EU unveils plans to develop maritime sector

"Europe should pay more attention to the seas," said Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. "I am convinced a great part of our future lies in the untapped potential of the oceans." 

Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Joe Borg said that EU officials were already in discussions with the shipping industry to see how they could reduce carbon dioxide emissions from ships, despite the fact that emissions from the sector were "relatively low" in comparison with aircraft emissions, for example. "It is our intention to drive forward a reduction in CO2 emissions by various ways and means with regard to maritime transport. That is the future if one wants to promote the increase of maritime transport, and this is needed because our roads are already heavily congested." 

Vladimír Špidla, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities stressed the importance of continuing to increase job standards and attract new workers to the sector: "Jobs in the maritime sector should be of the same standard as in other sectors: this includes working conditions and social protection. At the same time, the EU has to contribute to consolidating a global level playing field for the maritime sector. This is especially important if the latter wants to attract young, highly skilled professionals." 

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) welcomed the goal of creating a single framework to regulate maritime transport, off-shore energy production, carbon capture and storage, tourism, fisheries and environmental protection in European waters, but stressed "the need to avoid that this policy becomes a simple patchwork of actions taken in isolation of each other".

"For years, oceans and seas have been treated as a no-man's land for free exploitation. Now, for the first time, we see the intention to apply to the marine environment the same principles used on land. WWF looks forward to the setting up of corridors for maritime transport, areas for sustainable energy, fishing zones and closed marine areas," said Aaron McLoughlin, Head of the WWF European Marine Programme. 

Green members of Parliament also welcomed the Communication and called on the Commission to cut emissions from maritime transport. Vice-President of the EP Environment Committee Satu Hassi said: "Shipping has been forgotten, to a large extent, in the current attempts to bring the growing CO2 emissions from transport in check but emissions from the shipping sector have also been rising…We need strict emissions standards for maritime vessels, including retrofitting measures and fuel quality standards. We also need measures to tackle the damaging NOx and SO2 emissions from shipping. Oceans have been an important CO2 sink but this is leading to acidification of sea-water, which has profound impacts on all marine life, and we need to take action to address this before it is too late." 

However, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) criticised the Commission for failing to integrate environmental and biodiversity concerns sufficiently into other maritime sectors. "IFAW is particularly concerned that the expansion of economic activities at sea and/or in coastal areas as envisaged in the Action Plan will exponentially increase the level of pressure on cetaceans, other marine mammals and sensitive areas", says Veronica Frank, Marine Campaigner at IFAW's EU Office.