Seeking land-sea harmony in Europe
Our seas and oceans are a major priority for the EU, be from a political, environmental or scientific perspective. Preserving the resources of the sea, bringing prosperity to the fisheries sector, improving aquaculture technologies and practices, as well as raising citizen awareness are some of the key objectives the EU has set for the years to come. The latest and most important move in this regard is certainly the reform of the Common fisheries policy, which aims to bring fish stocks back to sustainable levels. The Commission stresses that European citizens can only benefit from such sustainable use of resources over the long term, and is now backing the reform with a communication campaign designed specifically for the broader public. European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki is launching an EU-wide campaign to raise awareness on the reform. The campaign, named INSEPARABLE, puts emphasis on the strong ties between Europe and its seas. 'For centuries, we Europeans have been inseparable from the sea and its fish. Fish are an important part of our diets, keeping us healthy. Fishing provides us with jobs. Fish help us prosper. This is why the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, agreed on in 2013, boosts the European fisheries and aquaculture sectors to make them more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable,' Commissioner Damanaki explains. INSEPARABLE urges Europeans to eat, buy and sell sustainable fish. Citizens will be given information on how they can make the small changes in their everyday lives to ensure we can keep fishing tomorrow. In addition to this political and citizen-oriented approach, Commissioner Damanaki also regularly stressed the need to enhance the EU support to marine and maritime research through Horizon 2020. The EU has already approved 11 new projects to promote innovative solutions for water-related challenges for a total budget of EUR 50 million. These projects involve a total of 179 partners from research organisations and private companies (including more than 70 SMEs) across 19 European countries.For more information and testimonies, visit the dedicated website: http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/inseparable/en