Baltic and North Sea Coordination and Support Action (BANOS CSA) - Why a sister seas’ approach?

The consortium of the BANOS CSA is now mid-way through developing the framework for the future, intended Baltic and North Sea Research and Development Programme (BANOS). This is a good time to look back and remind ourselves and our stakeholders how the 13 Baltic and North Sea coastal countries involved (BE, DK, EE, FR, DE, LV, LT, NL, NO, PL, SE, UK and FI as observer) through their major national R&I funders think about the rationale behind joining the two regional seas for a joint programme.

Climate Change and Environment

© Danish Meteorological Institute

The underlying reason and rationale back in 2016 when the first outline document of the future programme (www.bonusportal.org/files/4699/BONUS_Publication_No_15.pdf) was published is still valid today – the two seas have much in common – making this an opportunity too good to miss:

Both are marginal seas and directly interconnected via the Danish Straight. We have the same climate and biogeographical zones, with multiple countries having coastlines along both seas.

Our ecosystems are connected through flows of water masses and migration of biota.

Both seas are faced by similar human induced threats: climate change, coastal eutrophication, overfishing and habitat destruction and many more.

The busy waterways, in both the Baltic and North Sea, generate persistent pressures upon the ecosystems as well as constitute risks of accidental pollution.

Also, the human activities are governed by mutually coordinated maritime policy and legislation of the EU, as well as Norway and the United Kingdom.

Implementing a joint marine and maritime strategic research and innovation agenda is most efficient and cost-effective when same strategies and approaches are applied in both areas. And more so, we believe that pooling of resources and research and innovation capacities is the best approach for tackling current and future challenges related to development of sustainable blue economy in the region.

The BANOS CSA consortium is coordinated by BONUS EEIG. This is the dedicated implementing structure of BONUS, the joint Baltic Sea research and development programme (TFEU Art. 185 initiative), www.bonusportal.org. The consortium represents the leading research and innovation funders of 13 EU Member States and associated states surrounding the Baltic and North Sea.

Members of BANOS CSA consortium:
BONUS EEIG Baltic Organisations’ Network for Funding Science
Belgium – Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
Denmark – Innovation Fund Denmark (IFD)
Estonia – Estonian Research Council (ETAg)
France – French National Research Agency (ANR)
France – Institut Français de Recherche pour l’exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)
Germany – Forschungszentrum Jülich Gmbh (JÜLICH)
Latvia – State Education Development Agency (SEDA)
Lithuania – Research Council of Lithuania (RCL)
Netherlands – Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)
Norway – Norges forskningsrad (RCN)
Poland – National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR)
Sweden – Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS)
Sweden – Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SWAM)
United Kingdom – Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)

Strategic partners of BANOS CSA:
HELCOM – The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission
ICES – The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
JPI Oceans – The Joint Programming Initiative Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans
OSPAR – The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic

Observers:
Academy of Finland
European Commission

To keep informed about BANOS CSA news and developments: Download a copy of the BANOS CSA brochure www.banoscsa.org/files/6330/BANOS_Oct_2019.pdf – Subscribe to In Brief newsletter www.bonusportal.org/inbrief and E-bulletin www.bonusportal.org/bulletin – Visit BANOS CSA website www.banoscsa.org – Follow us on Twitter @BANOS_CSA

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817574.

Keywords

Baltic Sea, North Sea, Research and innovation, Sustainability, Ecosystem-based management, Blue Economy