European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Mr Joe Borg, took part earlier today (20 July) in the opening session of a conference entitled “Towards a future Maritime Policy for the European Union – A European Vision for the oceans and seas”, which takes place 20-21 July, in Turku, Finland.
This event, organised by the City of Turku, aims to contribute to the year-long consultation on the Maritime Policy Green Paper published by the European Commission last month (link to June IP).
In his speech, Commissioner Borg stressed that an integrated, sustainable maritime policy can be a catalyst for growth and jobs and he highlighted tourism as one of the major growth areas.
Commissioner Borg used the example of coastal tourism to show how maritime activities are closely linked to each other and how they depend on a healthy marine environment. "This demonstrates the economic value of investing rigorously in environmental protection", he said.
While noting the importance of shipbuilding in Turku, Commissioner Borg pointed out the important role of engineers in promoting innovation and new technologies. In his closing remarks, the Commissioner called on all stakeholders to provide creative input during the consultation process on the Green Paper. “We are at the beginning of a new chapter in maritime history, searching for a solid new basis on which to develop our relations with the oceans in a sustainable manner. It will require all of us to be creative, to innovate and to think ‘outside the box’. I believe that it is only by mobilising the creative energies of all those Europeans who have ‘the sea in their blood’ that we will succeed.”
