Its geography and geopolitics make Europe a complex area when it comes to improving the environmental quality of waters shared between several States and to harnessing the economic potential of the seas, oceans and coastal areas.

The European Union is implementing a series of economic, social and environmental policies that concern maritime areas.

The CPMR promotes the role that regional authorities should play in these actions, which requires working together with all the actors and users involved. The CPMR also promotes specific approaches for each Europe’s maritime basins, (or “regional seas”). The CPMR Geographical Commissions are particularly involved in this aspect.

Since 2004 the CPMR has been an influential support to the European Commission in shaping the IMP, and it now calls for strengthening the partnership with the Regions in the framework of the definition of a new cycle of the integrated maritime policy and a series of maritime priorities. In addition to its involvement in the political debates on the European maritime agenda, the CPMR actively supports the specific involvement of the Regions in an overview of projects and actions, for example on mobility for young people undergoing training in the maritime sector (pilot project “Vasco Da Gama”), the role of the Regions in the funding and governance of infrastructures in the research sector, in the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management and maritime Spatial Planning, maritime security and marine and maritime research and marine energies, shipbuilding and maritime industries and fisheries. 

Since the Aarhus General Assembly, (October 2011),Aquamarina group, refers to all the initiatives carried out by the CPMR Member Regions in the maritime sector.