Annexes to COM(2014)86 - European Strategy for more Growth and Jobs in Coastal and Maritime Tourism

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dossier COM(2014)86 - European Strategy for more Growth and Jobs in Coastal and Maritime Tourism.
document COM(2014)86 EN
date February 20, 2014
Agreements and Operational Programmes.

European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF)

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) can co-finance sustainable tourism investments under various thematic objectives linked to research and innovation, access to and use of ICT, entrepreneurship, SME growth and competitiveness, energy efficiency and renewable energy use, adaptation to climate change, development of cultural and natural heritage or employment and labour mobility. Infrastructure investment is limited to small-scale cultural and sustainable tourism. Under the European Territorial Cooperation goal, the ERDF can promote the exchange of good practice, transnational networks and clustering, joint strategies for sustainable tourism, culture and cross-border trade.

Various new EU funds can also benefit coastal and maritime tourism through multi-sectoral projects focusing on innovation, for example under integrated urban development (in the European Regional Development Fund), under sustainable development of fisheries dependent areas (in the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund) and under rural development (in the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development). Such projects may include funding from the European Social Fund to support job creation, professional adaptation, training and capacity building.

Research, innovation and competitiveness

Horizon 2020 is the financial instrument to implement the EU's research and innovation strategy for 2014-2020. Blue Growth has been identified as one of the focus areas; specific support is planned for SMEs that want to develop and use innovative solutions, including in coastal and maritime tourism.

The COSME framework programme 2014-2020, aims to enhance SME competitiveness. Its main objectives for tourism are to increase demand (particularly during low season), diversify offer and products, enhance quality, sustainability, accessibility, skills and innovation, improve the socio-economic knowledge of the sector and promote Europe as a set of unique, sustainable and high-quality destinations.

Education, training and culture

The Creative Europe programme (2014-2020) offers possible synergies with cultural and nature tourism, including on coastal and maritime heritage. The Erasmus+ programme (2014-2020) could benefit the sector in terms of employability, new sector curricula and innovative forms of vocational teaching and training.

Environment, climate change and other funding

LIFE+ funding will be re-launched in 2014 and is expected to support the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy. It has substantial scope to finance innovative projects affecting coastal and marine tourism, including support for resource efficiency. The Proposal for the 7th EU Environment Action Programme to 2020 and the EU climate change adaptation and mitigation objectives focus on infrastructure sectors like energy and transport, but also on specific aspects linked to coastal and maritime tourism. In addition, the European Investment Bank provides SMEs with financing for investments in tourism and/or in convergence regions.

The Commission will: 14. Develop an online guide with an overview of the main funding opportunities available for the sector (particularly SMEs).

The Commission invites Member States and regions to: · Develop and implement national / regional strategies on coastal and maritime tourism and projects to be included in the Operational Programmes. · Seek cross-border cooperation on the above strategies and exchange of best practice · Make efficient and effective use of the available funds.

4. MAINSTREAMING EU POLICIES AFFECTING COASTAL AND MARITIME TOURISM

Most European policies and economic activities directly or indirectly influence coastal and maritime tourism, which can be a driver for economic growth.

Therefore, the Commission will ensure that coastal and maritime tourism is included in other EU policies like IT connectivity, sustainable transport, safety issues and freedom of movement for workers. Cross-cutting policy aspects such as environmental protection, regional development, training, consumer protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation policies will also be considered.

In addition, macro-regional strategies for the Baltic, Atlantic and Adriatic-Ionian promote a strong tourism economy and co-ordinate regional, EU and non-EU resources for everyone's benefit. Links with the European Neighbourhood Policy, the Black Sea Synergy, the Strategy for the Danube Region and the Northern Dimension Policy will be explored in the future.

5. CONCLUSION

Coastal and maritime tourism needs an ambitious policy framework. The Commission, Member States, regional and local authorities, industry and other stakeholders must take targeted action in coherence with EU policies that have an impact on this sector.

The Commission will regularly monitor this process to ensure that actions are implemented. It will then report to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions and will assess the results.

[1]               UNWTO Annual Report 2012

                http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/annual_report_2012.pdf

[2]               EUROSTAT database (2013)

[3]               COM (2010) 352 final

[4]               including sea- and beach-based tourism, cruise and yachting / boating and connected inland activities

[5]              http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/maritimeaffairs_fisheries/consultations/tourism/index_en.htm

[6]               COM (2012)494

[7]               A7-0209/2013- 2012/2297 (INI))

[8]               Study in support of policy measures for maritime and coastal tourism at EU level (hereafter referred as" CMT study"), ECORYS,       2013

http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/documentation/studies/documents/study-maritime-and-coastal-tourism_en.pdf

[9]               Coastal areas include municipalities bordering the sea or having half of their territory within 10km from the coastline.

                EUROSTAT database (2012) – Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by coastal and non-coastal area - http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=tour_occ_ninatc).

[10]             Cruise Lines International Association “The Cruise Industry”, 2013 edition

                http://www.senato.it/application/xmanager/projects/leg17/attachments/documento_evento_procedura_commissione/files/000/000/                632/Documentazione_Clia_Europe.pdf

[11]             EUROSTAT database (2012) - Employed persons by age groups (NACE Rev. 2)-

                http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/statistics/search_database#

[12]             Regulation (EU) N°692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the European statistics on tourism

[13]             measured as the number of local and international arrivals

[14]             CMT study

[15]             128 million of EU inhabitants are aged between 55 and 80

                EUROSTAT database (2012) -Population on 1 January by five years age groups and sex-

                http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/statistics/search_database#

[16]             COM(2012) 629

[17]             These initiatives promote partnerships between public and private sectors enabling certain key groups such as the young or the elderly, people with reduced mobility and low income families to travel, particularly during the low season.

[18]             http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/eden/index_en.htm

[19]             CMT study

[20]             E.g. the Enterprise Europe Network

                A study on the perspectives for clustering in the Mediterranean has been launched in autumn 2013

[21]             https://ec.europa.eu/eures/

[22]             http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/ecvet_en.htm

[23]             http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/ict/index_en.htm

[24]             The training of seafarers for passenger ships under the Convention on Standards training, certification and watch keeping for seafarers does not apply to skippers.

[25]             Concrete available ICT tools include, for example, the Virtual Tourism observatory (http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/vto/index_en.htm); Tourism Link Platform (http://www.tourismlink.eu/tourism-link/); eCalypso Platform (http://www.ecalypso.eu/steep/public/index.jsf)

[26]             Green Infrastructure addresses spatial structures of natural/semi-natural areas

                http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/ecosystems/

[27]             COM(2013)133 final

[28]             http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-25096911

[29]             http://www.ecotourism.org/book/ecotourism-definition

[30]             http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/index_en.htm

                http://www.travelife.org/Hotels/home.asp?p=1

[31]             A study on hotels in Spain (Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, August 2012) showed that those using Environmental Management Systems are more profitable

[32]             http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/about/index_en.htm

[33]             http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/sustainable-tourism/indicators/index_en.htm. It is a tool to measure and monitor the sustainable tourism performance of destinations

[34]             COM(2011) 456final and COM(2013) 18final

[35]             Water Blueprint aims at integration of water policy into other policies

                http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/blueprint/

[36]             www.odyssea.eu

[37]             www.nautical-tourism.eu.

[38]             http://malinwaters.com/about ; funded by INTERREG IV A, it provides financial support to a number of development project in ports

[39]             COM (2014) …. final

[40]             E.g. in the Joint Management Agreement between the Council of Europe and the Commission, promoting cultural and religious routes