Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-05-20-Speech-2-095"
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"en.20080520.7.2-095"2
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"Madam President, I find it quite appropriate that we are holding the debate during the first celebration of European Maritime Day. It is, after all, a Member of Parliament, Ms Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, who first suggested the idea to President Barroso in the context of preparations for the Green Paper on a future maritime policy for the European Union. It is also thanks to Parliament, and, in particular, President Pöttering, who will be hosting the signing of a joint tripartite declaration, establishing European Maritime Day, later today. This celebration demonstrates how far we have come in developing, not only the integrated maritime policy, but a new vision for Europe’s oceans and seas. It also shows how involved all European institutions have been every step of the way. In fact, the Parliament has been a key player in developing the new integrated maritime policy both by organising a number of conferences where fruitful discussion and searching debate has been held, and by producing reports which guide us in our work and provide specific direction for the implementation of maritime policy.
Let me express my grateful and heartfelt thanks and appreciation to rapporteur Willi Piecyk for having coordinated the keen interest of the various committees and for having produced this impressive report. Let me also thank the different committee rapporteurs and the many other distinguished Members of Parliament who have been particularly involved, throughout the last two years, in building the Parliament’s contribution to this emerging European policy. To these, I apologise for not being able to refer to them by name as I wished.
Allow me, if you will, to turn to the report itself. While the report does not include any new proposals, it nevertheless concentrates on certain demands made in Parliament in July 2007 which assisted us in determining the way forward, and will inspire us now for the continued implementation of the maritime policy.
On some of the sectoral issues, the Commission welcomes the continued emphasis placed by Parliament on the environmental dimension of maritime policy, and on the challenges of climate change in particular, and looks forward to the adoption of a strategy for adaptation to climate change in 2008 which will address these concerns.
The Commission also welcomes the recognition by the European Parliament of the importance of maritime transport to the European economy and Parliament’s support for a common maritime transport area, for the development of the motorways of the sea and short sea shipping: all projects which the Commission is pushing forward.
In terms of research, the Commission welcomes Parliament’s support for the development of a comprehensive marine research strategy which will be a cornerstone of maritime policy, and should be ready for adoption by mid-2008.
The Commission welcomes the positive attitude of the report towards the need to ensure sustainability in the field of fisheries. We have taken a number of steps in this direction since the adoption of the ‘Blue Paper’ such as the adoption of a communication on the ecosystem approach in April 2008, and two proposals on discards, which will be ready by the end of this year.
In addition to specific mention of issues including the environment, maritime transport, research and innovation, social aspects, fisheries and energy, the Commission welcomes the particular importance attributed to the regional aspect of maritime policy through the exceptional maritime dimension conferred on the EU by its vast coastline, its islands and its outermost regions, and fully concurs with the view that maritime policy should take into account the various specific features of the Member States and maritime regions, including coastal regions, islands and outermost regions.
Honourable Members, we are still in the early stages of the implementation of maritime policy, but with the continued assistance of Parliament, we will strive for increased measures in that implementation. In conclusion, may I once again congratulate the European Parliament and the concerned rapporteurs for their excellent work. We look forward to continuing our close dialogue with you in the months ahead in the interest of implementing the integrated maritime policy for the Union, and also count on your support to engage, in particular, the European maritime regions during Maritime Day 2009."@en1
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