Study on Blue Growth, Maritime Policy and the EU Strategy for the Black Sea Region Romania & Bulgaria

DG MARE Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (European Commission) - Project Dates:
February 2013 - February 2014

Description of Project:
In 2007 the EU launched the Black Sea Synergy, aiming to provide a framework for regional cooperation by complementing the existing bilateral initiatives (the European Neighborhood Policy for Ukraine and Georgia, the pre-accession process for Turkey and to the Strategic Partnership with Russia).

On 20 January 2011, the European Parliament approved a report on "an EU strategy for the Black Sea" asking for a new EU Strategy for this region, based on an Action Plan with concrete project proposals similar to the Baltic strategy'. The new strategy would not replace but complement the "Black Sea Synergy", addressing its shortcomings.

On 14 October 2010 DO MARE organised a Brainstorming Event on Maritime Affairs and Fisheries with Bulgarian and Romanian stakeholders in order to get a better insight on their needs, expectations and ongoing activities with relations to the Integrated Maritime Policy and the Fisheries Policy. As a follow-up to this meeting, the Commission aims to organise a Stakeholder Conference on Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in the Black Sea in the second half of 2013 to extend the discussion to all Black Sea coastal countries. The event will aim to bring to the fore shared priorities for the development of an integrated maritime policy and sustainable fisheries management in the Black Sea. This should provide elements to start defining the feasibility and possible content of a maritime sea-basin strategy for the area.

Services Provided:

Identifying the blue growth needs and potential of the Black Sea countries by providing a thorough breakdown of these countries' marine and maritime sectors making up their blue economy and related scenarios for growth, both in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy and preparations for EU funding programmes for 2014-2020.

2. Assessing the potential for policy and project-based cooperation in the Black Sea region in the light of the different and rather specific contexts as outlined above.