Strategic goals and recommendations for the EU’s maritime transport policy until 2018

The Council adopted the following conclusions on integrated maritime policy:

• it welcomes the strong commitment towards integrated maritime governance in Member States and invites them and the Commission to continue to implement a comprehensive strategy for growth, jobs and sustainability for the oceans, seas and European coastal regions, with due respect to subsidiarity and proportionality and on the basis of a continued strong involvement of stakeholders;
• it recalls that the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) has been welcomed by the European Council as the environmental pillar of the EU Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) and acknowledges the MSFD, with the ecosystem based-approach to the management of human activities as an overarching principle, as a basis on which to develop more successfully all maritime activities within the concepts of sustainability in line with the MSFD. The Council stresses the need to integrate the sustainable use of marine goods and services by present and future generations into decision-making;
• it welcomes the continued implementation of the EU Strategy for Marine and Maritime Research aimed at providing the knowledge base for the implementation of the IMP, and underlines that efforts should also foster innovation by identifying the economic value of marine goods and services, including ecosystem services, and by developing core ocean technologies and exploring future market potentials in relation to maritime clusters;
• the Council calls for further dialogue and co-operation in order to improve the governance of the marine space and coastal areas in the Mediterranean area, taking into account its sub-regions, emphasising the need to engage in an early dialogue with Mediterranean neighbours on this item, taking into account the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It also encourages S further dialogue in order to strengthen the Black Sea Synergy-based cooperation and its relevance for the IMP;
• it calls for  a further development of the strategic approaches to regional sea basins where there is a demand and a perspective of clear added value, and a sound and speedy implementation of the specific actions under these specific strategies, inter alia by setting up relevant pilot projects, and by including seeking synergies with other EU policy instruments and funding, such as Cohesion Policy, Neighbourhood policy and External Relations, and the regional dimension in the implementation of the MSFD;
• the Council notes with satisfaction that a number of Member States are proposing to host the European Maritime Day Stakeholder conference from 2011 onwards, and encourages Member States and stakeholders to also organise de-centralised events celebrating the European Maritime Day across Europe.

The Council invites the Commission to do the following:

• to report on the outcomes of the discussion on the Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Roadmap and to come forward with initiatives aimed at encouraging the development and use of MSP that is based on an ecosystem approach during early 2010, and which, in the light of increased economic activities at sea, help coordinate and balance sectoral interests to contribute to a sustainable use and development of the European maritime areas;
• to make proposals regarding governance of marine and maritime research, with a view to improving the use of scientific knowledge by policymakers and ensuring a coordinated and sustained development of marine research infrastructure at EU level;
• to detail its policy intentions on the IMP during 2010, taking account of these conclusions, inter alia with a renewed focus on sustainable economic growth, employment and innovation in an eco-efficient way for consultation with Member States and stakeholders;
• to present the necessary proposals for the financing of integrated maritime policy actions within the existing Financial Perspective, with a view to entry into force by 2011;
• to present a progress report on the implementation of the IMP in good time for the European Council at the end of 2012;
• to explore the opportunities and synergies that can be achieved by a further development of the integrated approach to maritime affairs.