Joe Borg: the sea must be regarded in an integrated way

Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, attended the Seminar on “Maritime Policies and Globalisation” organised by the CPMR in the Azores on 9-10 July 2007. Mr Borg has defended the integrated approach for the European Maritime Policy and the importance of financing it.

Maritime Policy must be regarded in an integrated way, because all relevant different sectors are part of the same wider picture. In other words, by looking at maritime transport on its own, looking at fisheries on its own, looking at the marine environment on its own, we will only be able to make decisions without taking due account of the impact that those decisions can have on other areas. Therefore, what we are launching is a package of measures, which will start the process towards a more integrated approach for maritime affairs ...

---

• Read the interview     

Le Drian: the sea is not a border, but a link!

Jean-Yves Le Drian, President of the Regional Council of Brittany and Vice President of the CPMR is convinced of the importance of the sea as a factor of development for Europe. Former State Secretary for the Sea and Deputy, Mr Le Drian took an active part in the creation of the Forum of Networks of World Regions.
At the seminar on “Maritime Policies and Globalisation” held in Terceira, (Azores, P), on 9 and 10 July 2007, Mr Le Drian supported the integrated approach to maritime policy which Commissioner Joe Borg hopes for, as well as the importance of the regional level in the scope of this new policy for Europe ...

---

• Read the interview     

In Australia we had what the CPMR wants in 1998…

Donna Petrachenko is the First Assistant Secretary of the Marine and Biodiversity Division within the Australian Government’s Department of the Environment and Water Resources (DEW). While at DEW, Ms Petrachenko has led the coordination of the Department’s marine related interests, and international efforts focusing on protection of high seas biodiversity for Australia and provided executive leadership on domestic marine matters such as marine bioregional planning and the establishment of marine protected areas ...

---

• Read the interview     

The Islands' dilemma resolved at last

Article 158 of the consolidated Treaty dealing with economic and social cohesion differs in the various official languages. For example, the French version states that the Community shall aim at reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions and the backwardness of regions or islands that are least favoured. However, the Italian version states that it shall aim to reduce the disparities for all islands, and not just the least favoured. As for the English version, it can even be interpreted both ways owing to the position of the adjective in the sentence.

This debate has given rise to protracted academic discussions within the EU institutions, and there have been appeals to the Court of Justice of the European Communities in Luxembourg. But all of the versions are “official”, which is just tough luck for our islands! ...

---

• Read the article     

---

• See all CPMR events