On 2 March, 2005, the European Commission started work on a Green Paper for an all embracing Maritime Policy (Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union: A European Vision for the Oceans and Seas), which was adopted on 7 June 2006.
This Green Paper is the result of over a year of consulting with stakeholders, identifying gaps between sea-related sectoral policy areas and attempting to adopt best practice and learn from obstacles and challenges. The mandate has been to examine all economic activities of Europeans which are linked to or impact on the oceans and seas, as well as all the policies dealing with them, with a view to finding the best way to extract more benefit from the oceans in a sustainable manner.
This Green Paper will be a success if it forges a consensus among stakeholders – the Member States and citizens – that the EU needs to look at the oceans and seas in an integrated manner, if Europe is to maintain its resource base and to continue being competitive in maritime affairs.
The Green Paper is intended to launch a wide consultation on this subject, and to ask European stakeholders and citizens and other interested parties (including overseas) their views on the shape and coverage of a future maritime policy. With respect to Japan, which is also in the process of establishing its own maritime policy, it is also important to raise awareness of this new EU policy approach. A number of contacts between the Commission services and its Japanese counterparts have been made in preparation of the Green Paper, and since the interest among Japanese stakeholder is high, various seminars/conferences on this subject are being envisaged in Japan.
