On Monday 28 November, in Lisbon, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, will present a new maritime strategy for growth and jobs in the Atlantic Ocean area, just adopted by the European Commission.

The strategy identifies challenges and opportunities in the region and takes stock of existing initiatives that can support growth and job creation. The strategy will be implemented through an Action Plan in 2013. The Commission calls on stakeholders to help design concrete projects which would be able to benefit from EU funding. The Commission will facilitate the development of this Action Plan through a series of workshops and discussion groups that will be open to a wide array of participants – the ‘Atlantic Forum’. The new strategy is developed under the EU’s Integrated Maritime Policy and follows similar strategies for the Baltic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean areas. Commissioner Damanaki will present the strategy at the high-level Lisbon Atlantic Conference and Stakeholder Day, on 28-29 November, where a first discussion will take place.

Commissioner Maria Damanaki, in charge of maritime affairs and fisheries, said: “Europe urgently needs new far-sighted strands of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in a new low-carbon ‘blue economy’. Emerging maritime industries have every chance to become one of the pillars of Europe 2020 strategy for growth and jobs. The collaborative platform offered through our Integrated Maritime Policy can help make the Atlantic region internationally renowned for its maritime excellence.”

The Commission invites all stakeholders – national, regional and local authorities, the industry, civil society, and think tanks – to contribute their expertise and ideas to the Action Plan through the ‘Atlantic Forum’. It will comprise a set of workshops focused on the challenges and opportunities outlined in the strategy, and an online discussion forum. The Forum will be launched in 2012 and dissolved in 2013, after it will have contributed to the Action Plan. The strategy does not foresee additional funding for its implementation: actions will be supported from existing and future EU funds.

Great potential for ‘blue growth’

The Atlantic Ocean has high potential for wind, wave and tidal energy. It is estimated that by 2020 around 20% of Europe’s offshore wind capacity could be located in the Atlantic region. Sea-bed mining could help meet some of the EU’s demand for raw materials. Offshore aquaculture is a promising sector, and one third of all the fish caught by the EU’s fishing fleet is landed in the Atlantic ports.

But most of these opportunities are still in their infancy and need to be nurtured to grow into self-sustained industries. That is where the public authorities and other stakeholders in the region step in; and the EU can help ensure synergies on a transnational level. Much is already being done, but these actions need to be streamlined and reinforced through efficient use of existing and future EU funds.

For example, maritime spatial planning can boost aquaculture, as it gives investors greater legal certainty and prevents conflicts for marine space. Marine knowledge and the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODNET) can provide marine data that are indispensable for taking informed decisions. Better integration of maritime surveillance can help respond faster to threats and emergencies, from natural disasters to piracy, making the Atlantic Ocean safer.

New industries, however, cannot develop without a skilled workforce. Clusters of academia and maritime industries should be supported and workers need assistance and re-training to help them move from declining industries, such as fisheries, to emerging ones. As regards tourism, the Atlantic region has a lot to offer to holidaymakers. Its culture, cuisine and natural beauty are assets to further exploit.