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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 09:41

Sustainable blue growth: protecting oceans and seas

Eugene Eteris, BC, Copenhagen, 08.06.2015.Print version
European Commissioner Karmenu Vella, responsible for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, launched a public consultation in order to collect views on how the EU could contribute to achieving better governance of oceans and seas to the benefit of sustainable blue growth. Baltic States have to be active…

The international discussion on ocean governance is growing as the use of marine resources is increasing globally. Illegal fishing, uncontrolled seabed mining, marine litter are only some of the challenges that need to be addressed through global cooperation.

 

The existing international ocean governance framework could be ineffective in addressing such maritime challenges; particularly, about 60 per cent of the seas and oceans are beyond national jurisdictions.


Europe is for sustainable blue growth

The EU has to play a prominent role in these discussions on oceans’ governance. Suffice to say that the EU’s blue economy already produces 5% of the bloc’s GDP and provides nearly 5 million jobs in Europe.

 

Moreover, the EU is a global frontrunner in the development of sustainable ocean-based economies through its robust set of environmental rules, integrated maritime policy, reformed Common Fisheries Policy and its global fight against illegal fishing.

 

In order to assess the best path for action and the EU's role in this, the Commission is reaching out to all stakeholders – international organisations, state actors, NGOs, business, the research community, academia and civil society – via an online public consultation. The consultation will be complemented by a "listening tour" during which Commissioner K. Vella will personally engage with stakeholders and international partners to gather their views and discuss possible ways forward.

 

Commissioner Karmenu Vella, responsible for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, who launched the consultation at the World Ocean Summit in Portugal underlined that seas and oceans surrounding global continents were not healthy, nor the global economy, in general. Hence global maritime challenges require global solutions.

 

He argued that European Union was committed to work intensively to define Europe's role in international ocean governance, for a sustainable blue economy and blue growth.

 



The public consultation will run until 15th September 2015.

 

On the table below, it is seen all the inherent connections between the global marine environment and “blue economy & growth” in the world.


For more information on the issue see the following websites:

= Public Consultation on Ocean Governance: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/maritimeaffairs_fisheries/consultations/ocean-governance/index_en.htm;

= Commissioner's speech at World Ocean Summit: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/2014-2019/vella/announcements/commissioner-vellas-speech-role-eu-shaping-international-ocean-governance_en;

= General reference: European Commission, Press release

“Commission asks public its views on EU's role in shaping international ocean governance”, Brussels, 04 June 2015. In:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-5113_en.htm?locale=en







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