 
European coastal wetlands to complement the existing Europe-wide digital maps of seabed 
habitats, sea-level rise and beach erosion.  

More  research  will  strengthen  the  available  knowledge  base.  Potential  research  topics  can 
include  identifying  tools  for  measuring  hydro  sedimentary  dynamics,  strengthening  the 
network of tide-gauges (inside and outside ports), measuring the impact of marine activities 
on  hydro  sedimentary  dynamics,  and  researching  the  social  acceptability  of  risks  related  to 
coastal erosion.  
As proposed in the proposal for a space regulation40, the Copernicus programme will develop 
in  the  next  multiannual  financial  framework  to  address  coastal  environment,  maritime 
security, impacts of climate change. Regional ocean climate forecasting, decadal predictions, 
remote-sensing of coastal areas, high-resolution ocean forecasts better addressing meso-scale 
features and coastal dynamics will be addressed in co-development with Member States. 

At the same time, it will be important to ensure that the public is aware and engaged on the 
issue.  One  action  would  be  to  educate  young  people  about  the  natural  evolution  of  the 
coastline and the potential dangers of coastal erosion. This could be done through the ocean 
literacy  activities  and  potential  relevant  blue  school  programmes  proposed  under  goal  4  of 
pillar  II.  A  second  action  would  be  to  create  information  campaigns  for  Atlantic  coastal 
communities, particularly residents and property developers in the coastal areas. This would 
inform on the natural evolution of the coastline, the role of vegetation and natural habitats and 
protection and emergency plans. 

37  The  AtlantOS  project  and  the  future  programme  (developed  as  part  of  the  Galway  and Belém  Statement  implementation)  have  already 
developed a European strategy for an All-Atlantic Ocean observing system, which will guide future observation work. This strategy is an 
integrated  concept  for  a  forward-looking  framework  and  basin-scale  partnership  to  establish  a  sustainable,  multi-disciplinary,  multi-
thematic, efficient, and fit-for-purpose ocean-observing system in the Atlantic as a whole. 

38 For the next multiannual financial framework, the Commission has proposed to strengthen the strategic approach to investments in disaster 
risk management that can be co-funded by EU cohesion policy funds. The new proposed approach requires national authorities to plan multi-
annual  investments  on  the  basis  of  disaster  risk  management  plans,  that  should  be  based  on  the  assessment  of  disaster  risks,  taking  into 
account climate change impacts and outlining prioritised prevention and preparedness measures. 
39 http://www.emodnet.eu/ 
40 Proposal for a Regulation establishing the space programme of the Union and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme and 

repealing Regulations (EU) No 912/2010, (EU) No 1285/2013, (EU) No 377/2014 and Decision 541/2014/EU – COM(2018)447 final  

14 

 
 
                                                 
The  implementation  should  build  upon  LIFE  projects  and  progress  towards  a  pilot  joint 
strategy on coastal observation in the EU Atlantic area. This would also need to involve local 
and national stakeholders, such as CEREMA in France. 

The  actions  should  ensure  that  all  uses  and  designations  of  sea  areas  are  coherent  by 
implementing  the  EU  Directive  on  Maritime  Spatial  Planning41,  in  particular  by  taking  into 
account  the  Natura  2000  network  (the  largest  international  network  of  protected  areas, 
including coastal and marine habitats). Where relevant the preparation and adoption of plans 
and  programmes,  in  the  sense  of  the  SEA  Directive,  should  ensure  that  these  plans  and 
programmes  are  made  subject  to  an  environmental  assessment  and  screening  prior  to  their 
adoption. 

The  actions  under  Goal  6  will  also  be  part  of  the  international  work  under  the  Galway  and 
Belém Statements. 

Actions 

►  Demonstrate a comprehensive alert and observing system for incoming storms 

and floods in the EU Atlantic area 

►  Develop synergies between existing EU infrastructures for coastal observation 
and protection and increase the development of in-situ ocean observatories 

►  Develop test spaces, pilot areas to test methods of coastal protection 

and promote nature-based solutions  

►  Promote sustainable practices in coastal and maritime tourism 

►  Compile an inventory of regional adaptation strategies, share best practices 

►  Create information campaigns for Atlantic coastal communities  

►  Educate young people and coastal communities about the natural evolution of 

the coastline 

►  Share best practices on the application of maritime spatial planning to coastal 

adaptation and resilience 

►  Map  coastal  wetlands  for  preservation  and  to  monitor  their  role  as  carbon 

sinks 

Goal 7: The fight against marine pollution 

A  major  action  under  this  specific  goal  could  be  the  development  of  litter-free  coastal 
communities and zero-waste islands. Within  these communities, systemic solutions  would 
be united under a common scheme to prevent waste generation and reduce the leakage of litter 
into the ocean by improving waste collection, management and recycling, promoting circular 
business  models,  raising  public  awareness,  and  removing  litter  from  the  environment  (e.g. 
promoting  fishing  for  litter  actions  and  beach  clean-up  activities).  This  project  could  be 
implemented  across  different  communities  in  the  EU  Atlantic  Member  States.  This  would 
firstly allow the sharing of knowledge and minimise duplication of efforts, and secondly help 

41  Directive  2014/89/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  23 July  2014  establishing  a  framework  for  maritime  spatial 

planning 

15 

 
 
 
                                                 
raise  awareness  of  marine  litter  issues  specific  to  the  regions.  Within  these  communities  as 
well as beyond, joint actions could be organised to prevent and address marine pollution, 
including by raising public awareness of the problem. Beach clean-up days, as mentioned 
previously under the specific goal of ocean literacy, could be one of them. 
There  are  already  some  ongoing  research  projects42  and  monitoring  initiatives  that  map 
marine  litter  across  the  Atlantic.  Building  on  these  projects,  the  specific  goal  includes  an 
action  to  use  available  tools  to  identify  major  pathways,  trends  and  the  composition  of 
marine litter, as well as hotspots, and subsequently to  work together  with  communities to 
tackle these pathways and, where appropriate, collect litter from the hotspots. This could also 
help pilot new approaches to prevent leakage of litter into the marine environment, including 
end-of-life fishing gears. 

To  further  motivate  business  action,  circular  economy-based  business  models  could  be 
promoted through the development of incentives and environmental certification themes. 

Prevention,  preparedness  and  response  to  accidental  and  deliberate  marine  pollution  by  oil 
and  other  harmful  substances  is  the  area  of  work  under  the  Union  Civil  Protection 
Mechanism43  and  the  Bonn44  and  Lisbon  Agreements45.  Common  activities  are  not  equally 
advanced  in  all  areas,  e.g.  response  strategies  and  decision-making  tools  adapted  to  the 
regional context require further development, particularly in the Lisbon Agreement. Capacity-
building  activities  like  multi-sectorial  trainings  and  exercises  for  at-sea  and  shoreline 
responders, e-learning tools and case studies at regional level should also be enhanced. They 
will  benefit  from  existing  operational  services,  training  and  outreach  services  for  oil  spill 
monitoring  developed  under  the  Copernicus  maritime  surveillance  service46  operated  by  the 
European Maritime Safety Agency. 

Implementation of these actions would rely to a large extent on local communities. However, 
research  projects  such  as  MARELITT,  EUFIR,  LIFE  GHOST,  MARGNET,  AquaLit,  and 
NetTag,  which  are  funded  under  various  EU  funds  (Horizon  2020,  LIFE,  Interreg,  EMFF), 
and  the  relevant  actors  involved  provide  a  first  community  of  stakeholders.  Furthermore, 
conferences and workshops taking place within the scope of the EU action on plastics could 
serve as a starting point for first exchanges between stakeholders. 

On a more general level, the AORA (marine ecosystem approach) Group could also provide a 
platform to increase overall ocean health by reducing marine litter. Furthermore, the OSPAR 
marine litter regional action plan proposes a number of actions in the area. Under the MSFD, 
EU  MS  are  required  to  monitor  and  assess  litter  quantities  and  impacts  in  the  marine 
environment  and  take  measures  to  reduce  them;  these  measures  must  be  coordinated  at 
regional level. Baselines for beach litter have been established for all marine regions around 
EU and the setting of regulatory thresholds for litter quantities is underway. The EU Strategy 
for Plastics includes a number of actions to combat plastic marine litter and microplastics and 
has also an international dimension.  

Under  the  Union  Civil  Protection  Mechanism  funds  are  available  also  for  prevention  and 
preparedness for cross-border risks and for marine pollution at sea and on shore.  

42 For instance: the GoJelly project to develop a gelatinous solution to plastic pollution; the CLAIM project to clean litter by developing and 
applying innovative methods in European seas; the TOPIOS project to track plastic in our seas. CleanAtlantic and Oceanwise are major 
INTERREG projects supporting also the implementation of the OSPAR Regional Action Plan against marine litter 

43  Decision No 1313/2013/EU of the European Parliament and the Council of 17 December 2013 on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism, as 

amended by the Decision (EU) 2019/420. 

44 The Agreement for Co-operation in Dealing with Pollution of the North Sea by Oil and Other Harmful Substances.  
45 Cooperation agreement for the protection of the coasts and waters of the north-east Atlantic against pollution. 
46 http://emsa.europa.eu/copernicus.html  

16 

 
 
                                                 
The  actions  under  Goal  7  will  also  be  part  of  the  international  work  under  the  Galway  and 
Belém Statements. 

Actions47 

►  Develop a pilot project of ‘litter-free’ coastal communities 

►  Make use of available tools to identify major sources, pathways and hotspots of 

marine litter, as well as accidental or deliberate pollution 

►  Promote  circular  economy-based  business  actions,  develop  incentives  and 

environmental certification schemes 

►  Launch joint actions to promote a public perception of the problem, e.g. beach 

days where communities meet to clean the beach 

►  Promote fishing for litter actions to encourage all fishermen to bring ashore the 

waste caught into their nets during their normal fishing operations 

►  Engage  under  OSPAR  to  implement  collective  actions  of  the  marine  litter 

regional action plan 

►  Promote  coordinated  and  effective  implementation  of  actions  against  marine  

litter and underwater noise required under the MSFD for the EU MS 

►  Support  the  work  under  the  Union  Civil  Protection  Mechanism  and  of  Bonn 
and  Lisbon  Agreements  towards  effective  prevention,  preparedness  and 
response to deliberate and accidental pollution 

►  Promote  cooperation  among  sectors  for  a  coordinated  at-sea  and  shoreline 

response 

3.  COMMUNICATION 

Improving communication of the action plan and the overarching Atlantic maritime strategy is 
important for the action plan’s successful implementation. An assistance mechanism, funded 
by the European Commission, will have a key role in devising and coordinating a consistent 
communication  approach  in  the  EU  Atlantic  area  and  its  coastal  regions  through  a  set  of 
visible initiatives: webpage, social media, annual stakeholder conferences, national events. In 
addition, the assistance mechanism will amplify the efforts of funding institutions to inform 
the stakeholder community about open funding and financing opportunities and support them 
to  access  private  investment.  Keeping  track  of  the  genuine  Atlantic  projects  that  received 
funding and implementing the action plan are another key task that will require maintenance 
and regular updating of the maritime data hub48. 

47 The actions on marine litter must be carried out in coordination with the authorities in the respective countries, which are implementing the 
OSPAR regional action plan against marine litter that has been in place since 2014. 
48 https://maritime.easme-web.eu/  

17 

 
 
 
                                                 
4.  GOVERNANCE OF THE ATLANTIC STRATEGY 

4.1.  INTRODUCTION 

The  governance  builds  on  the  existing  Atlantic  Strategy  Group,  which  will  be  renamed  the 
Atlantic  Strategy  Committee,  and  suggests  a  framework  for  operation  of  the  pillars,  and  it 
promotes engagement of relevant stakeholders across sectors, coastal regions and countries in 
complementarity to already existing cooperation structures. 

There are both political and operational dimensions to governance: after setting the strategic 
objectives,  the  participating  countries  need  to  ensure  consistent  management,  guidance  and 
swift  decision-making  in  the  implementation,  including  proper  oversight  and  transparency 
regarding the achieved results. 

4.2.  GOVERNANCE 

Political  coordination  is  in  the  hands  of  the  participating  countries’  designated  ministers 
responsible  for  maritime  affairs.  The  Member  States  define  the  broad  political  guidelines 
(including  the  geography  of  the  Atlantic  strategy),  take  stock  of  implementation  and 
emphasise ownership of  the initiative. The Member States may decide, in  consultation  with 
the  European  Commission,  to  expand membership  of  the  Atlantic  strategy  to  any  interested 
State. 

Operational coordination is ensured through the Atlantic Strategy Committee that acts, within 
its functions (see chapter 5.1), as a decision-making (executive) body of the action plan and 
ensures proper involvement of representatives of the coastal regions. 

4.3.  IMPLEMENTATION AND REPORTING 

To  enable  effective  implementation,  a  number  of  key  conditions  must  be  met,  with  clear 
decisions taken at an early stage. These conditions are the following: 

  ministerial endorsement is required for the revised action plan and its implementation; 
participating  countries  must  acknowledge  that  the  action  plan  priorities  cut  across 
policies, ministries  and levels  of  government; they  set  priorities, take ownership and 
responsibility, align policies and funds at national and regional levels, and encourage 
the participation of regional authorities, private investors within existing mechanisms 
and frameworks and provide the relevant means and resources, based on the capacity 
countries have; 
the  Atlantic  Strategy  Committee  proposes/approves  flagship  actions49  and  may  label 
projects; 

 

 

the  European  Commission  promotes  a  strategic  approach  at  EU  level,  including 
coordination  and,  to  the  extent  possible,  funding  alignment  with  existing  EU-related 
initiatives and instruments50 relevant for the pillars and agreed actions; 

49 Based on avenues of funding (see also Chapter 4). 
50 Subject  and  without  prejudice  to  the  assessment  of  the  evaluation  procedures  and  criteria  for  the  concerned  funds,  programmes  and 

projects.  

18 

 
 
                                                 
  Governments  monitor and evaluate national  progress  at  country level  as  appropriate, 
including with the support of the Atlantic assistance mechanism, and provide guidance 
for implementation;  

 

 

the  key  stakeholders  should  be  involved,  including  national,  regional  and  local 
authorities, economic and social actors, civil society, academia and non-governmental 
organisations. Public events will also promote this involvement (for example, annual 
fora, business to business and investors pitch/speed-funding events); 

the Atlantic Strategy Committee will make use of periodic progress tracking to report 
to  the  political  level,  and  will  be  responsible  for  ensuring  the  action  plan’s 
implementation. 

4.4.  GOVERNANCE ARCHITECTURE 

Atlantic Strategy Committee 

The Atlantic Strategy Committee is the decision-making (executive) body responsible for the 
operational  coordination  and  implementation  of  the  Atlantic  strategy  and  its  related  action 
plan. It must ensure continuous political commitment to it at all levels, i.e. national, regional 
and  local.  The  Committee  will  be  composed  of  participating  countries  (standing  members), 
representatives  of  coastal  regions,  cities  and  economic  and  social  stakeholders  (associated 
members), the European Commission and defined observers. The Committee will be chaired 
in  turn  by  the  country  members  on  a  yearly  rotating  basis  following  an  agreed  order.  The 
chair-in-office will be supported by the European Commission and in the administrative tasks 
by the Atlantic assistance mechanism.  

Role of the Atlantic Strategy Committee:  

 

review and update (i.e. define and update the priority areas of) the Atlantic action plan 

  ensure  strategic  coordination  of  the  Atlantic  action  plan’s  implementation,  including 

tackling obstacles to its implementation 

  define  selection  criteria,  work  plans  and  actions  proposed  by  the  priority  area 
coordinators.  Approve  proposals  of  (flagship)  actions.  Review  the  annual  reports  of 
the thematic priority area coordinators 

  promote alignment of programmes/ financial instruments at transnational, national and 
regional levels (e.g. engage with the monitoring committees and managing authorities 
of ESI funds) 

  engage  (dialogue  and  cooperation)  with  non-EU  countries  and 

international 

organisations in order to support implementation of the Atlantic action plan 

  define communication guidelines 

  prepare  a  biennial  Ministerial  conference  (political  guidance  &  validation,  review  of 

the action plan’s implementation) 

  prioritise  actions  and  propose/approve/label  projects  that  help  to  implement  the 

Atlantic action plan 

  provide guidance and inputs to the activities of the assistance mechanism, notably on 

events and fora (e.g. setting the agenda)  

19 

 
 
  support  the  monitoring  and  evaluation  framework  of  the  Atlantic  action  plan  and 

report once a year to the political level  

  elaborate its own detailed working arrangements, if needed. 

Composition 

The  Committee  will  be  composed  of  standing  members  (participating  countries  and  the 
European Commission), associated members and observers.  

Standing members 

  National  coordinators:  each  participating  country  decides  according 

its 
constitutional  framework  to  be  represented  by  either  one  or  two  representatives, 
including representatives of coastal regions; a country has the prerogative to choose 
the competent representatives at the Atlantic Strategy Committee. 

to 

  European Commission (represented by the relevant departments). 

The  European  Commission  will  support  the  implementation  of  the  Atlantic  strategy  and  its 
action plan, and ensure its coordination at EU level, i.e. between the different EU institutions 
and related bodies. In particular, the European Commission will pursue the strategic approach 
at EU level, including coordination with existing EU-related policies and initiatives (including 
the WestMED initiative, as well as with the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance) and alignment 
with funds and programmes (including the European territorial and cooperation programmes). 

Associated members 

 

 

 

 

 

the Committee of the Regions,  

the European Economic and Social Committee,  

the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions,  

the Atlantic Arc Cities, and 

the ATN-Network. 

Associated  members  participate  in  the  meetings  of  the  Atlantic  Strategy  Committee,  but 
unlike standing members, they do not have voting rights. 

Observers 

A non-exhaustive list of observers is provided as follows:  

-  OSPAR Commission, 

- 

- 

INTERREG Atlantic Area programme, 

INTERACT, 

-  Co-Chairs of the Galway Statement and Belém Statement  

-  Atlantic assistance mechanism, 

-  Motorways of the Sea European Coordinator, 

-  Third-country representatives that expressed interest in joining the strategy. 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
The Atlantic Strategy Committee may invite observers on a case-by-case basis (e.g. based on 
the agenda of the meeting).  

Meetings and working arrangements 

The Atlantic Strategy Committee will meet indicatively three times per year. 

Following consultations within the Committee, the standing members define detailed working 
arrangements. 

Working groups  

Where opportune and agreed by the Atlantic Strategy Committee, established working groups 
may be used to help reach the agreed goals, e.g. the Atlantic Sea-Basin Working Group (on 
connectivity),  the  AORA  Ocean  Literacy  Working  Group,  the  AORA  Marine  Ecosystem 
Approach  Working  Group,  and  the  SET  plan  Working  Group  on  Ocean  Energy  (on  marine 
renewable  energy).  The  chairmanship-in-office  acting  under  the  mandate  of  the  Atlantic 
Strategy Committee is responsible for detailing the exact terms of such cooperation. 

The Atlantic Steering Committee may also be convened in an appropriate technical format for 
discussions on one or more pillars of the action plan. 

Pillar/goal coordinators 

To  advance  and  coordinate  implementation,  the  Atlantic  Strategy  Committee  will  nominate 
one  coordinator  per  pillar  and/or  per  goal.  The  role  of  the  coordinator  is  to  facilitate  the 
pillar’s  implementation  and  the  achievement  of  the  specific  goal,  including  by  promoting 
flagship  actions  for  the  Steering  Committee’s  approval.  The  coordinator  will  do  this  by 
involving  and  cooperating  with  relevant  stakeholders  (e.g.  public  authorities,  business 
operators,  investors,  clusters,  research  centres,  regional  organisations,  European  institutions 
and  related  bodies)  from  the  entire  EU  Atlantic  area  and  by  shaping  flagship  project 
proposals,  identifying  funding  sources,  and  supporting  and  reporting  on  the  state  of 
implementation of the pillar/specific goal. To this effect, the coordinator will be supported by 
the Atlantic assistance mechanism. 

The  pillar  coordinator  may  be  supported  by  a  co-coordinator(s)  appointed  by  the  Atlantic 
Strategy Committee. Regional organisations or representatives of relevant regions can also be 
appointed as pillar coordinators. 

4.5.  The assistance mechanism 

The Atlantic assistance mechanism, funded by the Commission, supports the governance and 
implementation  of  the  action  plan  and  the  involvement  of  relevant  stakeholders,  while  also 
providing  operational,  logistic  and  administrative  support  to  the  chairmanship-in-office  and 
the pillar coordinators.  It supports the Atlantic Strategy Committee in  monitoring, reporting 
and  evaluating  the  initiative  and  action  plan.  It  also  assists  with  the  drafting  of  working 
documents  and  the  revision  of  the  Atlantic  action  plan,  which  includes  defining  and 
quantifying  targets,  indicators  and  baselines  if  necessary.  The  assistance  mechanism  will 
support the pillar coordinators in analysing project proposals, identifying funding sources for 
selected projects and liaising with the coastal regions, funding authorities and other relevant 
bodies. 

21 

 
 
5.  MONITORING FRAMEWORK 

A monitoring and evaluation framework will measure the success of the new action plan and 
help to:  

 

 

 

identify whether the plan is being applied on the ground as expected;  

address any implementation problems of an intervention; and/or  

identify  whether  further  action  is  required  to  ensure  that  it  can  achieve  its  intended 
objectives. 

The  evaluation  will  be  based  on  the  work  of  the  pillar  coordinators,  who  will  report  on 
progress towards the agreed targets. While the prime measure of success is the action plan’s 
implementation,  a  set  of  key  performance  indicators,  in  line with  the  intervention  logic, 
describe in detail what evidence needs to be collected. The indicators aim to serve the purpose 
of  monitoring  and  evaluating  the  progress  made  towards  the  objectives.  Furthermore,  the 
indicators  are  linked  to  the  relevant  Sustainable  Development  Goals.  The  monitoring 
framework is detailed in the table which follows. 

22 

 
 
Objectives 

Indicator 
description 

Type 

Related 
SDG 

Data source & 
collection 

Baseline 

Target 

Pillar  I:  Ports  as 
blue 
economy 
hubs 

Ports  acting  as 
community 
managers 

Qualitative 

Goal  1:  Ports  as 
gateways 
for 
trade 
the 
Atlantic 

in 

Sea 
Short 
Shipping  -  weight 
of 
goods 
transported  to/from 
main  ports  of  the 
Altlantic regions 

Quantitative 
(tonnes) 

No baseline 

Stakeholder 
report 
activities 
ports 
evolved 
2025 

of 
have 
by 

261 021 
kilotonnes 
(2016) 

>0% 
per year 

growth 

the 
Evaluation  of 
Atlantic  action  plan 
2.0  /  Stakeholder 
consultation 

Eurostat 
[mar_sg_am_ewx] 

Study 
for 
Motorways  of  the 
Sea 2018-202151 

Goal  2:  Ports  as 
catalysts 
for 
business 

Number  of  ports 
that 
have 
developed  a  blue 
growth strategy 

Quantitative 
(number  of 
ports) 

Evaluation  of 
the 
Atlantic  action  plan 
2.0 /DG MARE 

(Port  of 

1 
Vigo) 

At  least  1  port 
per 
Atlantic 
Member  State 
by 2025 

51 The study for Motorways of the Sea 2018-2021 also provides numerous data on the transport and trade flows per short-sea shipping in the Atlantic Region, e.g. with regard to the actual number of regular container 
and ro-ro service as an indicator for maritime connectivity, the total cargo traffic in tons by cargo categories (e.g. dry bulk, liquid bulk, container etc.) and the number of ship calls by type and size classes. This data is 
being collected for all core and comprehensive ports on the TEN-T network. 

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Objectives 

Indicator 
description 

Type 

Related 
SDG 

Data source & 
collection 

Baseline 

Target 

Pillar II: Blue jobs 
of the future  

People  employed 
in  blue  economy 
jobs  in  the  Atlantic 
area 

Quantitative 
(number  of 
people) 

DG MARE EU Blue 
Economy  Report 
(2019)  and  Blue 
Indicators tool 

1,5  million 
(2016) 

>0% 
per year 

growth 

Goal  3:  Quality 
training  and  life-
long learning 

Participation 
rate 
in  education  and 
training  for  people 
over  18 
the 
Atlantic  Member 
Strates 

in 

Quantitative 
(number  of 
people) 

Goal  4:  Ocean 
literacy 

Perceived  ocean 
literacy  in  coastal 
regions 

Qualitative 

Pillar  III.  Marine 
renewable 
energies 

Installed  capacity 
technology 
by 
the 
in 
(MW) 
Atlantic Area 

Quantitative 

12,9%  (2016 
average), 
3,8% 
than 
average 

lower 
EU 

<3,5% 
than 
average 
2025 

lower 
EU 
by 

No baseline 

Stakeholders 
report 
increased 
ocean  literacy 
by 2025 

7,230  MW 
(2017) 

Increased 
installed 
capacity in the 
Atlantic area 

Eurostat (NUTS 2) 

Evaluation  of 
the 
Atlantic  action  plan 
AORA 
2.0 
Working  Group  on 
Ocean Literacy 

/ 

JRC  (Petten)  and 
EU  Blue  Economy 
Report 

Business 
industrial 
organisations 

and 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Objectives 

Indicator 
description 

Type 

Related 
SDG 

Data source & 
collection 

Baseline 

Target 

Goal  5:  Promote 
carbon  neutrality 
through  marine 
renewable energy 

Investments  in  the 
offshore  wind  and 
energy 
ocean 
sectors 
(sites, 
technology, 
machinery etc) 

Quantitative 

JRC (Petten) 

Business 
industrial 
organisations  

and 

2017/2018 
figures 

Pillar 

IV: 
ocean 
resilient 

4. 
Healthy 
and 
coasts 

Overall  health  of 
the  Atlantic  Ocean 
environment 

Qualitative 

MSFD  and  Ospar 
assessment 

Copernicus  ocean 
monitoring 
indicators 

MSFD 
reports 
(2018)  and 
Ospar 
Intermediate 
Assessment 
2017 
1st 
Copernicus 
Ocean  state 
report (2017) 

Increased 
investments  in 
capacity  and 
infrastructure 
in 
renewable 
energy 

marine 

Improvement 
of  the  overall 
health  of  the 
EU  Atlantic  by 
the 
next 
MSFD 
reporting 
round 
and 
Ospar 
Assessment 
(Quality 
Status  Report 
planned 
for 
2023) 

(2024) 
next 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Objectives 

Indicator 
description 

Type 

Related 
SDG 

Data source & 
collection 

Baseline 

Target 

Goal  6:  Enhance 
Coastal resilience 

of 
Percentage 
coast vulnerable to 
erosion  

Quantitative 

European 
Environment 
Agency  Data  and 
JRC Ispra  

Economy 
Blue 
Report  2018  and 
2019  section/case 
study 

Copernicus  coastal 
land service 

No  baseline 
(latest 
reports  from 
2004 
show 
11%) 

Lower 
10% by 2025 

than 

26