The green paper on EU maritime policy was discussed yesterday during a meeting between the EU Commissioner responsible for fisheries and maritime affairs Joe Borg and members of Parliament’s European and Foreign Affairs committee.

Dr Borg said the green paper was not a preset model on how member states should act but rather it tried to provide answers and address issues relating to maritime affairs. He said the policy had been constructively criticised by stakeholders.

He said the policy was aimed at introducing value added to coastal activities and sea transportation – along the lines of the Lisbon agenda.

“If Europe wants more economic growth and more coastal work there has to be an integrated maritime policy,” Dr Borg said.

Commissioner Borg said discussions will focus on issues such as coastal development, maritime laws, research, and sea bed exploration and the regional dimension.

He said that different regions had different needs and had to be discussed separately. “The Baltic and Mediterranean seas have different needs,” he said, adding that because Romania and Bulgaria were aspiring to enter the EU in the near future, the Black Sea has assumed a greater importance. The Atlantic Ocean was also an important consideration.

The EP is discussing which committee should be responsible for maritime policy, he said.

Commissioner Borg said that Malta should take a proactive role in the discussions as early as possible. He said he believed that Malta should take a position on transhipment, security and coastal tourism in order influence the talks and that Malta should state its position on Ecological Protection Zones and their impact on transportation and fishing.

Mario Demarco, who chaired the meeting, spoke of the contribution that the Chamber of Advocates’s section dealing with Maritime law could give as well as those entities responsible for fisheries.

Labour spokesman Leo Brincat asked Dr Borg how the policy would be implemented.

The Commissioner replied that after the first tier of consultations, input from stakeholders and countries will be evaluated and priorities will be established. A white paper is expected to be published after this process, followed by further evaluation before the policy is actually adopted.

At the moment, Dr Borg said, he was more interested in the discussions rather than the eventual implementation.

Commissioner Borg told The Malta Independent that EU neighbouring countries were consulted while the policy was being drafted and it was modelled on Canadian and US practices. Iceland and Norway were also involved. He said recent talks between the EU and Russia had also focused on maritime issues.

He said conflicts between shipping routes and fishing zones will be addressed.

Dr Borg said that land-locked countries should also be interested in the issue since, for example, 40 to 50 per cent of Austria’s imports are shipped