A new stage in the European policy on blue growth
NAT-VI/019
A new stage in the European policy on blue growth
To inspire a new dialogue for the future of the blue growth project, taking stock of the challenges ahead and the possibilities for development of the marine economy in European coastal and maritime regions;
To outline the possibilities for development of the blue economy in strategic terms and propose concrete measures where possible;
To outline the possibilities for development of the blue economy in strategic terms and propose concrete measures where possible;
THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
calls on the European Union to make the sea a new common ambition at the heart of the process of relaunching European integration;
calls for the next Framework Programme to have a target of 10% of projects making a significant contribution to marine and maritime research objectives;
takes the view that Europe should also invest heavily in sectors such as renewable marine energy and marine biotechnologies, where the challenge is to attain world leadership;
supports the Blue Careers and maritime blueprint initiatives, which seek to enhance knowledge of, and the attractiveness of, maritime vocations and to orient the traditional maritime vocations towards new opportunities;
calls for the establishment of a European blue economy investment fund/mechanism. This fund, a maritime Juncker plan 2.0, could have two complementary intervention methods: direct financing at European level of structural and high-risk projects, and the establishment of regional investment funds;
intends to encourage better utilisation of regional policy for the benefit of the blue economy, and to promote cross-fund activities and interregional cooperation;
proposes that maritime affairs become the responsibility of a vice-president of the European Commission, who would be assisted by a task force and would be responsible for the preparation and cross-cutting implementation of the White Paper on "The sea at the heart of Europe".
calls on the European Union to make the sea a new common ambition at the heart of the process of relaunching European integration;
calls for the next Framework Programme to have a target of 10% of projects making a significant contribution to marine and maritime research objectives;
takes the view that Europe should also invest heavily in sectors such as renewable marine energy and marine biotechnologies, where the challenge is to attain world leadership;
supports the Blue Careers and maritime blueprint initiatives, which seek to enhance knowledge of, and the attractiveness of, maritime vocations and to orient the traditional maritime vocations towards new opportunities;
calls for the establishment of a European blue economy investment fund/mechanism. This fund, a maritime Juncker plan 2.0, could have two complementary intervention methods: direct financing at European level of structural and high-risk projects, and the establishment of regional investment funds;
intends to encourage better utilisation of regional policy for the benefit of the blue economy, and to promote cross-fund activities and interregional cooperation;
proposes that maritime affairs become the responsibility of a vice-president of the European Commission, who would be assisted by a task force and would be responsible for the preparation and cross-cutting implementation of the White Paper on "The sea at the heart of Europe".
