NEWS

The CPMR Atlantic Arc Commission is co-organising an event with the European research project “SEAS-ERA” on the marine and maritime research priorities for the Atlantic area.

During this workshop on governance, research funding bodies have been able to meet representatives from Atlantic Local and Regional Authorities, in particular the Regions of Basse-Normandie, Lisbon and the Tagus Valley, Alentejo and the Azores in order to discuss the priorities contained in the working paper drawn up by the SEAS-ERA project: “A Draft Marine Research Plan for the European Atlantic Sea Basin”.

These discussions made it possible to better target the priorities that the Regions, cities and research institutes can work on together, both in the context of the Integrated Maritime Policy and also the Atlantic Strategy. The defined priorities will contribute to the establishment of an Action Plan (2014-2020) for the Atlantic Strategy. Indeed, the “Draft Marine Research Plan for the European Atlantic Sea Basin” is a particularly relevant contribution in the context of the implementation of the Atlantic Forum and the preparation of the Action Plan for the Atlantic Strategy. This overall action plan for the whole Atlantic Arc, which should be drawn up by early 2013, will identify the priority actions to be funded to enable a balanced development of the entire European Atlantic seaboard.
In the document “Position and proposals of the Atlantic Arc Commission on the European Commission’s Communication establishing a Strategy for the Atlantic”, the Atlantic Arc Commission established five priority areas on which the projects and actions to be implemented in the framework of the Atlantic Strategy should be focused. In addition, the Atlantic Arc Commission could contribute to the drawing up of an Action Plan thanks to its participation in the Atlantic Strategy’s Steering Committee.

For further information:
• The discussion paper “A Draft Marine Research Plan for the European Atlantic Sea Basin” is available for download on this link: http://www.seas-era.eu/np4/176.html
• The SEAS-ERA project website: www.seas-era.eu
• The Atlantic Arc Commission position (approved by the Political Bureau on 22 March 2012) on the Atlantic Strategy and the Action Plan priorities is available for download on this link: http://www.arcatlantique.org/pdf/doc_travail/492_en.pdf

pauline.caumont@crpm.org