The Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) of the European Union celebrated its second anniversary in December 2009. In two years, this policy, which promotes a new and integrated approach to foster and optimise sustainable growth in coastal regions and maritime sectors, has come a long way. Not only has integration made substantial progress on a number of fronts but, perhaps more importantly, the Europeans’ attitude toward the continent’s seas and oceans has shifted: across member states, administrations and maritime stakeholders there is now a growing awareness that seas and coastal regions are complex structures of strategic importance, and that, as such, they require a cross-cutting and systemic approach.

The progress report published by the Commission ⁽¹⁾ in October 2009 reckoned that out of the 65 actions foreseen, 56 had been launched or completed (mostly through Commission or Council acts), while the remaining nine were the object of various initiatives. To me, that seems like a satisfactory degree of implementation.

In parallel to that, EU institutions, member states and regions have, to varying degrees, set up new governance structures to ensure that their sea-related policies are no longer developed in isolation, but in sync with other policy areas. Many EU member states and regions have gone as far as adopting their own integrated strategies for the sustainable development of maritime economies. Cross-sectoral tools, such as maritime spatial planning, integrated surveillance or marine knowledge, are also growing rapidly - and they will eventually lead to substantial improvements in the way we manage our oceans and seas and the related challenges of growth, sustainability and security. At the same time, first steps have been taken to implement the Integrated Maritime Policy at regional level ⁽²⁾.

The same two years have also seen all EU policies with a bearing on our seas and coasts – such as fisheries, transport, environment, energy, industry or research – move frankly in the direction of greater integration and consistency. In fact, the cited 2009 progress report was the first ever to enumerate all the initiatives taken by the Commission in any field and relevant to coastal regions and maritime sectors.

True, such a retrospective overview – however complete and useful - is still a long way from a truly coordinated decision making mechanism, such as the one advocated by the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy. But the progress is undeniably there, and it is happening faster than one could ever expect.

Before I turn to the future of the Integrated Maritime Policy and all that still remains to be done, I want to mention one more thing that took place since the blue paper and the action plan were drawn up - the recession. Like all others, the maritime sector, too, has been hit and suffers today from declining revenues and loss of employment. So today, in a completely different economic climate, unlocking the economic potential of maritime Europe in an environmentally sustainable manner is more topical and urgent than ever.

At this point, I believe the Integrated Maritime Policy has to move in multiple directions and push forward several strategic fronts at the same time. The first concerns governance: all the advances made so far need to be turned into integrated strategies, processes and structures at all levels of government. It is up to EU institutions, member states and coastal regions to ensure that policies are coordinated from the start and to counter any lingering trace of compartmentalised thinking.

A second route will be development of proper cross-cutting tools, as these enable us to enhance economic development, environmental protection, safety, security and law enforcement in and around Europe’s oceans and seas. Think for example of how maritime spatial planning, combined with better marine knowledge, can unblock substantial financial investments and drastically improve the way we manage our maritime spaces. Or how putting our various existing maritime surveillance systems together can make the difference in the way national authorities fight against illegal immigration. Or, again, how evolving technologies, particularly military and civilian satellite imagery, can be used in, say, oil-spill tracking, customs control, crime prevention, small boat detection and other disciplines.

Defining the collective sustainabilityof all human activities having an impact on the marine environment is a third strategic focus of the coming years. For the successful development of all maritime activities, we need an integrated approach more than ever. Cooperation channels will have to be opened between all maritime sectors and services, from marine sciences to marine environment policies.

Fourthly, sea basin strategies are crucial to the successful implementation of the Integrated Maritime Policy. This is where its priorities and tools can be adapted to the specific geographic, economic and political contexts of each maritime region. Aside from the fact that this approach is already being tested through two ongoing pilot projects (one on maritime surveillance and the other on maritime spatial planning), we need to do a lot of thinking in the near future on whether and how the regional approach can influence the use of cross-cutting tools.

I already hinted at the fact that, given the present economic downturn, the Integrated Maritime policy should put a renewed focus on sustainable economic growth, employment and innovation. This may cover a wide range of issues, from supporting the competitiveness of well-established sectors, such as tourism, shipping or civilian and military and shipbuilding, to developing sustainable growth scenarios for new maritime sectors with good potential, such as offshore energy, deep sea technology or marine biotechnology.

In the short and medium term, the EU will also have to promote maritime transport among member states in order to foster co-modality, translate the concept of the ‘motorways of the sea’ into reality and improve the EU programme for short-sea shipping. I am personally very keen on the Commission’s idea of a European maritime transport space without barriers ⁽³⁾ : again, the measures implied, largely in the area of customs and sanitary inspections, require a high degree of cross-sectoral cooperation, but will simplify and speed up the administrative procedures for sea transport between EU ports and ultimately extend the internal market to intra-EU maritime transport. This could boost short-sea shipping in Europe and create new opportunities for growth and jobs even for the European shipbuilding industry: after all, the 10,000 vessels or so currently navigating between member states are on average nearly 20 years old!

One important task for my mandate will be to make sure that EU policies keep up with structural change in coastal and maritime economies. European skills and competitiveness need to be sustained through the crisis, as they are necessary to generate the innovation and growth that the future requires. Our policies need to look beyond the traditional sectors and see the dynamic interactions occurring between sectors, for example between shipping, shipbuilding and offshore energy development. Even the future requirements of environmental protection and sustainability can be turned into business opportunities for Europe, and Europe’s competitive advantage in relation to skills, processes and technologies can be used to improve the overall sustainability of maritime businesses. In my view there could be no better way for the Integrated Maritime Policy to contribute to the ‘Europe 2020’ objectives.

Last but not least among these strategic courses is the international dimension of the IMP ⁽⁴⁾. I want Europe to be a front runner in improving global maritime governance, just as it has been in the fight against piracy or destructive fishing practices, and I want Europe being able to promote and protect its maritime interests and achieve its marine duties through a comprehensive protection of the marine environment.

If guaranteeing sustainable growth in coastal regions and maritime sectors is a must, the shape and contours of the IMP remain work in progress and stem from a democratic process of consultation with the sector. As in previous years, stakeholders will have the opportunity to express their views on the future direction of the Integrated Maritime Policy at the international conference celebrating European Maritime Day that will be held in Gijon (Spain) from 18 to 21 May, or by attending the plethora of decentralised events taking place all over Europe at the same time. The European Parliament is due to present its report on the future of the IMP in the autumn of 2010. The Commission will take all those views into account when charting the policy’s new course.

There may be a long road ahead, but the Integrated Maritime Policy certainly got off to a promising start and its outlook for the future is bright. Integration is essential, and I have the stimulating task of modelling and accompanying the change.

(*) Maria Damanaki is commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries

⁽¹⁾ COM(2009)540 final of 15.10.2009, ‘Progress report on the EU’s Integrated Maritime Policy’, Ch.6, ‘Outlook and forward vision’, p.10
⁽²⁾ So far, regional approaches have been put forward by the Commission for the Arctic (COM(2008)763 final of 20.11.2008) and the Mediterranean Sea (COM(2009)466 final of 11.09.2009 and a strategy has been launched for the Baltic Sea region (COM(2009)248 final and SEC(2009)712 of 10.06.2009
⁽³⁾ Communication and action plan with a view to establishing a European maritime transport space without barriers. COM(2009)10 final of 21.1.2009
⁽⁴⁾ ‘Developing the international dimension of the Integrated Maritime policy of the European Union’, COM(2009°536 final of 14.10.2009