Annexes to COM(2012)713 - Maritime Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Seas - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2012)713 - Maritime Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2012)713  |
| date | November 30, 2012 |
In the light of the above, the following issues provide examples of priority areas to develop in the respective EU policies:
· Ensuring good environmental and ecological status of the marine and coastal environment by 2020 in line with the relevant EU acquis and the Ecosystem Approach of the Barcelona Convention;
· Preserving biodiversity, ecosystems and their services by implementing the European ecological network Natura 2000 and managing it, considering also related work within the Barcelona Convention;
· Reducing marine litter, including through better waste management in coastal areas;
· Continuing improving sub-regional cooperation and monitoring the existing mechanisms, particularly those set up by EMSA as regards prevention, preparedness and coordinated response to major oil spills and exploring how to make better use of available EU resources.
Concrete options to be considered could be exchanging best practices among managing authorities of Marine Protected Areas aiming to preserve biodiversity, building on the work of the Adriatic Protected Areas Network (AdriaPAN), as well as implementing the Sub-Regional Contingency Plan, possibly extending it to other Adriatic and Ionian countries.
PILLAR 3: A safer and more secure maritime space
Human and environmental health, safety and security challenges are not limited to the maritime borders of one single country. The aim should be a synergetic regional response, with harmonised implementation of the existing EU and international rules and exploitation of new technologies.
There is a need for some third countries in the region to improve their performance as flag states and their ranking in the performance list of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on port state control. Rigorous implementation of the EU and international rules will eventually contribute to the development of quality shipping in the region, result in a level playing field, encourage mobility and progressively prepare candidate and potential candidate countries for accession to the EU. The establishment of a culture of compliance with existing EU and international rules shall be pursued.
There are also more passenger ships' crossings per year compared to other regions, while oil and gas transportation is increasing. Beyond commercial maritime traffic, the Adriatic and Ionian seas are used by criminal networks engaged in irregular migration and other illegal activities. The capabilities of public authorities to monitor maritime traffic, respond to emergencies, save human lives, restore the marine environment, control fisheries activities, and cope with security threats and illegal activities shall be enhanced.
The following issues provide examples of priority areas to be developed particularly in the neighbouring countries in the region, taking into account ongoing actions in the framework of the EU acquis and in coherence with the national institutional frameworks involved:
· Improving the culture of compliance in flag and port state control, liability and insurance of shipping, ship sanitation and control of communicable diseases on ships, accident investigation and port security;
· Enhancing cooperation between national or regional maritime authorities with the EU, establishing mechanisms to enable maritime traffic information exchange between national VTMIS[20] systems through SafeSeaNet;
· Supporting the development of decision support systems, accident response capacities, and contingency plans;
· Ensuring adequate sources of information for crews and navigators, such as bathymetry, sea-bed mapping and hydrographical surveys, and incorporating this information into electronic nautical charts (e-navigation), especially for use by passenger ships.
A concrete option to be considered in order to achieve these objectives, as emerged during the first round of stakeholder consultations, could be upgrading the existing ADRIREP[21] system and integrating it with SafeSeaNet.
PILLAR 4: Sustainable and responsible fishing activities
The strategy should enhance efforts towards long-term sustainable and responsible fisheries so that fishing activities can continue to provide an economic resource for coastal areas.
Firstly, effective implementation of the principles of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) should be sought. The CFP advocates the promotion of a bottom up approach to fisheries management. Common principles and tools for marine protected areas of fishery interest[22] including the adoption of measures for the protection of sensitive habitats and certain species (e.g. turtles, dolphins), would also be beneficial for this area.
There is already cooperation on the commercial aspects of fisheries among administrative bodies and producer organizations in Croatia, Italy and Slovenia leading for example to the establishment of the Socio-Economic Observatory for Fishing and Aquaculture in the North Adriatic. Its scope could be extended to develop market intelligence and services to ensure better traceability and allow for marketing of products.
In the field of control, monitoring and surveillance, the culture of compliance needs to increase and the transfer of information facilitated, based on the exchange of expertise and best practices and the further development of common operational initiatives. The upgrade of all the proper operational tools (systems, equipment and other resources) should also be investigated.
There is already cooperation on scientific issues and fisheries management within the multilateral framework of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and FAO regional projects (Adriamed and Eastmed). These projects need to be reinforced by increasing participation of all subscribing countries. In parallel, further scientific cooperation between the region's countries could be promoted to better link scientific research with the needs of fisheries and aquaculture.
In the light of the above, the following issues provide examples of priority areas to develop:
· Achieving the sustainable management of fisheries, including the development of multiannual plans and measures such as Marine Protected Areas in their wider sense;
· Contributing to the profitability and sustainability of fisheries, by strengthening stakeholders' involvement in fisheries management and other actions;
· Improving the culture of compliance, saving resources, facilitating the transfer of information and enhancing cooperation for the control of fishing activities;
· Developing scientific cooperation on fisheries.
Concrete options to be considered might be developing market intelligence and services to ensure that marketing of fisheries and aquaculture products in the region is clear, efficient and fully compliant with applicable rules, as well as exchanging socio-economic data in the fishing sector.
NEXT STEPS: TOWARDS AN ACTION PLAN
The maritime strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Seas will be spelled out in detail in an Action Plan due in the second half of 2013, respecting the ongoing and planned actions of relevant EU policies. Based on the pillars identified in this Communication, it will include priority areas and actions recommended for support in order to respond to the challenges and opportunities set out above. It will also set clear targets in line with those for the Europe 2020 strategy. Such actions will be undertaken by stakeholders in the region with whom the Commission will work, including governments and agencies, regions, municipalities, business actors, researchers and international and non-governmental organisations.
The Commission will work with these stakeholders and other institutions, programming bodies and intergovernmental organisations active in the region, to align, where appropriate, their activities with the objectives of the strategy and to identify co-ordinating bodies for the envisaged actions and projects.
The governance of the strategy should be defined with a view to establish, monitor and implement its Action Plan in the most coherent way.
CONCLUSIONS
The Commission is convinced that this framework will support all countries in delivering on the Europe 2020 objectives with regard to their maritime assets, their potential and sustainable use. It will promote European integration and territorial cooperation in a flexible and inclusive way, while respecting the subsidiarity principle. The European Commission would like to know if the priority areas identified cover the main issues at stake, for which further cooperation can make a difference. The European Commission would also be interested in ideas for an effective and flexible governance set-up to accompany the Strategy and Action Plan and to put actions into practice. It therefore invites the Council, the European Parliament, the Committee of the Region and the European Economic and Social Committee to examine and endorse this Communication.
[1] European Regional Development Funds, Cohesion Fund, European Social Fund, European Fisheries Fund.
[2] The future Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Horizon 2020).
[3] The Financial Instrument for the Environment.
[4] European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
[5] Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance.
[6] COM(2010) 2020 final.
[7] For the scope of this work we refer to the International Hydrographic Organisation definition that indicates the southern limit of the Ionian as the line from Cape Tenaron to Capo Passero.
[8] The AII is an initiative for regional cooperation launched by the Ancona Declaration in 2000. Serbia became an AII member succeeding to the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.
[9] Declaration of the European Ministers responsible for the Integrated Maritime Policy and the European Commission on a Marine and Maritime Agenda for growth and jobs adopted on 8 October 2012.
[10] COM(2009) 248 final and COM(2012) 128 final.
[11] COM(2010) 715 final.
[12] COM(2011) 782 final.
[13] COM(2012) 494 final, 13 September 2012.
[14] The Coordinating Unit of UNEP/MAP is the body charged with the implementation of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Region of the Mediterranean.
[15] e.g. FP7-OCEAN project COCONET.
[16] ADRIAMOS.
[17] Initial integrated Assessment of the Mediterranean Sea fulfilling step 3 of the ecosystem approach process.
[18] Idem.
[19] Sub-Regional Contingency Plan for Prevention of, Preparedness for and Response to Major Marine Pollution Incidents in the Adriatic Sea.
[20] Vessel Traffic Management Information System.
[21] Adriatic Traffic Reporting System.
[22] Such as fishing protected areas under Art. 19 of the Mediterranean Regulation, fisheries restricted areas under the GFCM framework and Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMIs) under the Barcelona Convention.