COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, 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  COM(2020) 329 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, 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       {SWD(2020) 140 final}  
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

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

2.  A  COMMON  VISION  FOR  A  SUSTAINABLE,  RESILIENT  AND  COMPETITIVE 
BLUE ECONOMY IN THE EU ATLANTIC AREA ............................................................... 4 

3.  PILLARS ............................................................................................................................ 4 

PILLAR I:  

PORTS AS GATEWAYS AND HUBS FOR THE BLUE ECONOMY ..... 5 

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

Goal 2:   Ports as catalysts for business ........................................................................... 5 

PILLAR II: BLUE SKILLS OF THE FUTURE AND OCEAN LITERACY ...................... 6 

Goal 3:   Quality education, training and life-long learning ............................................ 6 

Goal 4:   Ocean literacy ................................................................................................... 6 

PILLAR III: MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY ................................................................ 7 

Goal 5:   The promotion of carbon neutrality through marine renewable energy ........... 7 

PILLAR IV: HEALTHY OCEAN AND RESILIENT COASTS .......................................... 7 

Goal 6:   Stronger coastal resilience ................................................................................ 8 

Goal 7:   The fight against marine pollution .................................................................... 8 

4.  GOVERNANCE OF THE ACTION PLAN ...................................................................... 9 

4.1.  COORDINATION....................................................................................................... 9 

4.2. 

IMPLEMENTATION AND REPORTING ................................................................ 9 

4.3.  MOBILISING FUNDS AND FINANCING ............................................................. 10 

5.  WIDER LINKS AND BREXIT ....................................................................................... 11 

6.  CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The Atlantic maritime strategy1 was adopted in 2011 to support the sustainable development 
of  blue  economy  in  the  EU  Member  States  bordering  the  Atlantic.  In  2013,  the  European 
Commission  put  forward  an  Atlantic  action  plan2  to  implement  the  strategy.  To  give  a  new 
boost to a sustainable maritime economy that can create jobs, it is time to update the priorities 
for regional cooperation, following stakeholders’ consultation, and as a fresh contribution to 
Europe’s  recovery  from  the  unprecedented  socio-economic  crisis  triggered  by  the  current 
COVID-19 pandemic.  

The Blue Economy in the Atlantic Ocean generated EUR 73.4 billion of Gross Value Added 
(GVA) and employed 1.29 million people in 2017. It is the largest EU sea basin representing 
36% of the EU Blue Economy GVA. Several Blue economy sectors in the Atlantic area are 
expected to suffer from the current crisis; notably coastal and maritime tourism which is the 
largest  sector  of  the  Atlantic  Blue  Economy  generating    EUR  27  bn  in  terms  of    GVA 
generated and employing 0.76 million people. 

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the European Commission has already adopted a series of 
measures.  Most  notably,  to  help  repair  the  economic  and  social  damage  brought  by  the 
coronavirus  pandemic,  kick-start  European  recovery,  and  protect  and  create  jobs,  the 
European Commission has put forward its proposal for a major recovery plan on 27 May. To 
ensure  the  recovery  is  sustainable,  even,  inclusive  and  fair  for  all  Member  States,  the 
European  Commission  has  proposed  to  create  a  new  recovery  instrument  called  Next 
Generation  EU3,  of  €750  billion  embedded  within  a  powerful,  modern  and  revamped  long-
term EU budget.  

The  EU’s  recovery  efforts  are  centred  on  the  notion  of  sustainability,  which  underpins  the 
European  Green  Deal4  adopted  by  the  European  Commission  in  December  2019.  This 
ambitious  package  of  measures  aims  to  make  Europe  the  first  climate-neutral  continent  by 
2050 and boost the health of our planet, economy and people. 

The  European  Green  Deal  stresses  the  central  role  of  blue  economy  as  a  critical  enabling 
vector  to  reach  these  objectives.  The  role  of  oceans  in  mitigating  and  adapting  to  climate 
change  is  increasingly  recognised.  The  blue  economy    sector  can  contribute  to  the  clean 
energy transition notably via tapping into the growing potential of offshore renewable energy 
and managing maritime space more sustainably. 

In addition, this sector can contribute to alleviating climate change by promoting nature-based 
solutions  and improving  the use of aquatic and  marine resources for example by  promoting 
the production and use of new sources of protein that can relieve pressure on agricultural land. 
To that end, as a core part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission adopted on 
20  May  the  new  EU  Biodiversity  Strategy  for  20305  with  a  view  to  protecting  nature  and 
reversing  the  degradation  of  ecosystems.  In  parallel,  the  European  Commission  has  also 
adopted a Farm to Fork Strategy6 for a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system. 

Furthermore,  as  part  of  the  recovery  efforts,  the  EU  has  also  adopted  policy  guidelines  on 
tourism to enable all Europe to benefit from a restful and above all, safe tourism season. The 

1 COM(2011) 782 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:52011DC0782 
2 COM(2013) 279 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1395674057421&uri=CELEX:52013DC0279  
3 COM(2020) 456 final 
4 COM(2019) 640 final 
5 COM(2020) 380 final 
6 COM(2020) 381 final 

2 

 
                                                 
communication  on  Tourism  and  transport  in  2020  and  beyond  also  underscores  the 
importance of protecting and restoring Europe’s land and marine natural capital, in line with 
the strategic approach for a sustainable blue and green economy. 

The revised action plan contributes to the recovery efforts in the blue economy focussing on 
key  sectors  that  combine  sustainable  transformation  with  a  high  job  creation  potential  in 
Atlantic  coastal  communities.    For  example,  besides  promoting  sustainable  coastal  tourism, 
the  transition  to  off-shore  renewables  offer  significant  employment  opportunities  in  the 
Atlantic. Green shipping and innovative port activities as suggested by this  action plan will 
contribute to reducing the EU’s carbon and environmental footprint. 
This action plan is the result of a long process that started with a mid-term review7 published 
in  2018  and  continued  with  bottom  up  consultations8  with  stakeholders  and  the  Atlantic 
Member  States.  The  mid-term  review  demonstrated  that  the  Atlantic  action  plan  had  led  to 
over 1,200 new maritime projects and nearly 6 billion euro in investments, mostly from the 
EU budget. It also highlighted the need for improvements regarding the thematic focus of the 
plan, the governance structure and the introduction of a monitoring framework. 

2.  A  COMMON  VISION  FOR  A  SUSTAINABLE,  RESILIENT  AND 

COMPETITIVE BLUE ECONOMY IN THE EU ATLANTIC AREA 

The purpose of this revised 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  is  in  line  with  the  global  commitments  for  sustainable 
development and fully integrated in the European Commission’s political priorities for 2019 - 
2024,  notably  a  European  Green  Deal,  an  Economy  that  works  for  people  and  a  stronger 
Europe in the world. 

The action plan has the ambition to achieve seven goals under four thematic pillars through 
concrete actions mobilising all relevant Atlantic stakeholders: 

Atlantic ports as 
gateways and hubs 
for the blue 
economy 

The EU Atlantic 
area promotes blue 
skills of the future 
and ocean literacy 

The EU Atlantic 
area exploits marine 
renewable energy 

The EU Atlantic 
area is healthy and 
its coasts resilient 

Research, development and innovation – international dimension 

3. 

PILLARS 

The  new  action  plan  includes  four  pillars,  which  represent  a  practical  way  to  make  the 
common  vision  a  reality.  They  are  integrally  interconnected  and  trans-regional  by  nature. 
These  four  pillars  address  key  challenges  and  aim  to  foster  sustainable  blue  growth  and 

7 SWD(2018) 49 final, https://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/sites/maritimeaffairs/files/swd-2018-49_en.pdf 
8  Series  of  dedicated  stakeholder  workshops  were  organised  by  the  European  Commission  in  Gran  Canaria  (Spain),  Viana  do  Castelo 
(Portugal), Dublin (Ireland), Liverpool (UK) and Bordeaux (France) between September and November 2018. The results of the workshops 
are available online: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/maritimeforum/en/node/4400 

3 

 
 
                                                 
contribute to greater territorial cooperation and cohesion in the EU Atlantic area. The research 
activities  implemented  as  part  of  the  Galway9  and  Belém10  Statements  and  the  All-Atlantic 
Ocean Research Alliance11 cut across all pillars. They give an international dimension to the 
action  plan  and  support  its  implementation  by  improving  understanding  of  the  changing 
Atlantic Ocean and its effects on coastal communities and by developing innovative solutions. 

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.  

The  feedback  received  from  the  consultation  process  and  the  discussions  with  the  five  EU 
Member States have helped to identify specific, yet interconnected and mutually reinforcing, 
goals and actions. The agreed goals and actions are not exhaustive. 

The  Staff  Working  Document  accompanying  this  Communication  spells  out  in  detail  the 
concrete actions and the corresponding avenues for implementation under each pillar. 

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 

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 

9  On  24  May  2013,  the  European  Union,  Canada  and  the  United  States  signed  an  agreement  on  Atlantic  Ocean  Cooperation. 

http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/galway_statement_atlantic_ocean_cooperation.pdf#view=fit&pagemode=none  

10  On  13  of  July  2017,  the  European  Union,  Brazil  and  South  Africa  signed  the  Belém  Statement  signed  an  agreement  for  research  and 

innovation in the Atlantic Ocean. http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/belem_statement_2017_en.pdf 

11  AORA  involves  the  EU,  the  United  States  and  Canada.  Thanks  to  AORA,  today  some  25  projects  involving  over  500  international 

research teams are already engaged in Atlantic Ocean research. https://www.atlanticresource.org/aora 

4 

 
                                                 
►  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 

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 

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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 the cross-border circulation of qualified workers to match 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’12. 

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 

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 

Goal 4:  

Ocean literacy 

Actions 

►  Launch an Atlantic Ocean literacy pilot curriculum 

►  Create 25 Atlantic blue schools by 2025 

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

►  Making 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 

12  As  stated  in  the  transatlantic  implementation  strategy  drafted  by  the  Marine  Working  Group  on  Ocean  Literacy  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean 

Research Alliance supported by Horizon 2020. 

6 

 
                                                 
PILLAR III: MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY 

The European Green Deal  emphasises the essential role of offshore wind production for the 
transition  to  a  climate-neutral  economy.  It  stresses  the  need  for  a  more  sustainable 
management  of  maritime  space  to  unlock  the  potential  of  offshore  wind.  This  will  require 
building on the success of regional cooperation, which the Atlantic maritime strategy and its 
action plan are actively promoting. In this perspective, the Commission will present a strategy 
for the development of offshore renewable energy in the EU in the fourth quarter of 2020. It 
should build upon inter alia the Atlantic action plan 2.0.  

The  EU  Atlantic  area  is  the  leader  in  and  testbed  for  the  development  of  novel  marine 
renewables13, 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  while 
taking  into  account  potential  impacts  on  the  marine  environment  and  the  way  to  mitigate 
them. 

The  countries  participating  in  the  Atlantic  maritime  strategy  have  developed  a  strong 
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 

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,  taking  into  account  potential  impacts  on  the 
marine environment 

►  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  public  awareness  using  appropriate  communication  tools  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 

13 Marine renewable energy includes offshore wind (bottom fixed and floating) and ocean energy (waves and tidal energy). 

7 

 
                                                 
PILLAR IV: 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 climate report14 from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change15 and 
the annual ocean state report16 from the Copernicus Earth Observation programme17 predict a 
continued rise of sea level at an accelerated pace and an increase in extreme weather events 
(marine heat waves, storm surges).  

Climate  risk  management  and  adaptation  measures  are  necessary  to  protect  the  coastal 
habitats and biodiversity, as well as vulnerable infrastructure and economic activities. 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)18  the  EU  Marine  Strategy 
Framework Directive19 (MSFD) and the EU Strategy for Plastics20. Research activities have 
also  demonstrated  that  exposure  to  underwater  noise  can  cause  several  types  of  adverse 
effects  on marine animals, ranging  from  changes of behaviour to  their death.  The European 
Green  Deal  Mission  “healthy  oceans,  seas,  coastal  and  inland  waters”  will  be  of  particular 
importance  for  conserving  and  restoring  the  health  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  ensuring 
resilient coasts. 

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

14 https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/home/ 
15 The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was tasked with assessing the scientific evidence on climate change. 
16   http://marine.copernicus.eu/2nd-ocean-state-report-available/, http://marine.copernicus.eu/3rd-ocean-state-report-now-available/ 
17 www.copernicus.eu 
18  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. 

19 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32008L0056 
20 COM/2018/028 

8 

 
 
                                                 
Goal 6:  

Stronger coastal resilience 

Actions 

►  Demonstrate a comprehensive alert and observing system for increased storms and 

floods due to climate change 

►  Develop synergies between existing EU infrastructures for  coastal observation and 
protection, as well as for alert and monitoring 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  national  and  regional  climate  change  coastal  adaptation 
strategies and measures, linked to the risk assessments and risk management plans, 
share best practices  

►  Create information campaigns for Atlantic coastal communities  

►  Educate young people and coastal communities on the evolution of the coastline and 

ways to adapt to sea level rise 

►  Share  best  practices  on  the  application  of  maritime  spatial  planning  to  coastal 
adaptation,  resilience,  and  applicable  environmental  assessments  (EIA21,  SEA22, 
AA23). 

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

Goal 7:  

The fight against marine pollution 

Actions 

►  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  business  actions  based  on  the  circular  economy,  develop  incentives  and 

environmental certification schemes 

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

21 Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of  13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain 
public  and  private  projects  on  the  environment,  OJ  L  26,  28.1.2012,  pp.1-21,  as  amended  by  Directive  2014/52/EU  of  the  European 
Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014, OJ L 124, 25.4.2014, pp. 1-18.  

22 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, p. 30–37. 

23 Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, OJ  L 206 , 22.07.1992, 
as amended by Council Directive 97/62/EC of 27 October 1997 OJ L 305, 8.11.1997, p. 42, Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 of the European 
Parliament and of the Council of 29 September 2003, OJ L 284, 31.10.2003, p.1, Council Directive 2006/105/EC of 20 November 2006, OJ 
L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 368, Council Directive 2013/17/EU of 13 May 2013, OJ L 158, 10.6.2013, p.193. 

9 

 
                                                 
 
 
 
where communities meet to clean the beach 

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

waste caught in 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 

4.  GOVERNANCE OF THE ACTION PLAN 

4.1.  COORDINATION 

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 by the Atlantic Strategy Committee that acts, within its 
functions,  as  a  decision-making  (executive)  body  of  the  action  plan  and  ensures  proper 
involvement of representatives of the coastal regions (in line with the respective constitutional 
framework of the EU Member States). Representatives of the relevant funding and financing 
bodies, as well as other bodies, can be invited as observers on a case-by-case basis (e.g. based 
on  the  agenda  of  the  meeting).  The  European  Commission  is  a  standing  member  in  this 
Committee.  

Dedicated working arrangements will define the exact modalities, roles and rules of procedure 
in the governance bodies. 

4.2.  IMPLEMENTATION AND REPORTING 

This  action  plan  is  an  invitation  to  the  coastal  regions,  private  sector,  researchers,  national 
public bodies and other  actors to  start  designing  projects  that respond to  the goals.  Existing 
and  new  partnerships  in  the  EU  Atlantic  area  should  use  the  umbrella  of  the  action  plan  to 
exchange knowledge and innovate. 

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: 

  Member States must endorse the revised action plan before it can be implemented; the 
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 

10 

 
and frameworks and provide the relevant means and resources, based on a country’s 
capacity; 

 

 

the  Atlantic  Strategy  Committee  periodically  reviews  and  updates  (i.e.  defines  and 
updates  the  priority  areas  of)  the  action  plan  and  proposes/approves  flagship  actions 
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 instruments24 relevant for the pillars and agreed actions; 

  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  and  progress  tracking  to 
report  to  the  political  level,  and  will  be  responsible  for  ensuring  the  action  plan’s 
implementation; 

  a dedicated assistance mechanism will provide support upfront to EU Member States 
and  help  to  implement  the  goals  under  each  pillar;  the  support  should  also  include 
involving stakeholders and helping them to partner and collecting any data needed to 
establish baselines, monitor and report on progress, and maintain the Atlantic maritime 
data hub25; 

  communicating about  the Atlantic action plan and the overarching Atlantic maritime 
strategy  is  a  responsibility  shared  by  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  at  all  levels  –
national,  regional  and local; the assistance mechanism will  develop and coordinate a 
consistent communication approach in the EU Atlantic area. 

A  dedicated  monitoring  and  evaluation  framework  will  track  the  action  plan’s  progress  and 
help  assess  the  extent  to  which  the  action  plan  is  delivering  on  its  goals.  The  results  of  this 
continuous review will inform potential amendments of the action plan in the future. 

4.3.  MOBILISING FUNDS AND FINANCING 

No funding has been earmarked in the EU budget for the Atlantic action plan. The plan will 
mainly rely on any EU and national funds and financing instruments relevant to the goals and 
actions that can be mobilised. The timing of the action plan is designed to inspire managing 
authorities  from  EU  Member  States  and  coastal  regions  when  they  are  formulating  their 
partnership agreements and programmes which are planned to be finalised before the end of 
2020. 

Looking  to  the  next  programming  period  (2021-2027),  the  Communication  explores  what 
finance  is  needed  to  ensure  a  successful  implementation  of  the  identified  actions.  This  will 

24 Subject  and  without  prejudice  to  the  assessment  of  the  evaluation  procedures  and  criteria  for  the  concerned  funds,  programmes  and 

projects.  

25 https://maritime.easme-web.eu/  

11 

 
                                                 
involve a combination of public investment from national and EU budgets as well as private 
money. 

The EU Member States and their coastal regions can draw on:  

  European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) in particular:  

o 

o 

the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and 

the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF),  including  the  European 
Territorial Cooperation programmes  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe research programmes,  

the COSME programme for small and medium enterprises,  

the Connecting Europe Facility for infrastructure,  

the Erasmus+ programme for education, training, youth and sport, 

the LIFE programme for environment and climate, 

the Reform Support Programme, upon request for financial and technical support, 

the  Union  Civil  Protection  Mechanism  for  prevention  and  preparedness  for  cross-
border risks, and for marine pollution at sea and on shore.  

Territorial  Cooperation  programmes,  especially  the  Interreg  Atlantic  Area  programme, 
facilitates the transnational collaboration that this action plan aims to achieve. 

The EU aims to deliver a high proportion of support through financial instruments. Between 
2013  and  2017,  the  European  Investment  Bank  provided  almost  €3  billion  in  loans  for 
projects on connectivity and green technologies in the EU Atlantic area, becoming the second 
largest source of finance after the European Regional and Development Fund. The European 
Fund for Strategic Investment has also contributed by providing guarantees that lessen the risk 
for  public  and  private  investors.  These  loans  and  guarantees  have  been  blended  with  grants 
from EU programmes. The BlueInvest platform, which started operations in September 2019, 
is  helping small and medium enterprises to  access  finance. This  will enable them to  deliver 
new products or service to the market through coaching in business readiness and grants for 
activities  such  as  further  development  or  demonstrations.  The  Commission’s  proposal  for  a 
successor  to  the  European  Fund  for  Strategic  Investment  for  2021-2027,  the  InvestEU 
programme, will have greater emphasis on meeting EU goals such as decarbonisation or the 
circular economy. 

5.  WIDER LINKS AND BREXIT 

The implementation of the action plan does not require changes to EU legislation. The action 
plan  aims  to  strengthen  EU  policies  relevant  to  the  EU  Atlantic  area  and  increase  the 
synergies  between  them  in  order  to  support  a  sustainable,  resilient  and  competitive  blue 
economy in  the EU Atlantic area. This  includes,  in  particular, EU policies and programmes 
dealing  with  ports  and  connectivity26,  energy  from  renewable  sources27,  education  and 

26 A framework for the provision of port services and common rules on the financial transparency of ports:  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32017R0352 

27 Revised Renewables energy directive:  
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2018.328.01.0082.01.ENG&toc=OJ:L:2018:328:TOC 

12 

 
                                                 
skills28,  mitigation  and  in  particular,  the  actions  of  the  Skills  Agenda,  adaptation  to  climate 
change29, environment30, and research and innovation31. 

Widening the support base for the action plan suggests working with well-known networks in 
order  to  engage  with  specialised  stakeholder  groups,  such  as  the  European  Enterprise 
Network32,  FARNET33,  regional  and  local  clusters.  Synergies  will  be  sought  with  other 
intergovernmental  bodies,  such  as  the  Convention  for  the  Protection  of  the  Marine 
Environment of the North-East Atlantic34 and the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance35 whose 
geographic reach and scope are similar to the action plan’s. 

As  of  1  February  2020,  the  UK  is  no  longer  a  member  of  the  European  Union.  This  third 
country status will determine the scope and terms of the UK’s participation in the Atlantic 
action plan. 

6.  CONCLUSION 

The Commission invites the European Parliament and the Council to endorse the action plan 
and  the  orientation  set  out  in  this  Communication.  The  Commission  also  invites  the 
Committee  of  the  Regions  and  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  to  provide 
opinions on this initiative. 

28 A new skills agenda for Europe: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52016DC0381&from=EN 
29 The European green deal: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1576150542719&uri=COM%3A2019%3A640%3AFIN 
30 MSFD, EIA,  SEA and AA for offshore wind 
31 https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/research-area/oceans-and-seas_en 
32 https://een.ec.europa.eu/ 
33 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/cms/farnet2/node_en 
34 https://www.ospar.org/convention 
35 https://www.atlanticresource.org/aora/site-area/background/whoweare 

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