Category Archives: Maritime Affairs

On account of the growing competition for the exploitation of maritime areas and the cumulative effect of human activities on marine ecosystems, an integrated maritime policy is a must. This is an overall policy which brings together several maritime activities, such as shipping, fisheries, energy, surveillance and monitoring of the seas, tourism, the environment, research, etc. The action plan, presented in October 2007 by the Commission, defines its framework and principal objectives. The integrated maritime policy aims to maximise sustainable exploitation of the seas and oceans, whilst at the same time allowing growth of the maritime economy and the coastal regions.

Action plan for an integrated maritime policy

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Action plan for an integrated maritime policy

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Action plan for an integrated maritime policy

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Maritime Affairs And Fisheries > Maritime affairs

Action plan for an integrated maritime policy

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 10 October 2007 on an Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union [COM(2007) 575 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

The creation of an integrated maritime policy requires a precise management framework. The Commission has created a Maritime Policy task force to analyse the interactions between the sectoral policies and coordinate them. It has also requested help from the Agencies of the European Union (EU) with maritime-related functions to draw up new policies. In addition, the development of new maritime policies involves consultation of civil society and all stakeholders as well as comprehensive impact assessments.

Objectives

The prime objective of an integrated maritime policy for the EU is to maximise sustainable use of the oceans and seas while enabling growth of the maritime economy and coastal regions. In order to ensure the competitiveness, safety and security of the sector, the European Commission commits to:

creating a strategy to alleviate the consequences of climate change in coastal regions;
enhancing professional qualifications and studies in the maritime field to offer better career prospects in the sector;
creating a European maritime space without administrative or customs barriers as well as a comprehensive maritime transport strategy for 2008-18 to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of maritime transport in Europe;
issuing guidelines on the application of environmental legislation relevant to ports and proposing a new ports policy taking account of the multiple roles of ports;
encouraging the formation of multi-sector clusters and promoting technological innovation in the shipbuilding and energy sector to ensure economic competitiveness without harming the environment;
supporting international efforts to reduce pollution of the atmosphere and greenhouse gas emissions attributable to ships;
taking steps against discharges into the sea, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and any other destructive practices.

A second key objective is building a knowledge and innovation base for the maritime policy. Marine science, technology and research enable analysis of the effects of human activity on marine systems and put forward solutions to alleviate environmental degradation and the effects of climate change. The European Commission plans to:

present a comprehensive European strategy for marine and maritime research;
improve understanding of maritime affairs for the 7th framework programme;
support the creation of a European marine science partnership with the aim of establishing dialogue between the scientific community, the industry and policy makers.

An integrated policy also has the objective of delivering a higher quality of life in coastal and outermost regions, reconciled with economic development and environmental sustainability. The Commission therefore aims in particular to:

encourage coastal tourism;
prepare a database on Community funding for maritime projects and coastal regions;
create a Community disaster prevention strategy in these regions;
develop the maritime potential of outermost regions and islands.

The EU intends, moreover, to promote its leading position in international maritime affairs. An integrated policy enables improved management of maritime affairs and the creation of EU priorities in this field. This is of particular importance given the global character of the problems encountered by the maritime sector. Therefore, the Commission will encourage:

cooperation in maritime affairs under the European Enlargement Policy, the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Northern Dimension and structured dialogue with major partners. The application of international agreements by partners is essential;
the Member States to ratify and apply the relevant instruments.

The final objective of this integrated policy is raising the visibility of Maritime Europe and improving the image of this sector’s activities and professions. To this end, the Commission proposes positive actions and tools such as:

launch of educational tools (Atlas of the Seas) and instruments to highlight our common maritime heritage;
celebration of an annual European Maritime Day from 2008.

Instruments

Three instruments are of particular importance for creating common maritime policies:

a European network for maritime surveillance to ensure the safe use of the sea and the security of the EU’s maritime borders, as these problems are transnational in nature. The Commission particularly encourages cooperation between coastguards and the relevant agencies, and undertakes to improve the interoperability of surveillance systems;
integrated coastal zone management (land and sea) to enable maritime spatial planning. While it is the Member States who have competence in this field, Europe-wide commitment is essential. The Commission will propose a roadmap in 2008 to facilitate the development of this instrument;
a complete and accessible source of data and information on natural and human activity on the oceans to facilitate strategic decision-making on maritime policy. Measures will be taken to establish a European Marine Observation and Data Network and to create multi-dimensional mapping of Member States’ waters.

Background

The Communication follows on from the consultation launched in the Green paper on a Maritime Policy for the EU, by which the European Council of June asks the Commission to develop an action plan.

Related Acts

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 October 2010 establishing a Programme to support the further development of an Integrated Maritime Policy [COM(2010) 494 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
This Proposal establishes a programme aimed at supporting the measures planned to further the development and implementation of the Integrated Maritime Policy. It is part of the continuation of preparatory actions and pilots projects to be launched between January 2011 and December 2013. The programme will provide financial resources for achieving the objectives and priorities set out in the action plan which was adopted in 2007.
Codecision procedure (COD/2010/0257)

Commission Communication of 8 October 2010 – Marine Knowledge 2020: marine data and observation for smart and sustainable growth [COM(2010) 461 – Not published in the Official Journal].
This Communication details an action plan which makes up one of the three cross-cutting tools provided for by the EU’s Integrated Maritime Policy. This action plan is divided into three strands aimed at improving the reliability of marine data, making it more user-friendly and less expensive and stimulating competitiveness amongst the users of this data.

Commission Communication of 15 October 2009 – Towards the integration of maritime surveillance: A common information sharing environment for the EU maritime domain [COM(2009) 538 – Not published in the Official Journal].
This Communication relates to the second cross-cutting tool provided for by the EU’s Integrated Maritime Policy. It sets out guiding principles for the development of a common information sharing environment for the EU maritime domain and launches the process towards its establishment. To achieve this, coordination and coherence between the European Commission, the Member States and interlocutors should be enhanced.

Communication from the Commission of 25 November 2008 – Roadmap for Maritime Spatial Planning: Achieving common principles in the EU [COM(2008) 791 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
Maritime Spatial Planning is an instrument of the Integrated Maritime Policy which helps to improve coordination between the parties involved and optimises the use of the seas and oceans. This Communication defines a set of fundamental principles inspired by current practice and existing legislation. These principles will serve as the basis for the discussions leading to the drafting of a common approach concerning Maritime Spatial Planning.

Report from the Commission of 15 October 2009 – Progress report on the EU’s integrated maritime policy [COM(2009) 540 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
The Commission reviewed progress carried out under the framework of the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) since the adoption of the 2007 Communication and defined the six strategic directions for the future:

integration of maritime governance: EU institutions, Member States and coastal regions shall establish effective structures for the purpose of cross-sectoral collaboration and consultation with stakeholders. These structures shall enable the potential of all the synergies between maritime-related sectoral policies to be used. As much as is possible, it should prevent sectoral policies from being isolated from each other.
development of cross-cutting policy tools such as maritime spatial planning, exhaustive knowledge and databases on maritime spaces and integrated maritime surveillance. These tools can unlock considerable economic investments and improve the management of European maritime spaces.
definition of the boundaries for maritime activities in order to ensure sustainability: in the context of the Framework Directive “Strategy for the marine environment”, these boundaries take into consideration the impact of the development of maritime activities on the seas and oceans.
sea-basin strategies: these strategies contribute to the success of the IMP. They enable the priorities and tools of the policy to be adapted to the specific geographic, economic and political context of each large European sea-basin.
strengthening the international dimension of integrated maritime policy: the EU must take a leading role in improving global maritime governance, as it has done in the matter of piracy or with regard to destructive fishing practices.
sustainable economic growth, employment and innovation: the EU shall define overall, coherent economic priorities in order to promote the development of intra-EU maritime transport, stimulate investment, advance the concept of clean ships and promote energy generation from the sea, etc. It shall also ensure that maritime policy and coastal areas are fully taken into account in the debate on territorial cohesion.

The Commission shall publish a document on the implementation of these six strategic directions in 2010.

Guidelines for developing national maritime policies

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Guidelines for developing national maritime policies

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Guidelines for developing national maritime policies

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Maritime Affairs And Fisheries > Maritime affairs

Guidelines for developing national maritime policies

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 26 June 2008 on “Guidelines for an Integrated Approach to Maritime Policy: Towards best practice in integrated maritime governance and stakeholder consultation” [COM(2008) 395 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

The European Union (EU) has proposed guidelines for the development of an integrated maritime policy, which constitutes one of the Commission’s strategic objectives for the period 2005-2009. This new approach at the European level is at the heart of the EU’s integrated maritime policy proposed by the Commission in October 2007. The guidelines set out the policy’s overarching vision and encompass the actions of Member States and maritime stakeholders towards an integrated approach to maritime affairs at the national level.

Member States are encouraged to establish their own integrated maritime policies in close collaboration with their national and regional maritime stakeholders. Due to the many interactions between different maritime policies, efficient coordination of every action developed by government organisations will be required. To achieve this it is advised that Member States improve and facilitate cooperation at all levels of maritime governance, including at the European level.

Member States should consider creating internal coordinating structures within their government frameworks (government departments, national parliaments, etc.). Such a structure could provide a government framework to facilitate decision-making at the national level. A post responsible for the coordination of maritime affairs could be created. The role would consist specifically of structuring the dialogue between the different sectoral interests.

Coastal regions and other local decision-makers should be allowed to play a role in the development of integrated maritime policies, taking into account their experience of Integrated Coastal Zone Management and regulating the spatial deployment of their activities.

All maritime stakeholders should participate in integrated maritime policy-making. These include economic partners (industries and services), social partners, NGOs, universities and research institutions. Their participation at the national, regional and local levels is recommended. Member States should authorise the participation of these stakeholders in the governance of maritime affairs whilst ensuring the transparency of the decision-making process.

It is essential to develop cross-border coordination at regional sea basin level, to ensure the dissemination of good practices and to develop improved cooperation between Member States in certain areas, such as those relating to the protection of the marine environment, to the safety, security, and surveillance of Europe’s maritime areas and to marine and maritime research. To this end, the European Commission is developing regional strategies and is currently preparing strategies for the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean.

The Commission invites Member States to share information on the steps they are taking towards integrated maritime governance. The Commission shall publish the collated information on the Internet in table form. The information could be used as a model for sharing good practice.

The Commission will report on progress towards an integrated approach to maritime affairs by the end of 2009, as stated in the Blue Paper on an Integrated Maritime Policy for the EU.

Context

These guidelines form a central part of the Communication on an Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union (Blue Paper) adopted by the Commission in October 2007 and approved by the European Council in December 2007.

These guidelines also form part of the United Nations’ 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002.

Strategy to improve maritime governance in the Mediterranean

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Strategy to improve maritime governance in the Mediterranean

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Strategy to improve maritime governance in the Mediterranean

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Maritime Affairs And Fisheries > Maritime affairs

Strategy to improve maritime governance in the Mediterranean

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission of 11 November 2009 – Towards an Integrated Maritime Policy for better governance in the Mediterranean [COM(2009) 466 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

The Mediterranean basin faces conflicts concerning the use of space, risks affecting maritime security, the depletion of resources, degradation of the environment and the prejudicial effects of climate change. The solution to these common problems lies in improving governance of maritime affairs. This governance must in particular be able to ensure more sustainable growth for the region.

Promoting integrated maritime governance

In order to meet common challenges, cooperation with non-EU Mediterranean partners should be improved. However, this is not enough. Decision makers must take more account of the links between different maritime activities. They thus laid the foundations for the European Union (EU) Integrated Maritime Policy in October 2007. This new approach to maritime policy encourages them to abandon sectoral actions and promote a comprehensive strategy.

New action should in particular:

encourage stakeholders and administrations to define more comprehensive priorities for maritime affairs;
strengthen cooperation between stakeholders and administrations in all sectors related to the maritime field, throughout the Mediterranean basin;
assist Member States in exchanging best practices by means of the existing Community funds for territorial cooperation;
offer technical assistance under the European Neighbourhood Policy and Partnership Instrument to Mediterranean countries which are not members of the EU. This assistance may allow them to adopt a more integrated approach to maritime affairs;
encourage the ratification and application of the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS);
create a working group dedicated to Integrated Maritime Policy in order to promote dialogue and cooperation with non-EU Mediterranean countries;
intensify multilateral cooperation with all sectors through specific studies and the better application of international and regional agreements governing maritime activities.

Using cross-cutting tools for integrated maritime governance

Since 2007, Integrated Maritime Policy has adopted a number of tools to promote maritime governance. These include:

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) which leads to better use of marine space. The Commission is to carry out a study and set up a pilot project to apply MSM in the Mediterranean;
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) which also concerns islands. The Commission is to draw up a (web-based) inventory of best practices in the different maritime basins and disseminate ICZM in the Mediterranean under the EU’s 7^th Framework Programme;
integrated research efforts which the Commission intends to strengthen in line with the European Strategy for Marine and Maritime Research. In particular, it wishes to set up a major cross-thematic research mechanism which is specifically adapted to the Mediterranean basin;
integrated maritime surveillance for a safer Mediterranean. Six coastal Member States are already participating in a pilot project aimed at strengthening cooperation and information exchange between the national authorities responsible for maritime monitoring and surveillance. This will improve the coherency of maritime surveillance throughout the Mediterranean basin.

Strategy to strengthen global governance of seas and oceans

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Strategy to strengthen global governance of seas and oceans

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Strategy to strengthen global governance of seas and oceans

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Maritime Affairs And Fisheries > Maritime affairs

Strategy to strengthen global governance of seas and oceans

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission of 15 October 2009 – Developing the international dimension of the Integrated Maritime Policy of the European Union [COM(2009) 536 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

In this Communication, the Commission describes its strategy to strengthen its authority in multilateral and bilateral relations in the domain of maritime affairs. This strategy should allow the European Union (EU) to exercise greater influence over international debate on marine issues in order to safeguard its economic and social interests and increase protection of the environment. It should also contribute to sustainable maritime governance at global level.

This strategy covers a number of domains (for example the protection of marine biodiversity, climate change, maritime safety and security, working conditions on board ships and research into the marine environment) which necessitate international and integrated solutions.

European Union strategy

In order to improve global governance of seas and oceans, the EU must in particular:

strengthen its role as a global player through greater and more unified participation in multilateral fora;
promote membership of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) at global level;
establish high-level dialogues on maritime affairs with key partners, ensuring synergies with existing sectoral dialogues in other policy areas;
pursue dialogue on Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) bilaterally through both European Neighbourhood Policy instruments and multilateral dialogue. Dialogue on IMP may be based on the frameworks put in place at sea-basin-level (e.g. Union for the Mediterranean, Northern Dimension, Black Sea Synergy). It can be supplemented by sharing best practices concerning the implementation of IMP instruments with countries neighbouring the EU and by encouraging these countries to use the instruments;
continue to work on moving oceans and coasts higher up the climate change agenda and provide assistance to developing coastal and island states in this field, in line with the EU development cooperation strategies and initiatives;
continue to support an integrated approach to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, particularly in areas beyond national jurisdiction, including for the establishment of marine protected areas;
pursue its cooperation with the ILO to encourage decent working conditions in the maritime sector;
pursue its actions to ensure freedom, safety and security of navigation, including actions against piracy;
continue and strengthen cooperation in research activities with third countries in order to enhance participation in large-scale international research programmes and with countries neighbouring the EU in order to define common regional marine research strategies;
ensure coherence between the activities of various organisations, notably in the fisheries, environment and transport fields;
encourage the OECD to develop a structure for exchange of best practices on integrated approaches to maritime affairs;
develop strategies for all relevant shared sea basins.

Context

The EU must pursue its efforts to improve dialogue with its neighbours, at both bilateral and regional level, including by concluding Regional Seas Conventions.

Regional approaches have already been launched for the Arctic, the Baltic, and the Mediterranean. The preparation of similar approaches for other sea basins is now of paramount importance. The EU can thus contribute to extending Integrated Maritime Policy at global level.

Maritime Policy Green Paper

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Maritime Policy Green Paper

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Maritime Policy Green Paper

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Maritime Affairs And Fisheries > Maritime affairs

Maritime Policy Green Paper

In June 2006, the Commission published a Green Paper on the different aspects of a future Community maritime policy. The Green Paper highlights Europe’s maritime identity and leadership, which is worth preserving at a time when environmental pressures are threatening the future of maritime activities. Consequently, the maritime policy must aim to promote a maritime industry that is innovative, competitive and environmentally-friendly. In addition to maritime activities, the Green Paper proposes that the approach include the issue of quality of life in coastal regions. With this aim in mind, the Green Paper considers what new tools and modes of maritime governance should be developed.

Document or Iniciative

Commission Green Paper: Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union: a European vision for the oceans and seas [COM (2006) 275 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

The Green Paper is in line with the Lisbon Strategy. Its aim is to achieve sustainable development by reconciling the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the exploitation of the seas and oceans. For this reason, these latter aspects should be at the heart of the debate.

Maritime activities are an important area for the Lisbon Strategy, given the importance of the maritime economy. An estimated 3-5% of the European Union’s GDP is generated by marine-based industries. The EU is the world’s leading maritime power in terms of:

maritime transport (because of the level of seaborne trade);
coastal tourism (because coastline accounts for two-thirds of the EU’s borders);
offshore energy production (because of the North Sea gas and oil resources);
shipbuilding technologies (because of the construction of ships of exceptional quality in terms of their complexity, safety and environmental impact);
related services (because of the expertise in marine technology).

The EU is also the leader in a number of probable growth areas, such as the building of cruise ships, renewable energy and ports.

It is vital to maintain Europe’s competitiveness in these areas, which have an important socio-economic role. For this reason, the Green Paper examines the factors influencing competitiveness: the state of the marine environment, scientific knowledge in all areas relating to the oceans, innovation and the expertise of the workforce.

The marine environment

Some of the issues that the marine environment is facing include:

increasing loss of biodiversity (which has a knock-on effect for achieving the potential of “blue biotechnology”);
over-exploitation of resources (which has a knock-on effect on fisheries);
climate change (which has consequences for fisheries and coastal tourism);
land-based pollution;
acidification of seawater;
pollution caused by ship-based operational discharges;
maritime accidents (due to the absence of better maritime safety).

In order to reduce the impact of these environmental pressures, the thematic strategy for the marine environment is designed to:

further strengthen legislation on maritime safety;
introduce risk assessment as an instrument for drawing up policies in this field;
assist developing countries so that they can apply the ” Global Ballast Water Management Programme “;
introduce ballast water treatment technologies.

Research

Research is important for making fully informed strategic choices. It may benefit from the 7th Framework Programme, which pays particular attention to priority inter-thematic scientific areas. At the same time, Member States may go further by coordinating their national research programmes, so as to create a pan-European research network and avoid duplication. Cooperation between scientists and technology developers is also important.

Innovation

Innovation may help to find solutions in areas that are currently undergoing change, such as energy and climate change. The solutions can also benefit third countries choosing to adopt the model of sustainable development; in this way, such solutions could constitute a competitive advantage. Wind energy, tidal current turbines and deep sea gas and oil resources may provide new sources of energy. Carbon capture, the reduction of NOx emissions from ships, the abandonment of road transport in favour of maritime transport and methane hydrates may help in the fight against climate change.

Expertise of the workforce

The Green Paper examines ways of compensating for the lack of qualified labour resulting from the combination of a number of negative factors.

“Clusters” and the regulatory framework

These factors could also contribute to sustainable development. The private sector could organise itself into networks of maritime excellence, or ‘clusters’, around common projects. For its part, the legislature should simplify the legislation, to avoid the objectives of one policy having a negative impact on and contradicting other maritime objectives. It is essential for there to be a stable and coherent regulatory framework that has the support of stakeholders. The Green Paper also examines the establishment of incentive mechanisms for ship owners and even the monitoring of international rules on the high seas to combat the flying of flags of convenience.

Quality of life in coastal regions

Nearly half of Europe’s population lives on or close to coastlines, while the attraction of coastal areas is constantly increasing. For this reason, targeted statistics should be compiled to establish the transport infrastructure and services of general interest that are best suited to this trend.

Alongside the increase in the population living in coastal areas, the risks this population is facing are growing as a result of climate change among other things. Public authorities must therefore assess these risks in order to plan how to protect the population, economic activities and the environment, and how to manage the costs entailed. Once new responses to these risks have been established, the expertise gained can be exported to other countries.

The Green Paper examines the impact of sustainable tourism on local economies and studies the inter-relation between land- and sea-based activities. It takes into account the inextricable link between these two elements and proposes a unique and integrated management of the sea and land in coastal areas. Such integrated management would prove particularly useful with regard to managing marine pollution originating from land-based sources and managing the expansion of ports as multi-functional platforms.

New tools to manage our relations with the oceans

There is a need for a new European marine data network to incorporate existing national networks. The objective of this network would be to harmonise and collect data from multiple sources in order to serve a wide range of activities. It would form part of the GMES system.

Access to better data in real time would facilitate navigation and the detection of illicit activities at sea. Although the EU already complies with the provisions of the International Maritime Organization in this respect, interoperability with external systems can always be improved.

The Green Paper also proposes a spatial planning system to allow various activities to coexist along coastlines and to eliminate uncertainties on the part of investors with regard to obtaining authorisations. It is important to define spatial planning principles and to draw on the experience of Canada in this area.

As regards financial support, the Green Paper supports the need to improve global data on financial assistance and to examine how these resources might contribute to maritime policy.

New methods of maritime governance

The governance by sector or geographical area that is in force at present must be replaced by a cross-cutting approach. This will have consequences at national, European or international level.

Some Member States have already transferred a number of responsibilities from public authorities to single national authorities. The Member States may however deepen integration in the field of customs or in the safety of goods, as demonstrated by the examples of Frontex and the European Maritime Safety Agency. The establishment of a European coastguard service and the creation of a common maritime space for the European Union governed by the same set of rules are examples of other possible projects.

The integration of policies makes economies of scale possible and means that certain types of equipment and technology, such as marine surveillance systems, are more affordable.

Because of certain characteristics, marine ecosystems could be managed better at regional level. The European level could be used to defend the common interest and provide tools for spatial planning and supervising their use.

Climate change, the protection of biodiversity, illegal immigration, piracy, non-discriminatory access to the market for maritime services, and other phenomena make it imperative that the European Union share these new ideas with the international community and consider the best ways of promoting its vision.

Protecting maritime heritage and increasing public awareness

The various maritime sectors should cooperate to raise public awareness of maritime heritage and the role that oceans and seas have in all our lives. The Commission suggests using education as a channel for action. A more positive image would make it easier to recruit seafarers.

Background

Maritime policy forms part of the Lisbon Strategy by proposing to exploit synergies between regional policy and policies on fisheries, research and innovation, businesses, maritime transport, the environment and energy in order to promote sustainable development.

In addition, in its strategic objectives for 2005-09, the Commission has called for an exhaustive maritime policy, in other words one that will provide growth and ensure job creation, and therefore lend itself to the emergence of a strong maritime economy that will grow, be competitive and sustainable, in harmony with the marine environment.

The Green Paper calls on stakeholders to participate in the development of a cross-cutting vision of the oceans and seas. They have until 30 June 2007 to provide the Commission with their comments on the issues raised. By the end of 2007, the Commission will have completed the process by issuing a communication containing its proposals for the future.

Related Acts

Commission Communication of 10 October 2007, “Conclusions from the Consultation on a European Maritime Policy” [COM(2007) 574 final — Not published in the Official Journal].

The Member States and the institutions of the European Union welcome the principle of the integrated management of maritime affairs. The EU institutions often wish to go even beyond the proposals made in the Green Paper, whereas opinion is more divided amongst civil society. There is consensus on objectives, but at times disagreement as to the solutions proposed. Environmental organisations view maritime policy as a way of involving environmental objectives in all sectors. All stakeholders agree on the importance of better public awareness of the seas and oceans, as this could improve the image of the maritime economy and make citizens more aware of the maritime environment. The consultation has opened a treasure chest of ideas and a desire to participate in a long-term project.

Maritime affairs

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Maritime affairs

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Maritime affairs

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Maritime Affairs And Fisheries > Maritime affairs

Maritime affairs

Action plan for an integrated maritime policy
Guidelines for developing national maritime policies
Strategy to strengthen global governance of seas and oceans
Strategy to improve maritime governance in the Mediterranean
Towards integrated maritime surveillance
Development and integrated management of coastal zones
Maritime Policy Green Paper

Towards integrated maritime surveillance

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Towards integrated maritime surveillance

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Towards integrated maritime surveillance

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Maritime Affairs And Fisheries > Maritime affairs

Towards integrated maritime surveillance

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission of 15 October 2009 – Towards the integration of maritime surveillance: A common information sharing environment for the EU maritime domain [COM(2009) 538 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

In the European Union, most data relating to maritime affairs is processed by sectoral authorities. These authorities are responsible for the surveillance and monitoring of activities at sea in the sector under their responsibility, without necessarily informing their counterparts in other sectors. This is a drawback, since the sharing of this data makes it possible to increase the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of maritime surveillance activities.

Data sharing and interoperability between maritime surveillance systems pose certain technical and legal problems, however, as well as problems from a security perspective. In this Communication, the Commission identifies these problems and puts forward solutions.

Obstacles to the integration of maritime surveillance

The main obstacles to the creation of a common information sharing environment are as follows:

diverse user and operator communities: most information is collected at several levels (international, EU and national) by numerous sectoral systems. In some cases the involved authorities are unaware that other authorities or systems are collecting similar information. In other cases they do not have information sharing standards or agreements;
diverse legal frameworks: maritime surveillance systems have been developed on the basis of sector-specific, international and EU legislation. These systems are therefore difficult to merge;
cross border threats: threats faced by Member States often require an improved trans-national and sometimes even trans-sectoral approach, in particular with regard to the high seas;
specific legal provisions: international and EU legislation which frames maritime surveillance activities on the high seas and governs the processing of personal, confidential and classified data lacks cohesion.

Solutions for the integration of maritime surveillance

The creation of a common information sharing environment is based on compliance with the following Guiding Principles:

optimising the exchange of information between the different user communities. The European Union should adopt rules and standards at Community level to interlink the different user communities. These communities should be able to share at national level information from international, Community, regional, military and internal systems. The common information sharing environment should be secure, and flexible enough to adapt to the needs of new users;
building a non-hierarchical technical framework of maritime monitoring and surveillance systems. The technical framework should facilitate the collection, dissemination, analysis and management of data. It should integrate security concerns and comply with data protection regulations, international rules and functional requirements;
exchanging information between civilian and military authorities. The authorities responsible for maritime surveillance should be able to share information. Common standards and procedures for access to and use of the information will be adopted to allow for a two-directional information exchange;
removing obstacles to the exchange of information imposed by specific legal provisions. Certain provisions of EU and national legislation may prevent the exchange of information relating to maritime monitoring and surveillance. These provisions should be identified and adapted while providing for the necessary guarantees relating to confidentiality and data security and the protection of personal data.

These four Guiding Principles will serve to trigger a reflection process at EU and Member State level which will need to encompass all user communities. They may be revised in light of the outcome of three projects aimed at evaluating the ability of users from different Member States and user communities to exchange information.

Context

This Communication follows on from a previous Communication – An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union, in which the European Commission undertook to ‘take steps towards a more interoperable surveillance system to bring together existing monitoring and tracking systems used for maritime safety and security, protection of the marine environment, fisheries control, control of external borders and other law enforcement activities’.