EU plans to scrap customs for sea cargo

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Series Title
Series Details 11.10.07
Publication Date 11/10/2007
Content Type

The European Commission adopted 10 October 2007 a Communication setting out its vision for an Integrated Maritime Policy for the EU, together with a detailed action plan setting out an ambitious work programme for the years ahead. Scientific discoveries, huge strides in technological development, globalisation, climate change, and marine pollution are rapidly altering Europe's relationship with the seas and oceans, with all the opportunities and challenges that this presents. An integrated maritime policy will enable the Union to meet the challenges head on. This proposal is grounded in an extensive public consultation which ended last June, and represents the work of a Steering Group of 10 Commissioners chaired by Joe Borg. The Communication and Action Plan are accompanied by a report on the results of the consultation which revealed strong stakeholder support for the Commission's initiative.

The Communication and accompanying Action Plan list a range of concrete actions to be launched during the mandate of this Commission. These actions cover a wide spectrum of issues ranging from maritime transport to the competitiveness of maritime businesses, employment, scientific research, fisheries and the protection of the marine environment. They include:

A European Maritime Transport Space without barriers

A European Strategy for Marine Research

National integrated maritime policies to be developed by Member States

An integrated network for maritime surveillance

A Roadmap towards maritime spatial planning by Member States

Elimination of pirate fishing and destructive high seas bottom trawling

Promotion of a European network of maritime clusters

A review of EU labour law exemptions for the shipping and fishing sectors

A European Marine Observation and Data Network

A Strategy to mitigate the effects of Climate Change on coastal regions.

Related Links
European Commission: Press Release: IP/07/1463: An ocean of opportunity: Commission proposes Integrated Maritime Policy for the EU http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1463&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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