EU Maritime Policy – The Blue Book
NEW: European Integrated Marine Policy Guidelines
The European Commission has adopted an Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union, which has the world’s largest maritime territory, marking the first time in its 50 years that it will have a strategic approach to decision-making in Maritime Affairs. The policy was unveiled at a press conference on 10 October in Brussels, Belgium 2008.
This Maritime Policy was launched together with a detailed action plan and a work programme for the years ahead. This list a concrete set of actions between the launch and 2009. These actions cover a wide spectrum of issues ranging from maritime transport to the competitiveness of maritime businesses, employment, scientific research, fisheries and the protection of the marine environment, including:
- A European Maritime Transport Space without barriers
- A European Strategy for Marine Research
- National integrated maritime policies to be developed by member states
- An integrated network for maritime surveillance
- A Roadmap towards maritime spatial planning by member states
- Elimination of pirate fishing and destructive high-seas bottom trawling
- Promotion of a network of maritime clusters
- A review of EU labour law exemptions for fishing and shipping sectors
- A European Marine Observation and Data network
- A Strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change
The full Policy package and further information on maritime affairs can be downloaded here: