Press release - October 10, 2007
Brussels, Belgium — Today's adoption of the European Commission's Communication on an integrated maritime policy for the European Union provides little in terms of addressing the real challenge of unsustainable development in Europe's maritime sector, Greenpeace warns. Despite recognising that "the ocean is Europe's lifeblood", the Communication proposes no effective measures to reduce the excessive burden of overexploitation and in certain cases even promotes an expansion of economic activities despite existing strains on the ecosystem.
"By fuelling marine degradation, EU policies have turned Europe into the pauper of this blue planet, stripped of its marine wealth and resource securities, " said Saskia Richartz of Greenpeace. "With its proposed actions, the Commission has sadly missed the most urgent point. Europe must urgently fish less, decrease its hunger for fuel and coastal space, reduce the impacts of shipping and stop marine pollution."
The adoption of the Commission Communication comes just one week after news broke of a Commission internal study that describes Europe's fishing policy as "poor", with its waters among the most overfished and the industry among the least profitable in the world. (1) This crises in Europe's fish stocks and fishing sector is the clearest example of the consequences of unsustainable management. Taking more than the ecosystem can provide will end in poor returns, which in turn diminishes Europe's economic competitiveness. Improved co-ordination of maritime surveillance, compliance checking and data-gathering, as proposed by the Commission, is important. However, it will only ever serve to compliment concrete policies for sustainability, which are still lacking.
"In real substance, the Commission's maritime action plan is little more than a glorified re-launch of its existing work programme," added Richartz, "Lets see the EU deliver on some of its goals, starting with the recovery of fish stocks."
The EU Marine Strategy Directive, which is currently in its 2nd reading in the European Parliament and is aimed at achieving EU-wide protection of the sea, should provide the starting point and guiding framework for achieving sustainability in the maritime economy. Other EU Maritime policies, such as the EU's fisheries and transport policies, must ensure the integration of environmental considerations into all aspects of regulation with the view to prevent damage to the environment.
Notes:
(1) Financial Times, 27 September 2007: "Report tears into Brussels Fishing policy" http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20999075/