EU maritime policy must be underpinned by research, says Borg
The Commission's Green Paper on a maritime policy for the EU that is currently being drawn up must be supported by excellence in marine research, technology and innovation, according to the EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Joe Borg. However, as Mr Borg told marine scientists at a conference on the future of European marine research in Brussels on 17 October, for this concept to work in practice, the full involvement of the marine research community in the development of the EU's maritime policy is required. 'Without scientific advice, our common policy - simply put - would just not work,' said Mr Borg. 'We need more science, more research and more knowledge to better understand the complex interactions at work in marine eco-systems and their resources. We need long-term data and better observation and data collection capabilities [...]. We need more technology and more innovation to exploit the huge wealth that can be derived from ocean and sea related activities, in a sustainable manner.' A key element in this process is the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), said the Commissioner, and the legislative proposal for the programme sates that 'special attention will be paid to the horizontal integration of priority scientific areas which cut across themes, such as marine sciences and technologies.' According to Mr Borg: 'The identification of marine science and technology as a priority in both the Commission's strategic objectives and in [FP7] provides a basis for marine science and technology to obtain a fair share of the overall budget. [...] Yet ultimately it is the quality of your research proposals that will determine how successful our efforts are.' There is still a problem with fragmentation in European marine research, and creating a more integrated approach presents a number of specific challenges, argued the Commissioner. First, framework programme funds must be used to mobilise and coordinate marine research carried out by different Member States. Second, interaction must be strengthened between scientists on the one hand and technology developers and industry on the other. Finally, there must be closer cooperation between the different areas of science engaged in ocean affairs, from oil and gas engineering to hydrology, biology and space technology. 'All these challenges can only be addressed with the full involvement of the marine scientific community,' believes Mr Borg. 'This implies however that the scientific community must organise itself to be able to fully contribute to this integration process. The Commission is willing to help with this [...] by, for example, setting up or further developing EU structures to support cooperation and cohesion within the scientific community.' Commissioner Borg concluded by inviting the marine research community 'to take up the challenges that lie ahead of us both by taking an active part in contributing to the Green Paper for an EU Maritime Policy and in ensuring that maximum benefit is derived from the Seventh Framework Programme.'