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A new Blue Economy Observatory has been launched by the European Commission to bring together knowledge from different sources
The European Commission launches on 19 of May 2022 the EU Blue Economy Observatory, a new knowledge dissemination platform for the sustainability of our oceans, seas and coastal areas.
The new observatory will focus on socio-economic components of the maritime related sectors. It will provide a detailed picture of ocean-related activities, with latest data, scientific evidence, insights, market information and findings supporting ongoing trends and developments in the EU Blue Economy.
The EU Blue Economy Observatory intends to solve the current lack of sufficient available data about industries and sectors related to our oceans, seas and coasts.
Filling this knowledge gap with the latest and most complete scientific information will help policymakers and businesses make decisions in order to build a sustainable, resilient and climate-neutral blue economy in the EU. Moreover, the platform provides information relevant to the development, implementation and monitoring of policies, particularly in light of the European Green Deal.
"How to incorporate Underwater Cultural Heritage into Maritime Spatial Planning": a new study by the European MSP Platform has been published
The European MSP Platform published a study on “How to incorporate Underwater Cultural Heritage into Maritime Spatial Planning – Guidelines and Good Practices”, the objective of this handbook is to provide concrete guidance on how Underwater Cultural Heritage may be considered and incorporated into the Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) process in order to overcome threats to UCH, be established in practical terms, and subsequently developed. Thus, this handbook addresses relevant initiatives in their different stages of development: from those that are just starting up, to those that are already well-established, and looks at ways to achieve an ideal balance and give a new impetus to the nexus between the protection and preservation of UCH and the development of a sustainable blue economy in European seas.
Originally published by the European MSP Platform
Download pdf version here: How to incorporate Underwater Cultural Heritage into Maritime Spatial Planning, April 2022.
For more information on this topic follow also our joint, recently published, peer-reviewed research paper "Supporting multi-use of the sea with maritime spatial planning. The case of a multi-use opportunity development - Bulgaria, Black Sea" in Marine Policy.
EU Blue Economy report 2022: ocean economy fuels European green transition
The European Commission has published its annual EU Blue Economy Report to take stock and uncover the latest trends and developments in all economic sectors related to the oceans and coastal areas. With close to 4.5 million people employed, a turnover of more than €665 billion and €184 billion in gross value added, the EU blue economy sectors contribute significantly to the EU’s economy, especially in the coastal regions. Moreover, the report notes that the EU’s blue sectors are a spawning ground for innovative solutions and technologies that can help fight climate change and take the green transition to the next level. It also points at the high cost of inaction to fight climate change, as the damage of rising sea levels could cause a direct loss of more than €200 billion per year by 2080 in the EU.
On the basis of preliminary 2020 data, the Report provides an assessment of Covid-19 effects in the turbulent year 2020. The analysis confirms that Covid-19 had a significant impact on most blue economy sectors. This impact has been more than proportional, compared to the rest of the EU’s economy. This can be explained by the major share of coastal tourism in the EU blue economy – 44% of the total GVA and 63% of employment – which has been hit especially hard during the first year of the pandemic, to more than halve its original size based on preliminary figures.
The report highlights the significant potential for further growth of the blue economy by the development of the emerging and highly innovative sectors, such as the blue bioeconomy, blue-tech innovation and robotics, and ocean energy technologies. Although generally in their infancy, these technologies have the potential to offer sustainable solutions that can accelerate the transition needed for the EU to deliver on its ambitious sustainability commitments.
Read more: EU Blue Economy report 2022: ocean economy fuels European green transition
Publication of the European Commission's report on the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning directive
4 May, 2022
The European Commission has published a report on the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, which sets the obligation for the 22 coastal Member States to establish maritime spatial plans by 31 March 2021 at the latest. While the majority of the coastal Member States now have a maritime spatial plan in place, eight countries did not make sufficient progress. The report furthermore concludes that Maritime Spatial Planning is an effective and strategic tool to coordinate the different activities at sea and prevent conflicts over the use of maritime space. The EU remains global leader in this area.
The report recalls the objectives of the Directive and describes the support that the Commission has provided to Member States in implementing the Directive, notably through the European MSP Platform (https://maritime-spatial-planning.ec.europa.eu), a dedicated Member States’ expert group, and support to cross-border cooperation on MSP in all European sea basins through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and other EU funds.
The transposition obligations of the Directive are twofold: (1) its transposition into national law and designation of competent authorities by 18 September 2016; (2) the establishment of maritime spatial plans at the latest by 31 March 2021.