C 465/16
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
6.12.2022
Tuesday 3 May 2022
82.
Supports sustainable practices in coastal and maritime tourism, since they are essential for the competitiveness of the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Baltic Sea areas and the creation of high-value jobs in blue education and vocational training; stresses that specific training on blue economy activities would contribute to raising awareness of marine ecosystems and the need to protect them; 83.
Calls on the Commission to conduct broad consultation with regional and local authorities and all related stakeholders in order to identify tailor-made solutions for local and regional communities; 84.
Asks the Commission to assess possible solutions to promote the resilience of the tourism sector against the impacts of future pandemics or other disruptive events that pose a risk to tourism activities, and to come up with appropriate initiatives to improve the working and employment conditions of workers in the sector so as to increase its attractiveness and help realise the full potential of the blue economy; 85.
Underlines the importance of yachting and sailing for maritime tourism; underlines the role of local culture and gastronomy in the development of European coastal tourism and the importance of beach and underwater tourism, angling tourism, ecotourism, water sports and the cruise industry; 86.
Stresses the importance of marine protected areas as an instrument for protecting the oceans; believes that these areas constitute an opportunity for the development of scientific tourism; 87.
Welcomes the Commission’s focus on sustainable and ‘slow’ tourism and the aim to develop support packages (Blueprint for Local Green Deals) to support a green transition for cities and regions; notes the potential for remote islands and coastal communities to play a leading role in this transition; 88.
Calls on the Commission and Member States to recognise the contribution made by marine recreational fishing and the tourism it generates to the blue economy, as well as this sector’s potential to provide further economic opportunities in coastal communities; 89.
Regrets the fact that the potential of the blue economy has not been sufficiently taken into account when drawing up and evaluating national recovery and resilience plans funded by NextGenerationEU; 90.
Calls for the creation of an appropriate financial framework to stimulate the development of the blue economy and job creation, which integrates and coordinates the various financial instruments available — the structural and investment funds (EMFAF, ERDF, ESF, Cohesion Fund), Horizon Europe 2021-2027 and others; draws attention to the need to promote better matching of these instruments to the needs of stakeholders and wide dissemination of current opportunities; 91.
Calls for an in-depth EU-level discussion with the sector, taking into account the serious socio-economic effects of the rules on measuring fishing capacity, on the impact of these rules on fisheries and fishers’ life, while maintaining at the same time a strict control on fishing capacity; 92.
Stresses the strategic importance of shipbuilding and ship repair activities and their interrelation with other sectors, such as the maritime tourism sector; considers that a commitment to technological innovation and a high degree of specialisation, which could lead to gains in added value, could create contexts less exposed to international competition and might help to reverse the downturn that the sector has been undergoing; maintains that specific support should be provided to revitalise and modernise the shipbuilding industry in the Member States in its different forms; 93.
Notes that EU artisanal and small-scale fleets are very old, particularly in the outermost regions, that their vessels have a very high average age and that they are unsafe both for the people working on them and for the catches themselves, reiterating the need for EMFAF support for the purchase of new vessels, without this resulting in an increase in catches, respecting maximum sustainable yields, and thus improving their environmental performance; 94.
Recalls that fishing fleets in the outermost regions are, in certain cases, in very poor condition and constitute a danger for fishers’ safety and for the environment; considers it necessary, in this context, to find solutions to improve safety and working conditions for fishers, to reduce CO2 emissions and to improve range and conservation conditions of catches; highlights the need to ensure that there is continuity in the provision of healthy and high-quality proteins, in conditions that are completely safe and secure, with less environmental impact and without increasing the fishing capacity;