The Blue Book

An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union -The Blue Book

The European Commission launched a comprehensive consultation and analysis of how Europe relates to the sea. See Report on the Consultation process -COM(2007)547

Building in this valuable input the Commission presented, on 10 October 2007, its vision for an Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union. This vision is based on the clear recognition that all matters relating to Europe's oceans and seas are interlinked, and that sea-related policies must develop in a joined-up way if are to reap the desired results

The Blue Book lays the foundation for the governance framework and cross-sectoral tools necessary for an EU Integrated Maritime Policy and sets out the main actions that the Commission will pursue during the course of this mandate. These actions will be guided by the principles of subsidiarity and competitiveness, the ecosystem approach, and stakeholder participation.

An EU Integrated Maritime Policy will:

• Change the way we make policy and take decisions -an integrated, inter-sectoral approach is strongly advocated for
• Develop and deliver a programme of work -action under the different sectoral policies must develop in a coherent policy framework