“Malta fully supports the European Commission’s promotion of Blue Growth – recognising the economic activity and jobs that come from using the great natural resource all around us,” Chris Cardona, Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business told 800 delegates attending the two-day EU Maritime Day 2013 conference in Valletta last week.
“The Blue Growth initiative should be the main focus of the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs in the coming years. We look forward to the specific roadmap from the Commission to put these principles into action,” the minister emphasised. Malta has always supported a holistic approach to maritime issues, not least since this integration of marine and maritime affairs launched by a Maltese ex-Commissioner, Joe Borg, This initiative is a highly ambitious one; all member states must work together within the EU to ensure that this agenda is implemented”.
For Malta, maritime transportation was an important factor in social development, a necessity for the success of Malta’s blue economic growth and identified as one of the major pillars for its Blue Economy. A clear political direction had been set to ensure that the Mediterranean transport sector remained sustainable. An adequate surveillance and information system over maritime spaces was seen as the number one tool for preventing illegal immigration, terrorist attacks, and illegal arms and drug trafficking.
“When we prevent crime and enforce the rule of law, we provide a safe and secure environment for economic activity to flourish,“ Dr Cardona explained. “That’s why we as Mediterranean nations have to work together. It is in all our interests that the region is safe and attractive for both tourism and investment purposes. The Common Information Sharing Environment currently being worked on by the Commission and member states will be beneficial.
“However, this initiative needs to achieve the delicate balance between the principle of required information sharing and the restricting of information flows on a need to know basis.”
The minister underscored the need for extensive Mediterranean-wide co-operation rooted in a level playing field where all countries signed up to to the relevant international legislation. ”A regional agenda will help these countries tackle the challenges arising through globalization and on an international scale. It should not solely depend on identifying potential areas which could stimulate long-term growth and jobs. What is required is effective governance – a structure that oversees all policies pertaining to this region - requiring strong political commitment from all involved. But let’s be clear. We believe that no new structures are required.”
According to Edward Zammit Lewis, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth, Malta’s main objectives were to unlock cutting edge marine and maritime technologies that would support sustainable growth, competitiveness and the job creating potential of the Blue Economy.
“Both the political session and the stakeholder day will give us fruitful thoughts and the necessary political will to embark on this much-needed voyage. We have at hand the necessary blueprints, which include the Limassol Declaration and the Commission’s Communication on the Blue Growth Agenda, including the political commitment towards the Blue Economy.”
Urging room for manoeuvrability taking into consideration member states' specificities, Dr Zammit Lewis asserted that within the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy “we should embark on realistic and more effective projects which ensure that the goals and objectives are achieved; projects which are pragmatic and realistic that take into account the multifaceted challenges that are rapidly changing the marine and maritime industry”
Malta would do its utmost at European Council level to ensure that stakeholder views were taken into account, the only way to adopt political, social and economic priorities based on broad social consensus. “Europe needs to adopt realistic, effective and sustainable policies without unduly over-burdening the respective industries”.
The European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki (an exclusive interview granted to this paper was published in its 16 May edition) identified tourism – the central focus of this year's Maritime Day - as the single largest activity in the maritime economy, employing 2.5 million people and expected to continue growing by 2-3 per cent a year for the next 20 years.
“European tourism has many success stories - the offer has become ever more varied and specialized. The cruise sector alone has tripled in the last decade and is still growing. But the market is changing - there has been a shift in what tourists want from coastal resorts. Holiday makers want new, unique experiences, a range of activities to choose from; top-notch service in clean and pristine resorts - an offer that can be customized to their interests… and all this at an attractive price! We need to adapt to this kind of demand.”
“We need to advertise our destinations to the global audience and make them appealing all year round. And if 60 percent of Europeans prefer the sea for their holidays, seven out of 10 take their trips between June and September! The impact of this seasonality on the ground is profound, involving entire communities with widely fluctuating populations and job markets, sometimes cut off by poor connectivity, and therefore clearly unattractive to business investors. This must change.”
To enable member states to confront these broad challenges, she and Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship would issue a communication on Coastal and Maritime Tourism by the end of the year.
“We are determined to bring lasting growth to our coastal destinations; and we will do that by ensuring that private investments have favourable conditions, by promoting public-private cooperation and by boosting the benefits inherent to trans-regional and transnational cooperation,” Commissioner Damanaki affirmed.
Speaking on behalf of the Irish EU presidency, Dinny McGinley TD, Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking regions) announced that an EU action plan for the Atlantic Strategy would be launched later in the week in Galway.
“The presidency has worked to implement the Maritime Labour Convention, reached agreement with the European Parliament on the Port State Measures and hopes to secure agreement on the Flag State file. We expect to make significant progress on the revised Marine Equipment Directive, which streamlines and updates procedures for approval of equipment installed on board EU ships, very important for the manufacturing industry and the internal market as well as for safety of EU ships.”
Other topics of presidency focus included maritime security and surveillance, spatial planning and integrated coastal management, finalising the adoption of the EU 2014=2020 Multiannual Financial Framework and its related implementing legislation, while discussing with member states and the European Parliament budget allocations for EU-funded projects.