MaritimeRapporteursReportFinal2021

BSPCBaltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceReport by the Rapporteurs of the Baltic SeaParliamentary Conference (BSPC) ondevelopments in Integrated Maritime PolicyFinal VersionSeptember 2021The BSPC Rapporteurs on Integrated Maritime Policy The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) was established in 1991 as a forum for po-© Schwerin, 2021 litical dialogue between parliamentarians from the Baltic Sea Region. BSPC aims at raisingawareness and opinion on issues of current political interest and relevance for the Baltic SeaRegion. It promotes and drives various initiatives and efforts to support a sustainable envi-Text: Jochen Schulte and Jörgen Pettersson ronmental, social and economic development of the Baltic Sea Region. It strives at enhanc-Editing: Carmen Hohlfeld, Georg Strätker and Bodo Bahr ing the visibility of the Baltic Sea Region and its issues in a wider European context.Layout: produktionsbüro TINUS BSPC gathers parliamentarians from 11 national parliaments, 11 regional parliaments andPhotos: BSPC Secretariat 5 parliamentary organisations around the Baltic Sea. The BSPC thus constitutes a uniqueparliamentary bridge between all the EU- and non-EU countries of the Baltic Sea Region.BSPC external interfaces include parliamentary, governmental, sub-regional and other or-ganizations in the Baltic Sea Region and the Northern Dimension area, among them CBSS,HELCOM, the Northern Dimension Partnership in Health and Social Well-Being(NDPHS), the Baltic Sea Labour Forum (BSLF), the Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Coop-Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference eration (BSSSC) and the Baltic Development Forum.Bodo Bahr BSPC shall initiate and guide political activities in the region; support and strengthen dem-Secretary General ocratic institutions in the participating states; improve dialogue between governments, par-+49 171 5512557 liaments and civil society; strengthen the common identity of the Baltic Sea Region bybodo.bahr@bspcmail.net means of close co-operation between national and regional parliaments on the basis ofwww.bspc.net equality; and initiate and guide political activities in the Baltic Sea Region, endowing themwith additional democratic legitimacy and parliamentary authority.The political recommendations of the annual Parliamentary Conferences are expressed in aBSPC Secretariat Conference Resolution adopted by consensus by the Conference. The adopted ResolutionSchlossgartenallee 15 shall be submitted to the governments of the Baltic Sea Region, the CBSS and the EU, and19061 Schwerin disseminated to other relevant national, regional and local stakeholders in the Baltic Sea Re-Germany gion and its neighbourhood.Contents 3ContentsPreface ...............................................................................................................................................................6List of Abbreviations ..........................................................................................................................................8A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events ........................................................101. Our Baltic Conference .................................................................................................................102. 11th European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Forum ....................................................113. Council of Baltic Sea States Expert Group on Sustainable Maritime Economy ................................164. IMO Day of the Seafarer .............................................................................................................235. International Ocean Governance Forum .......................................................................................236. 13th Baltic Tourism Forum ..........................................................................................................247. Our Ocean Conference ................................................................................................................258. UN World Oceans Day ................................................................................................................259. Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) to foster macro-regional cooperationin the Baltic Sea Region on Smart Specialisation Strategies ............................................................2610. Shippax Ferry Conference .............................................................................................................2711. European Maritime Day 2021 ....................................................................................................2712. 13th Baltic Sea Region Forum 2021 ............................................................................................41Contents 4B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members .........................................44I. Blue Growth and overarching aspects ................................................................................................441. 2021 EU Blue Economy report – Main trends 2018 and recent findings .................................442. Increase investment in the sustainable Blue Economy: EU Commission andEuropean Investment Bank Group join forces ..........................................................................473. Key-aspects of the Blue Economy ............................................................................................474. Initiatives related to maritime policy in the EU Commission‘s 2021 Work Programme ..............525. BlueInvest .............................................................................................................................586. Activities in the European Committee of the Regions ................................................................587. Publication on the Marine Regions Forum ..............................................................................618. The new European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency .......................629. A practical guide for EU cooperation on coast guard activities ..................................................6310. Research and Innovation ........................................................................................................6311. EU mission for healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters .................................................6512. Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) .............................................................................6613. Common Fisheries .................................................................................................................6914. Blue Bioeconomy and Blue Biotechnology ..............................................................................75II. Energy aspects with regard to maritime policy ...................................................................................831. Green Energy projects .............................................................................................................832. Energy Transition ..................................................................................................................853. Offshore Renewable Energy for a Climate Neutral Europe .......................................................904. Wave energy ..........................................................................................................................935. Nord Stream 2 ......................................................................................................................94Contents 5III. Infrastructural aspects with regard to maritime policy .....................................................................961. EU maritime security infrastructure .......................................................................................962. Maritime Spatial Planning ....................................................................................................973. New developments in shipping infrastructure ...........................................................................99IV. Environmental aspects with regard to maritime policy including climate protection .........................1011. Money keeps flowing into activities that harm the ocean ........................................................1012. New report: EU’s performance on the UN sustainable development goal 14 ............................1023. Creation of the “Foundation Climate and EnvironmentalProtection Mecklenburg-Vorpommern” .................................................................................1034. EU-Atlas of the Seas.............................................................................................................1055. Information on Marine litter ...............................................................................................1066. Summary of the public consultation on the way forward for theEuropean Union’s Arctic policy .............................................................................................1067. Turning the tide: How to finance a sustainable ocean recovery ...............................................1078. No quick fixes for quicksilver - but EU supports innovative solutions with MER-CLUB .........1089. Ocean conservation: EU takes lead in international effort to establish newMarine Protected Areas in Antarctica ...................................................................................109Preface 6Jochen Schulte Jörgen PetterssonPrefaceThis report is dedicated to providing an overview of recent developments, events, innovations and actionsin the field of Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP), focussing on Blue Growth, energy, infrastructure andenvironmental aspects of maritime policy, also including ocean governance and research. A focus is laid onautonomous ships besides the improvement of air. The report is addressing EU (legislative) developmentsin the field (see section B) after selectively referring to important maritime events (see section A), whichhave been followed by the maritime Rapporteurs MP Jochen Schulte (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) andMP Jörgen Pettersson (Åland Islands).Indeed, one cannot overlook the impact of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Due to constantlyglobally and regionally changing infection rates, the hazard of collapsing health systems and new virusvariations, national governments imposed several lockdowns and further containment measures, causingpartly unsurmountable obstacles also for the international merchant and cruise shipping. Within theBaltic Sea Region (BSR) the total number of cruise guests decreased by 99 % in 2020 in comparison to2019, and the total number of calls decreased by 96 %. Because of outbreaks of COVID-19 infectionsamong port crews, several terminals at important industrial ports needed to be closed, as for instanceChina’s second largest port, Ningbo, causing a massive disruption of global delivery chains, also in theBSR. Events like the accident of the EVERGIVEN in the Suez Canal also disrupted delivery chains.Preface 7The pandemic has shown how essential merchant shipping was and is to the global economy and deliveryof goods. Still, the branch of merchant shipping is profitable business. The pandemic also led to anunexpected boom of the branch. Since the number of available containers is limited and lockdownsevoked an unexpectedly strong increase in demand regarding online shopping, prices for freight routeshave been rising. According to the “Financial Times”, freight rates on the most important shipping routebetween China and Northern Europe have tripled, in some cases even quadrupled around the time of theturn of the year 2020/21. Cargo prices of international shipping rose by 46 % in the first half of the year.The Brexit and the “dual transition” also influenced the latest developments in the field of IMP. Thereforethe consequences of all these events are being addressed in this current report as well.As a source of food and energy, as a trade, transport and traffic route the resilience of the Baltic Seais getting more important than ever and therefore is worth protecting with combined forces. Marineorganisms produce more than half of the oxygen we breathe. Additionally marine waters absorb onequarter of the annual human-induced CO2 emission. Maritime stakeholders work on promoting thegreen transition. What also can be noticed is a comeback of sailing vessels and larger engine manufacturessearching for sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. Of course, ports will play an important role to makethe BSR a model region for sustainability and green solutions.EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius, said in October2020, the EU had to deliver regarding the implementation of the EU biodiversity strategy. 30 % of theocean are supposed to become protected areas by 2030 according to the EU Green Deal.What is important is that the BSPC and BSR cope with challenges and obstacles ahead jointly. Scientistspredict a global temperature rise of six degrees Celsius and a rise of the sea level of about one metre bythe end of the 21st century. Those are developments that will have an enormous impact on the BSR,for instance causing coastal erosion, leading to higher annual temperature fluctuations or evoking morenatural catastrophes and the danger of extinction of living creatures. Continuous efforts are necessary topreserve the Baltic Sea – our source of prosperity and well-being – to cushion the effects of constantlychanging circumstances. As Baltic Sea Parliamentarians, we will continue observing the developments inthe important field of IMP.Jochen Schulte Jörgen PetterssonMaritime Rapporteur Maritime RapporteurList of Abbreviations 8List of AbbreviationsBBNJ UN Treaty on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity of Areasbeyond National JurisdictionBSAP Baltic Sea Action PlanBSR Baltic Sea RegionBSTF Baltic Sea Tourism ForumCBSS Council of Baltic Sea StatesCFP EU Common Fisheries PolicyCINEA European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive AgencyCISE Common Information Sharing EnvironmentCOP Conference of the PartiesCoR European Committee of the RegionsCPMR Conference of Peripheral Maritime RegionsDG MARE Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and FisheriesDG REGIO Directorate-General for regional and urban policy of the EU CommissionEASME Executive Agency for SMEsEC EU CommissionECSA European Community Shipowners’ AssociationEFCA European Fisheries Control AgencyEFTA European Free Trade AssociationEGSME CBSS Expert Group on Sustainable Maritime EconomyEIF European Investment FundEMD European Maritime DayEMFAF European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture FundEMFF European Maritime and Fisheries FundEMSA European Maritime Safety AgencyERDF European Rural Development FundESF European Social FundList of Abbreviations 9ESPON European Spatial Planning Observation NetworkEU ETS European Union Emissions Trading SchemeEUMOFA European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture ProductsEUSBSR European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea RegionFAO UN Food and Agriculture OrganizationFrontex European Border and Coast Guard AgencyGHG Greenhouse gasHELCOM Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission/Helsinki CommissionIMO International Maritime OrganizationIMP Integrated Maritime PolicyIOG International Ocean GovernanceJTF Just Transition FundLNG Liquefied Natural GasMS EU member statesMSFD EU Marine Strategy Framework DirectiveMSP Maritime Spatial PlanningMSY Maximum Sustainable YieldNGOs Non-governmental organisationsOPS Onshore power supplySDGs UN Sustainable Development GoalsSMEs Small and medium-sized enterprisesSSCF Small-scale coastal fleetUN United NationsUNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the SeaUNEP FI UN Environment Programme Finance InitiativeUNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizationWTO World Trade OrganizationWWF World Wide Fund for NatureA – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 10A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and otherImportant EventsDue to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, also in this reporting period, many popular maritime eventswere cancelled or could only take place in a digital format.1. Our Baltic ConferenceOn 28 September 2020, the “Our Baltic Conference”,1 convened by the European Commissioner for En-vironment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, took place with the participation of ministers,decision-makers and representatives from science, industry and civil society.It was supposed to tackle the environmental factors affecting the Baltic Sea, such as biodiversity loss andclimate change, eutrophication, overfishing and pollution.The event combined a high-level Ministerial session and stakeholder discussions.A highlight of the conference was the adoption of a Declaration by the Ministers of Environment, Agri-culture and Fisheries of the seven neighbouring EU member states (MS) Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lat-via, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden.2The declaration sets the following goals, among others: Combating eutrophication through sustainableagricultural practices, reducing marine pollution, ensuring sustainable agriculture and fisheries and pro-viding financial support for the Blue Economy.In addition to general risks such as loss of biodiversity and climate change, the Baltic Sea is also exposedto highly specific local pressures such as eutrophication, overfishing, high levels of contamination withpharmaceuticals, among other things, and waste, especially plastic waste. Out of concern about the poor1 See: https://ec.europa.eu/info/events/our-baltic-conference_en.2 The document can be found here: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/ministerial_declaration_our_baltic_conference.pdf.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 11state of the Baltic Sea and its marine environment, the EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans andFisheries, Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius, organized this high-level conference on possible remedies.In line with the EU’s biodiversity strategy and the zero-pollution target announced in the EuropeanGreen Deal, the conference focused on how to reduce the pressure from fishing and the discharge of pol-lutants, waste and contaminants, including pharmaceuticals. The conference aimed to strengthen thecommitment to existing targets in this area in EU legislation and to pave the way for further commit-ments and new measures to address these problems.2. 11th European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region ForumOn 20 October 2020, the 11th European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) Forum tookplace online.Three plenary sessions focussed on EUSBSR implementation. Current opportunities were named next tothe policies that will guide the future of the EUSBSR. In addition, the forum treated the question howthe EUSBSR could be used to create a “new normal” with regard to the COVID-19-crisis. The updatedBaltic Sea Region’s (BSR) action plan (BASAP) and BSR programme cooperation were highlighted, forinstance cooperation for a sustainable urban structure and local emission compensation models.During the opening session, participants made clear that the three objectives of the EUSBSR – ‘Save theSea’, ‘Connect the Region’ and ‘Increase Prosperity’ should not be thought of as silos, but were intercon-nected and indivisible as the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). For ex-ample, it was impossible to increase prosperity without truly connecting the region, and vice versa; im-proving the ecological situation of the Baltic Sea depended heavily on the region’s prosperity, but the re-gion could not really prosper around a polluted sea.Due to the interconnectedness of the EUSBSR objectives and policy areas, the main idea of the forumwas to facilitate the creation of innovative multi-disciplinary teams which will tackle some of the mostpressing issues from different angles, while keeping in mind overall sustainability of the region as a guid-ing principle. The EUSBSR community - already 10 years old and having developed its new Action Plan- needed renewed political support to guide the BSR towards a decade of innovation and sustainability.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 12Opening sessionA representative from the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) presented coordinating activities in the EU-SBSR horizontal action “neighbours”, that allowed to deepen cooperation between neighbouring coun-tries, like the Russian Federation, Iceland, Norway and the EU, and in the EUSBSR horizontal action“climate”. The CBSS also contributed to the organization of the Baltic Sea virtual Youth Camp, which hasissued a declaration (see: cbss.org) transporting their views on the EUSBSR and their proposals per poli-cy area.Ms Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland, pointed to the urgent need to define new ways of work-ing together that firmly consider aspects of sustainability and the protection of the Baltic Sea. In her view,this was due to the fact that the state of the Baltic Sea is deteriorating since the 1960s. Institutions dedi-cated to the protection of the sea and the many other networks that have emerged had given clear targetsthrough their agreements. In order to keep the Baltic Sea as a source of prosperity and well-being theseagreements would need to be implemented.Ms. Elisa Ferreira, EU Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms held a speech through a pre-recordedvideo message. She demanded democratic development as a prerequisite for a prosperous region. Further-more, she stressed the urgent need for the green transition. The vision of the European Commission (EC)was to become the first climate neutral region. In addition, her speech laid a focus on the digital transi-tion. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) would need support to manage the digital transition.The EC is emphasizing e-governance, digital innovation, digitalisation and an exchance of best practiceand knowledge throughout the BSR. She also stressed that the EUSBSR Action Plan was an importantinstrument to foster the green and digital transition.First plenaryThe first plenary was dedicated to the topic “Cooperation for Innovation and Sustainability – better to-gether (even during a pandemic)”.Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, EC, stressed dur-ing his presentation of the opening keynote that the EUSBSR provided a unique platform for multi-leveland multi-stakeholder cooperation. Saving the Baltic Sea was a key objective. He reported that on the 28thof September 2020 for the first time ever the EU ministers for fisheries and agriculture had adopted acommon declaration, committing themselves to joint action to protect the sea. He encouraged coopera-tion between the EUSBSR and the Baltic Marine Environment Commission/ Helsinki CommissionA – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 13(HELCOM), noticing that the 2018 HELCOM Minister Declaration called to more regional coopera-tion as well. Mentioning that through its macroregional strategies and flagship projects the EU supportedsmart specialization, he saw in smart specialization a key to regional development and a prosperous BlueEconomy.Mr Tālis Linkaits, Minister for Transport of the Republic of Latvia gave examples of regional cooperationthat helped Latvia contribute to the prosperity of the region. For instance, Latvia had organised two work-shops on transportation experiences in Eurasia. He also reported that Latvia had held the presidency ofthe CBSS and had organised a conference on the development of smart maritime economy. It was impor-tant to stress that participation in international projects strengthens national maritime industries. Cur-rently, one of Latvia’s main priorities was to improve port infrastructure sustainability.During the panel discussion, HELCOM, CBSS and the EUSBSR where mentioned as successful andpowerful examples of cooperation in the BSR anlongside several examples of regional cooperation be-tween local stakeholders. Regarding the EUSBSR flagship project “The Baltic University Programme”, acooperation of eight universities working in different disciplines contributing to the achievement of UNSDGs, was mentioned. Maritime safety efforts by the Russian Federation, Estonia and Finland were an-other example of successful practical cooperation that had already prevented several oil accidents in theGulf of Finland. Still, the cooperation between authorities and the industry was nonsatisfying. Also, therewas a need for cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination.The participants of the discussion additionally made clear that climate change and eutrophication wereseen as the biggest challenges which the BSR has to face nowadays. What is more, the participants stressedthe issue that many strategies focused on national efforts. Instead, joint efforts were required.In the course of the discussion, the participants examined concrete suggestions to improve policy imple-mentation, namely climate initiatives and tracking CO2 collaboratively. These days one could see howdifferent stakeholders were waiting for other stakholders to make the first move. Therefore, collaborativemulti-actor initiatives could be a solution. Mr Christos Economou, Acting Director of Directorate-Gen-eral for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), EC, stated in this context that public-private collab-oration in the sphere of renewable energy was important. The Baltic Blue Growth Flagship Project was asuccessful example of public-private collaboration. Moreover, he demanded that all recovery plans that aremade to tackle the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic should lay a focus on sustainability as well.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 14Second plenaryThe second plenary was held under the title “Working together, merging knowledge and skills. Emerging ar-eas of joint, multidisciplinary actions”. It gave a glimpse of how the Forum’s workshops were conducted andpresented results. The discussion afterwards was meant to focus on the emerging areas of cooperation. Theplenary started with the opening keynote by Mr Mika Lintilä, Minister of Economic Affairs of Finland. Hehighlighted the central importance of the Baltic Sea to the countries in the region, especially in terms oftrade. The Baltic Sea Action Plan (BASAP) provided a more comprehensive basis for the allocation of EUstructural funds. At the same time, the implementation of the strategy had to be strengthened.Mr Taavi Aas, Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure of Estonia explained that it was a goal topromote real-time economy, which was already an important flagship in the Action Plan. He reportedthat states had already taken steps towards real-time economy implementation, especially during theCOVID-19 pandemic.During the panel discussion, participants exchanged thoughts on the question which areas would benefitmost from joint efforts and strategies. Ms Krystyna Wróblewska, General Secretary, Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Cooperation, highlighted digitalisation. But she also reminded the audience that digital technol-ogies should be understood by people. It was important to bring scientists and people together and toshare knowledge. Mr Andreas Edel, Executive Secretary, Population Europe / Max Planck Institute forDemographic Research, Berlin, Germany, pointed out that the COVID-19 crisis had shown that the BSRwas well equipped to tackle the consequences. Still there were major weaknesses. Some groups of peoplewere better equipped to deal with the crisis than others. It was important to focus even more on educa-tion. In the area of social policy, more research on resilience, life-long learning and diversity in order tomake the region stronger should be established. Ms Ülla-Karin Nurm, Director of the Northern Dimen-sion Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being urged that the economy of well-being was oftenoverlooked in the EUSBSR even though good health enhanced good quality of life and workforce pro-ductivity. In that context Ms Aline Mayr, representative of the Baltic Sea Youth Platform presented theaspect that especially the mental health of young people was overlooked. There was a lot of insecurityamong the youth. That is why the SDGs had to be more in the focus of the EUSBSR.During the discussion, the participants also faced the question of how the BSR has fared regarding resil-ience in the crisis. The participants agreed on the fact that the crisis had uncovered major differences be-tween social groups. Morten Jastrup, Managing Partner of Nordic Sustainability criticized that in agricul-ture, forestry and aquaculture there was no resilient biosystem. To foster collaboration it was importantto make significant progress in digitalisation.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 15To build a more inclusive society, participants agreed on the need to involve and connect all stakeholders, espe-cially the regionals and locals, and to create an environment in which all age groups and all groups of society couldlive in. To reach that goal it was important to encourage cooperative models of new knowledge as well as to reachout to the local level, to the civil society. Aline Mayr also proposed that the EUSBSR should fund smaller projectsfor the implementation of local low-scale activities, too, not only the big international multidisciplinary projects.There was consensus that a “new reality” should be created instead of going back to the “old normal”.Third plenaryThe last plenary, held under the topic “Shaping the prosperous, competitive and sustainable future of theBaltic Sea Region – what will guide us for the next 10 years?”, gathered a diverse group of experts bothfrom within and outside the EUSBSR and was meant to dicuss the future of the EUSBSR and to outlinethe main policies that would shape the strategy in the next 10 years. In that context, the panel consideredthe recently updated EUSBSR Action Plan next to global and European policies.Mr Normunds Popens, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Pol-icy, EC, delivered a keynote. According to Mr Popens, the BASAP is seen as an instrument to contributeto the green and digital transition. It required action on all levels. The macroregional strategies played avery important role because they allowed bringing different stakeholders together and involving them inthe implementation process. A focus should be laid on innovation and research. Smart specializationstrategies and interregional cooperation were central, as well as territorial cooperation projects. It was im-portant to make sure that people know what is done.Ms Helena Tuuri, Ambassador for Baltic Sea Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland examined themost remarkable updates of the Action Plan. It became shorter in order to be more readable. It specifical-ly laid a focus on defining responsibilities and empowering stakeholders. What could be seen was an in-clusion of a link to the SDGs and of new frameworks. Furthermore, it addressed current challenges.Moreover, the participants discussed the most inmportant actions of the Action Plan. All could agree onthe importance of interaction and cooperation between stakeholders and regions, especially between mar-itime cities throughout the BSR. Implementation as well as communication should be enhanced. It wasimportant to make strategies and priorities more transparent. Strenghtening the public sector throughbuilding a reliable and robust infrastructure was also of major importance. Especially regarding the greentransition, the BSR should promote regulatory harmonization. Additionally, strong cooperation withnon-EU neighbouring countries should be maintained.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 16Closing remarksIn his closing remarks, Mr Pekka Haavisto, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Finland, stated that the BASAPcovered all the priorities of the strategy. New challenges were becoming more urgent and needed to be ad-dressed jointly. The EUSBSR had been successful in stimulating networks across the region.3. Council of Baltic Sea States Expert Group on Sustainable MaritimeEconomyMr Jörgen Pettersson is serving as an observer in the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Expert Groupon Sustaina ble Maritime Economy (EGSME). During its online meeting on 3 February 2021, the elec-trifying potential in shipping was discussed, i.e. shore-side power generation in ports.The digital conference brought together over 100 participants with speakers from across the BSR, also in-cluding the non-EU members Russia and Norway, to discuss practical examples, the policy context ofshore-side power facilities and how a transformation towards a greener shipping and cruise industry in theBSR can be ensured.Ms Lea Wermelin, Danish Minister for the Environment, declared that economic recovery should focuson developing the Baltic Sea Area as the world’s most sustainable cruise destination, and on making shorepower accessible in the most-visited cruise ports by 2030. Her contribution preceded the one made byGrzegorz Marek Poznanski, Director General of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) who high-lighted the CBSS’ holistic and cross-sectoral approach in promoting the sustainable maritime economy.Finally, Mr Poznanski welcomed the Lithuanian presidency of the CBSS Expert Group for SustainableMaritime Economy.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 17Lessons learnedOpportunities during the crisisThere is the need to build back better after the pandemic, and it is a critical time for the climate. In addi-tion, shore-side power generation results in healthier and more attractive port-side communities.The cruise industry can be expected to bounce back after COVID-19. Recovery funding can only be spentonce, so it is important that it created the foundation for a sustainable cruise and shipping industry.The policy framework has set the stage for actionThe European Green Deal offers opportunity for onshore power supply (OPS) to contribute to the goalof a climate-neutral continent. The policy area of clean shipping creates an opportunity for the BSR “tobecome a model region for clean shipping”.The Council of Ministers for the Environment and Climate declaration aims at making the region theworld’s most sustainable cruise destination, and promotes investments in OPS to contribute to the greenrecovery and job creation. VISION Baltic 2030, the Reikjavik Declaration and Bornholm Declarationplay a crucial role, too.There are challenges that still must be overcomeThree bottlenecks have been identified: financing, energy tax, and lack of green electricity. There is a needfor green energy first: it is not effective to set up on-shore power, if there is no clean energy produced lo-cally. Financing is needed as installation comes at a high cost, and stakeholder coordination and involve-ment are crucial across many different groups. The risk, that power is installed in ports where ships do notneed it, should be avoided.Yet practical opportunities aboundThe BSR has an opportunity to create a shared identification and brand around the challenge of becom-ing a sustainable cruise destination. As regards funding, there is a business case for shore-side power gen-eration, and EU funds are also available. The cruise industry should be developed in this aspect first, andshipping can follow. Cruise ships require by far the largest electricity capacity and by scaling to them fromthe onset, expanding to commercial shipping becomes easier.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 18In conclusionPorts have an important role to play to make the BSR a model region for sustainability and green solu-tions, in line with national strategies of CBSS member states and the EU Green Deal to achieve climateneutrality and cut transport emissions by 90% in 2050. There is an opportunity to earn the reputation asa sustainable tourism destination. Collaboration is key, across the Baltic Sea countries and between all ac-tors: port owners and ship owners, local governments, and citizens. The time to take action is now, withthe political framework, financial opportunities, political will, and human capacity all in place.Practical exampleThe enterprises Alfa Laval and Wallenius agreed on a joint venture to develop modern wind propulsion,based on telescopic wing sails able to turn 360°, with an aim to radically reduce the marine industry’s car-bon footprint and overall emissions. Alfa Laval and Wallenius have announced their intent to form a new50/50 joint venture. “AlfaWall Oceanbird” will focus on the development and realization of technologyfor fully wind-powered vessel propulsion.The technology will be valid for any vessel type, but it will be implemented first on a transatlantic car carrier.Power-to-X, the new superheroHow do you create carbon neutral, synthetic fuels? Where can they be used? What can be done to accel-erate decarbonisation – and, eventually, to replace the use of fossil fuels altogether?3Power-to-X is a process which allows the creation of carbon neutral and renewable synthetic fuels by cap-turing CO2 from the air and combining it with hydrogen. Hydrogen can be used ‘as is’ in many applica-tions – but that’s not all hydrogen can do to shake up the energy markets.In fact, Power-to-X can be used to produce fuels such as synthetic methane, methanol, ammonia, kerosene,gasoline and diesel. The starting point is simple enough: The emerging hydrogen economy wants to usegreen hydrogen as a fuel for industry, power generation, heat, and transportation. It will also be utilised as araw material for production of the before-mentioned future fuels for longer-term storage of energy.3 See: https://www.wartsila.com/insights/article/fuels-of-the-future.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 19In the future, then, renewable energy systems, hydrogen and other carbon-neutral synthetic fuels can re-place, for example, gasoline as a transport fuel or natural gas as fuel for power generation. Mr Kaj Portin,General Manager, Sustainable Fuels & Decarbonisation, at Wärtsilä says that a hydrogen economy is verymuch the way of the future: “Renewable energy sources, such as solar, hydro and wind power, will be uti-lised to whatever extent we can, and the excess electricity produced will be used to make green hydrogenand used as such, or, instead, turned into other fuels,” he lays out the game plan.“The technology is there to make this massive change happen. Now it’s a matter of taking hydrogen to theindustrial scale,” says Mr Tommi Rintamäki, Senior Manager, Power-to-X, at Wärtsilä.Coronavirus – need for solutions to save shippingThe COVID-19 pandemic has been heavily impacting on the shipping industry and seafarers themselves,and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is working tirelessly at all levels to find solutions.4Travel restrictions imposed by governments around the world have created significant hurdles to crewchanges and repatriation of seafarers, which has led to a growing humanitarian crisis as well as significantconcerns for the safety of seafarers and shipping. IMO has intervened promptly by urging its memberstates to designate seafarers as key workers, so they can travel between the ships that constitute their work-place, and their countries of residence.Seafarers have been collateral victims of the crisis, as travel restrictions have left tens of thousands of themstranded on ships, or unable to join ships. IMO has established a Seafarer Crisis Action Team to helpthem out of a variety of critical situations.Ten ways to more sustainabilityDNV Group, a classification society and advisor for the maritime industry, is involved in every part ofshipping. They are returning guests to the Åland Maritime Day which has been organized digitally dur-ing the year. They have produced a report (see section B.II)5 where they highlight ten technologies settingthe pace of the energy transition over the next five years.4 https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx.5 https://eto.dnv.com/technology-progress-report-2021.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 20One Sea Autonomous Maritime EcosystemOne Sea is a high-profile innovation ecosystem with a primary aim to lead the way towards an operatingautonomous maritime ecosystem by 2025. A new white paper6 from the One Sea Ecosystem outlines thesignificant contribution autonomous ship technology can make to improving maritime safety. Moreover,it points out insurance and classification issues and highlights the urgent need for a revised regulatoryframework. For instance, the current legal framework was lacking the basic language to account for au-tonomous ships.According to the members of the One Sea alliance, in the years ahead, autonomous ships will be makinga significant contribution to raising industry productivity and shipboard capacity for cargo and/or fuel,enhancing sustainability and improving the conditions of those working at sea. In their view, there werefew technological constraints regarding autonomous ships.The One Sea white paper states that, where ‘autonomy’ includes the greater use of automated systems indeepsea and coastal trades, remote control systems to improve tug and port service vessel safety in busyport areas, or fully autonomous systems for short-haul crossings between two points, the vessels con-cerned will continue to be manned. Indeed, far from posing a threat to seafarers’ jobs, such solutions willdemand new skill sets of seagoing personnel. In addition, autonomous ship technology provides a focusfor “removing humans from hazardous working environments onboard vessels, reducing the likelihood ofhuman error by introducing smarter systems that are highly automated and autonomous to various de-grees, (and) improving the internal and external situational awareness”. Giving the example of the ultralarge container ship, Ever Given, which caused one of shipping’s highest-profile accidents when shegrounded and blocked the Suez Canal, the white paper underlined that the ship actually had two pilotson board at the time. In some cases, autonomous ships may be better at responding to distress signals (yetsometimes there can be no substitute for visual identification).The white paper, on the way to facilitate autonomous maritime logistics, also identifies as waypoints theestablishment of new systems and procedures, based on the internet-of-things.The digital revolution has come upon global shipping so quickly, that it is no great surprise that cyber se-curity systems have not necessarily kept pace with progress, the authors consider. Active risk managementhad to follow. Nevertheless, in contrast to existing ships incorporating monitored components from6 https://smartmaritimenetwork.com/2021/06/21/one-sea-publishes-autonomous-ships-and-safety-at-sea-white-paper/.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 21different original equip ment manufacturers who have their own security systems, a newly designed vesselwith autonomous capabilities, such as Yara Birkeland, would have been developed with a holistic ap-proach to cyber security in mind.Currently, there are no autonomous ships actually in operation. Fully autonomous ships are likely stillseveral years away. The abilities of autonomous systems so far are limited to specific tasks such as naviga-tion or controlling industrial machinery.The vast majority of owners and operators is open towards the automation of certain procedures (elec-tronic chart display and information systems) but view autonomy in shipping with some caution. In adeep ocean context there is even more scepticism.Also, many seagoing personnel - and particularly elderly people - view the steady advance of digital tech-nologies and, in the future, higher levels of autonomy as a pending threat to employment and good work-ing conditions in the 24/7 shipboard environment.It is nonetheless widely accepted that automation, real-time connectivity, sensors, the cloud, data analysisand remote monitoring will have a growing impact on the maritime sector and that their adoption is like-ly to accelerate further as the sector tries to cope with decarbonisation.Sensing, tracking, simultaneous real-time monitoring on ship and shore, artificial intelligence, machinelearning, virtual engineering and augmented reality are just some of the technologies that now facilitatenew strategies in ship operation. They enable component condition and performance monitoring, voyageoptimisation, just-in-time arrival, and entirely new strategies for maintenance of components on board.One must also not forget shore-based procedures that will become even more important in the wake ofthe new technologies.In the maritime context, the adoption of digital systems for administration and day-to-day operationsmanagement provide early examples of automated processes that have a significant impact in the indus-try. Examples include digital maintenance management, remote surveys, shore management centresmanned by experts, and various software systems designed to support operational efficiency includingvoyage performance, weather routing, speed and consumption.In April 2021, the Maritime Technologies Forum, MTF was launched which aims at bridging the men-tioned gap between technology knowledge and the regulatory process.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 22Example of how maritime policies is formed in FinlandThe Finnish maritime cluster is significant by international standards. There is strong high technology de-velopment like digitalisation and environmental expertise in Finland, and these areas represent two glob-al megatrends. Among Finland’s defining characteristics are its small size, agility and mutual trust, whichare reflected in strong collaboration between the public sector and companies. Various joint projects arealso spawning startups.7 The Finnish Maritime Cluster includes the Finnish Shipowners’ Association, theFinnish Port Association, the Finnish Port Operators Association and Finnish Marine Industries.Expert Group on Sustainable Maritime Economy (EGSME) report 2021Under the Lithuanian Presidency 2020-2021, Sustainable coastal tourism was a priority.The implementation of the Project BALTIC SUSTAINABLE BOATING, which started in September2020, was prolonged due to the situation with pandemic/travel restrictions to March 2022.The project is a direct outcome of the Latvian presidency in EGSME and its priority on small harbours’cooperation. Common marketing strategies of the BSR as entire destination for yachting/boating are keyelements, where sustainability is the most important part of the Region’s Brand. The Baltic SustainableBoating Project, taking the best experience and outcomes of the implemented projects, is aiming to builda network, which unites the guest harbours from all parts of the region. The project’s activities are focusedon competence development of guest harbours regarding sustainability issues in their work next to inter-nationalisation and joint marketing. The prototype of BSR Guest Harbour Guide, a plan of measures forthe creation of a common quality mark for BSR guest harbours and for the testing of strategies for jointpromotion will be the outcomes of the project.The Norwegian presidency’s priorities for the EGSME in 2021-2022 will be based on the white paper onthe Norwegian maritime policy Greener and smarter – tomorrow’s maritime industry, launched in De-cember 2020, which highlights green shipping and digitalization, and thus continues on the same line ofpriorities of previous presidencies. In that regard, discussions on policies as well as industrial initiatives ongreen shipping and digitalization will take place.7 See: https://fmc-yearbook.com/.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 234. IMO Day of the SeafarerOn June 25th 2021, the International Day of the Seafarer, the IMO reminded of the strenuous efforts ofover 1.6 million seafarers, men and women at sea in Europe and all around the world. Every year, Euro-pean shipping contributes around €149 billion to the EU’s GDP and 2 million jobs.76% of the EU’s external trade in goods and 32% of its internal transport of goods is carried by ships.Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the European shipping industry has been working evenharder to ensure that vital goods such as food and medical supplies, as well as energy supplies, and thetransport services continue to be delivered to millions of EU citizens. All of this was largely due to seafar-ers, and as Kitack Lim – IMO Secretary General – mentioned: “Seafarers have always been at the heart ofworld trade, and their work touches the lives of each and every one of us”.The European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA) encourages European governments to recog-nise seafarers as key workers, and advocates for fair working and living conditions during and after thepandemic. Suitably qualified and trained seafarers are essential to achieving safe, secure, environmentallysound and efficient shipping as well as attractive and inclusive careers in the maritime sector.On 25 June 2021, ECSA was addressing the seafarers through a video campaign to let them know aboutthe many concrete actions that European shipowners are carrying out – in collaboration with exchangetraded funds and thanks to EU funding - to contribute to an attractive, smart and sustainable workingenvironment in the EU shipping sector.5. International Ocean Governance ForumThe European Commission in association with the European External Action Service invited ocean stake-holders worldwide to the presentation of the final recommendations for ocean sustainability action by theEU’s International Ocean Governance (IOG) Forum.The event took place in a virtual format on 20 April 2021.88 For further information, a video can be found here: https://3rd-iog-forum.fresh-thoughts.eu/.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 24The European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius openedthe event. Keynote speakers from the EU’s international partners shareed their vision for ocean sustaina-bility. Dedicated panel sessions with ocean stakeholders and key services of the EC discussed the IOG Fo-rum recommendations and their uptake in EU policies. Ms Kristin de Peyron, Director, Deputy Manag-ing Director of the European External Action Service brought in the EU foreign policy angle.The event marked the conclusion of the open and inclusive consultation process on International OceanGovernance launched by the European Commission in association with the European External ActionService in 2020 with the establishment of the IOG forum. The recommendations will support the devel-opment of the International Ocean Governance Agenda –the EU’s plan of action for the future of ouroceans. The Agenda is an integral part of the European Green Deal and the EU’s response to the UnitedNations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular, the Sustainable Development Goal 14“to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources”.6. 13th Baltic Tourism ForumLithuania hosted the 13th Baltic Sea Tourism Forum ‘Reviving tourism in times of global change’ (BSTF)on 10-13 November 2020 under the conditions of an unprecedented and uncertain situation of COV-ID-19. The BSTF has been one of the events under the Lithuanian Presidency of the CBSS 2020–2021.The BSTF, organised by the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania andthe Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tourist Board, was held online for four days for the first time.The organisers of the BSTF considered current issues and priorities of the Lithuanian Presidency. The Lith-uanian Presidency is focusing on achievable, practical, and visible priorities, one of which is dedicated to sus-tainable development as well as green and maritime tourism as an important sector in reviving regional econ-omy, increasing the region‘s visibility and giving employment opportunities to young people.With more than 240 registered participants, the BSTF became an inspiring event for all the members ofthe tourism society of the BSR, and to the international organisations including the UN World Trade Or-ganization (WTO), the European Commission, the European Travel Commission, and the CBSS.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 25In the framework of the Lithuanian Presidency in the CBSS, the tourism ministers and highlevel repre-sentatives from the CBSS member states have gathered to discuss the “Times of new beginnings - Wheredo we go from here?”Due to the travel restrictions, the pandemic has obviously paused the cooperation among the Baltic Seacountries to some extent. However, knowledge exchange and sharing of best practices and solutions wasconsidered more important than ever before. The countries’ representatives shared the lessons learned inthe summer season, and provided information on the future vision and strategic long-term planning pro-cess as well as on short-term measures aimed to secure jobs and save businesses in the tourism industryand other interdependent sectors as well as to ensure safety for people and the society.7. Our Ocean ConferenceOn 7-8 December 2020, the Our Ocean Conference was supposed to take place in Palau. Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic it was postponed, and Palau is planning to host it early 2022.8. UN World Oceans DayBased on resolution 63/111 of 5 December 2008, Monday 8 June is World Oceans Day. “The Ocean: Lifeand Livelihoods” was the theme of World Oceans Day 2021.According to the UN, mankind is taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. 90% of major fishpopulations are currently depleted and 50% of coral reefs destroyed. The UN argues, a new balance mustbe created based on a true understanding of the ocean and humanity’s relationship with it. The goal of theday is to build a connection to the ocean that is “innovative and informed by the lessons of the past.”The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with its Intergovern-mental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), is supporting the international community to develop knowl-edge about the ocean and to protect it sustainably. The latest UNESCO report, published in April 2021,shows that, without this protection, the ocean’s crucial role in climate control might in the future be di-minished.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 26On June 8th 2021, the EU, the EU’s External Action Service and the UN also joined forces for a new edi-tion of #EUBeachCleanup, aiming to raise awareness on the human impact on the ocean and to build aworldwide citizens’ movement for sustainable action.As the international biodiversity conference (COP-15) was planned to take place in the autumn, the cam-paign was devoted to biodiversity protection, so in September 2021, thousands of volunteers could pickup litter on beaches across the globe.As an integral part of this 4th edition, the EC collaborated with UN’s Act Now campaign. Like #EU-BeachCleanup, Act Now incentivizes people to take sustainable action through everyday habits and ena-bles users to log and track progress. An app provides impact metrics, educational journeys, sustainabilityhacks and quizzes. Users are also able to share their progress on social media.The 2020 edition of #EUBeachCleanup had been primarily digital, encouraging individual actions fromhome. As parts of the world have been gradually reopening, probably more physical clean-ups can be or-ganised this year.9. Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) to foster macro-regional cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region on Smart SpecialisationStrategiesOn 7 December 2020, the Conference on Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) preparatory meeting“Fostering macro-regional cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region on Smart Specialisation Strategies” tookplace online.Hosted by the Region of Helsinki-Uusimaa, which was represented by Mr Markku Markkula, Chair ofthe Board, the 2021 CPMR Baltic Sea Commission General Assembly, will take place on 23 September2021.Due to the health situation, the event will most probably be held online and it will mark the celebrationof the 25th anniversary of the organisation.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 2710. Shippax Ferry ConferenceThe Shippax Ferry Conference, 2020/2021, will take place on board the PEARL SEAWAYS, sailing be-tween Copenhagen-Oslo-Copenhagen, 31 August until 2 September 2021.11. European Maritime Day 2021The European Maritime Day (EMD) 2021 took place online on 20-21 May 2021.9A total of twenty EMD workshops was planned with topics ranging from aquaculture to zero emissionshipping.On the part of the EU Commission, two policy sessions on freshwater and seafood research took place,as well as the presentation of the Blue Economy 2021 report during the online meeting entiteled “Howblue is Europe’s economy in 2021: Supporting the green” (European Commission, Directorate GeneralMARE).In addition, pitch stages were organized, delivering information on “Bringing blue/green innovation tomarket (EMFF Blue Economy innovation projects)” and on “INTERACT – Knowledge of the Seas net-work”.Regarding the green recovery for the Blue Economy, Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU Commissioner forEnvironment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries presented the vision of the future in the European GreenDeal set out by the EU Commission, i.e. structural reform, and a transition to more sustainable econo-mies. During the opening session “A green recovery for the Blue Economy” of the EMD, he addressedstrategic autonomy, more diversified supply chains, the path towards circular economy and creating resil-ience. “Taking into account the major risks to the climate and the environment, green investments havea much better return than brown ones, while providing similar growth and jobs creation”, he said, andadded: “Europe’s skill base, and its funding strengths, should place it at the forefront of developing newgreen technologies.”9 See: https://european-maritime-day-2021.b2match.io/.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 28In 2021, the EU Commission plans to launch the European Green Deal call under Horizon 2020 with avolume of around € 900 million, targeting practical results like demonstration projects over the next fewyears. Projects will cover areas like zero-pollution, biodiversity and the protection of terrestrial and marineecosystems, climate, and circular economy. There will also be projects related to the farm-to-fork strate-gy, energy, mobility and buildings.But the Green Deal was just the start, he told. Last week the EC presented its proposal on the recoveryinstrument, called Next Generation EU. It comes with a total budget of 750 billion euros. The supportwould target the most affected regions, sectors and companies, while still following the path to the greeneconomy as set out in the European Green Deal.Following the EU Commission, R&D had a substantial part in the recovery plan. It has proposed a finan-cial envelope of 94.4 billion for research in health, resilience and the green and digital transitions whichwill be effective in 2022. The negotiations with the EU Council and EU Parliament were still underway,but consensus on the key thematic areas had been reached. These include health, the circular and digitaleconomy, climate and energy as well as environment, biodiversity and agriculture.In Horizon Europe there is a strong focus on the Blue Economy, in areas like Healthy Oceans, Seas,Coastal and Inland Waters (the budget comprises around €1 billion to scale-up solutions to deal with ma-jor societal challenges) and “Climate Neutral, Productive and Sustainable Blue Economy”. Next tostrengthening the knowledge base, they are supposed to support the roll-out of the novel technologies andinnovations that are the basis of a sustainable Blue Economy.During the opening session “A green recoveryfor the Blue Economy” of the EMD on 20 May2021 at Den Helder, Netherlands, MalgosiaBartosik, Deputy CEO of Wind Europe, alsounderlined, that it was necessary to diversifysupply chains, to build out the energy grid, topromote data sharing and cross-sector coopera-tion. Cooperation in the fishing sector was need-ed, too, for instance, to enable fishing withinoffshore wind farms, which in some areas is pos-sible already today.EU-Commissioner for Environment, Mari timeAffairs and Fisheries, Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius(Picture: Landtag M-V)A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 29During the meeting, EU energy and climate objectives and national plans were addressed. By 2050, forexample, 300 gigawatt of offshore wind energy will have to be produced.Regions were denominated by participants as potential drivers of the sustainable Blue Economy and en-ergy diversification as• partners in recovery plans,• contributors in tailoring funding to their specific needs and• facilitators of climate adaptation messures.Regions could also profit from the European Social Fund (ESF) to increase competences of professionals.Ms Monika Verbeek, Executive directorof Seas at Risk, described the fast dete-rioration of the ocean and the resultinginitiative of organizations joining theBlue manifesto 2030. In her view, tech-nological shifts will not be enough toreach sustainability, but a change of theguiding-principle of the economy to-wards sufficience, not efficiency, had tobe undergone. She was glad to under-line that offshore deep-sea miningceased to be a priority, since it wouldEU-Commissioner for Environment, Mari timeAffairs and Fisheries, Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius cause serious damage to the environ-(On the left side of the photograph, Picture: Landtag M-V) ment.Nevertheless, protection measure were lacking in Marine Protected Areas: Ms Monika Verbeek demand-ed to ban destructive action here. The Blue Economy Strategy could be more transformative in her eyesand go beyond the mainstream economic growth strategies.EU-Commissioner Mr Sinkevičius concluded, that action had to be taken at present, pointing at great ex-amples, but also real challenges on the way to the 2050 goal. There was a window of opportunity to beused, since political willingness to bring about change was tangible now. In contrast to the presentA – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 30situation, many business areas had been uncomfortable with the goals of the Green Deal when it wasbrought on the agenda in the first place. The EU-Commissioner highlighted that also China envisaged a2060 ambition. Likewise, Japan, New Zealand, Canada and the US pursued a greener Blue Economyagenda.EMD Workshop on Clean Shipping: The Shipping industry is taking on its responsibilityDuring the EMD Workshop on clean shipping, an ECSA representative shared his views on how ship-owners can contribute to the common objective of zero-emissions in the globalized shipping industry:• Emission reduction/decarbonisation: shipping industry is really committed: many joint initiatives,involving e.g. academia, engine manufacturers, shipowners associations, shippers• What is the most efficient way/dependence on many stakeholders• Importance on the side of the shippers to pay a little more for green vessels: improves business casefor those ships: stimulus for shipowners and banks for investments in green ships and retrofittingvessels (this positive development has already started)• Shipowners can take the lead in increasing the energy efficiency of sailing vessels/developing newfuel efficient vessels (we already see lead examples); EU initiatives like the taxonomy in the EUcarbon market should support this tranisition; shipowners are also active in developing alternativefuels, often together with engine manufacturers (e.g. ammonia, hydrogen, methanol, syntheticenergy). We see the first vessels becoming operational. The challenge is to upscale as quickly aspossible in order to have a global fleet, including deep sea vessels. Much more R&D is aprerequisite for the years to come. There is the need to select the alternative fuel(s) and createbunker infrastructure globally.• At European level, we have the Waterborne Technology Platform (https://www.waterborne.eu/), inwhich shipowners participate. In this regard, the ongoing development of strategic research andinnovation agenda for the EU co-programmes partnership on zero emissions waterborne transportneeds to be mentioned. The EU Recovery and Resilience Fund also offers possibilities to assist theshipping industry.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 31• There are good examples at national level to become climate neutral: In the Netherlands, there is amaritime cluster programme to develop thirty zero-emission vessels by 2030. To this end, theDutch shipping industry created a “Maritime Masterplan” in summer 2021. A green deal hadbeen forged with the shipping and navigation industry already in 2019. Governmental/royalmarine ships will be among them to take up the risk in the investment of early adapters on thegovernmental side.• The international shipping associations supported by member states launched the idea for aninternational R&D fund made by the industry itself.Challenges and solutions in terms of infrastructureMs Isabelle Riposta shared with participants the solutions in terms of infrastructure ports can offer toreach the goal of zero-emissions.Ports want to facilitate the greening of the shipping industry, which implies high investment in infrastruc-ture. Since under the current legislative framework ports are deploying the energy infrastructure, manyinvestments are in the pipeline. They are also investing in greening their own fleets and are well-placed asenergy hubs. Ports are the classic landing points (also regarding offshore renewables).In her view, it is important to acknowledge the multi-fuel future and to prepare for it.There is a multitude of different shipping customers coming to the ports and a diversity of ports. Not alltechnologies will suit equally well for each segment or each port, which is a challenge. Enormous invest-ments must be spent well. In order to avoid stranded assets, cooperation must be sought in offering prac-tical solutions instead of merely theoretical ones.Barriers need to be lifted: a level playing needs to be created as regards energy taxation.Measures recommended by the Maritime administrationA package of measures is needed to meet the ambitious goal of carbon neutrality for shipping and ports:The EU should become a good example for the rest of the world, helping global IMO regulations to comeA – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 32about; shipping emissions must be reduced and investments of shipping in greening must be ensured. Amechanism ideally should be found to speed up the latter (reviews to subsidize sustainable fuels or usinga credit and baseline system).Alternative sources of power for shippingAbout 15-20 technical solutions are on the table, but not all of them are equal. There is a need to selectup to five.Usually, 2+1 criteria are applied in assessing technical solutions: environmental sustainability, potential ofbeing scaleable (to be produced in an unlimited quantity), increase profits/reduce cost.Bio-fuels e.g. are good in small quantities, but in large quantities they are bad.Fuels, which meet all three criteria, rely on renewable electricity or renewable hydrogen (e-fuels). Greenhydrogen, green ammonia and other e-fuels that can be produced from green hydrogen.No future is seen for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), according to Worldbank, OECD and to a report ofthe international energy agency published in May 2021. The prospects for bio-fuels are not too big be-cause they can only be produced in a limited quantity.The EU is expected to propose legislation to increase the uptake of certain fuels; The ports and shipown-ers, especially the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA)10 and the European SpatialPlanning Observation Network (ESPON), can play a role in a constructive debate to leave out optionsthat are unlikely to be pursued in the future. There are EU projects and projects on other continents todevelop alternative fuels. A selection is required to avoid stranded assets and to put the focus on the op-tions that have potential.10 See for more information: https://www.ecsa.eu/strategic-priorities/climate-and-sustainability.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 33Market-based measures in shippingWith regard to ongoing initiatives at the EU-level and the problem of carbon leakage, an ECSA represent-ative said, the European Shipowners Association was already at the start of the process of selecting alter-native fuels.For smaller vessels, it might be electricity/batteries. Close cooperation is needed with ESPON and also atthe global level.He also pointed at the proposal for clean shipping, the FuelEU Maritime proposal, the Alternative fuelsinfrastructure directive, the Renewable energy directive and the energy taxation directive. The importantproposal to include shipping in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) was not outyet, nor the Fuel EU Maritime proposal (bio fuels contained; places responsibility to meet carbon reduc-tion goals on the shipping side and not on the fuel supply; an ECSA concern is whether it can be assuredthat EU standards would be met also with “bio fuels” bunkered somewhere around the globe; ECSA seesLNG as a transition fuel). Effective enforcement, the prevention of carbon leakage and a level playingfield for EU shipowners are key questions.A lot of SMEs are present in the shipping industry. EU-UK policies are also important regarding carbonleakage.A carbon leakage list (containing specific ports which could be used for evasion) should be developed tosaveguard the environmental effectiveness of the EU measure and to make sure that some European portswill not suffer from the diversion of the carbon volumes at non-European ports.Background:Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from ships were not included in the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate.In 2018, International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the United Nations’ body regulating internationalshipping, adopted an Initial GHG Strategy for international shipping. It seeks to reduce GHG emissionsfrom international shipping and phase them out as soon as possible in this century. The aim is to reduceaverage carbon intensity (CO per tonne-mile) by at least 40% by 2030 and by 70 % in 2050, as well as2to cut total emissions by at least 50% by 2050, compared to 2008.The IMO 2030 reduction target can be met with available technology, by a mix of short- and mid-termA – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 34measures, including operational measures, such as lower speeds, improvements in operational efficiencythrough data analytics, limited use of low-carbon fuels, and energy efficient designs. The initial strategyincludes a list of candidate short-, mid- and long-term measures, to be agreed in the IMO Marine Envi-ronment Protection Committee before 2023, between 2023 and 2030, and after 2030.To meet the 2050 demands, however, shipping has to undergo a global transition to alternative fuels andenergy sources. All alternative fuels known today have certain limitations, many solutions are not matureyet and there is no obvious ‘one fuel’ choice for the global fleet. The decarbonisation will require majorefforts, investments and time. The industry also points out that with the current state of IMO regulation,the 2050 targets will not be met.Given the availability and prices of alternative fuels, the fuel solution for a vast part of international ship-ping for the immediate future remains a choice between a variety of fuel oils or liquefied natural gas(LNG). Currently, LNG is the cleanest fossil fuel available at scale. It eliminates most sulphur oxides(SOx) and reduces nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, helping to improve air quality in ports. Running onLNG requires important investments both into the ship and into the port bunkering infrastructure.However, LNG, which is mostly methane, cannot much contribute to shipping’s decarbonisation. Whenrisks of leakages along its life-cycle are factored in, GHG emissions from LNG-run ships can be worse thanthose from ships running on conventional marine fuels.Introducing alternative fuels in shipping is linked to a number of challenges. The energy content of thefuel is in many alternative fuels lower that of oil-based fuels, therefore the ship needs bigger fuel tanks forsimilar operating profiles. Many alternative fuels have a low flashpoint (below 60°C), meaning that differ-ent safety aspects linked to storage and on-board use need to be addressed with specific risk mitigationmeasures. Bunkering infrastructure requires large investment.The Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, already in her December 2019 mission letter to AdinaValean, Commissioner for Transport, asked her to play a leading role in international forums, such as theIMO, and to contribute to the EU zero-pollution ambition by focusing on mitigating the impact of trans-port on climate and natural environment.In the European Green Deal Communication, the EC affirms its focus on the production and deploy-ment of sustainable alternative transport fuels for the different transport modes. In parallel, the EC wantsto review the Alternative fuels infrastructure directive and the Energy taxation directive and propose toextend the European emissions trading to the maritime sector.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 35In its resolution on the European Green Deal, the European Parliament called for measures to move awayfrom the use of heavy fuel oil and for urgent investments in research into new technologies to decarbon-ise the shipping sector, and in the development of zero-emission and green ships.In its 2018 resolution on the deployment of infrastructure for alternative fuels, the Parliament called onthe EC to support the decarbonisation of the maritime and shipping sector with a clear focus on innova-tion, digitisation and adaptation of ports and ships. It also supported the deployment of shore-side ener-gy supply at both inland and maritime ports.On 29 January 2020, the European Commission’s 2020 work programme was published. Under the firstpriority - ‘a European Green Deal’, the Commission announced its intention to launch a legislative pro-posal on maritime fuels. According to the work programme, the proposal was to be adopted in the fourthquarter of 2020 and include an impact assessment. This timing was later changed to the first quarter of2021. On 15 April, the Commissioner Vălean in a meeting with the EP TRAN Committee announcedthat the proposal will be included in the Fit for 55 EU climate package, expected in mid-July.11Contribution of the ECTS system to the closure of the price gap between fossile and alternative fuelsAround 50 Euros per tonne of CO is the price in the ECTS. When it comes to sustainable fuels, that2price will not be sufficient. Above 400 Euros per tonne of CO would be the price to make green hydro-2gen-based fuels such as ammonia economically viable. ECTS on its own right cannot close the price gapbetween fossile and alternative fuels, but it generates a great amount of revenues (at the moment 5 billionEuros per year, which could be used to subsidize the purchase and operation of carbon neutral vessels).Market-based measures from the infrastructure-sideThe design of the mechanism is important: it must lead to emission reduction while no port is to be “pun-ished” for emission reduction. In a potential EU system mechanism, ports should not be involved in itsadministration. Revenues must come back to the shipping and to the ports sector and must be used to fi-nance the investments on the landside.11 See: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-a-european-green-deal/file-fuel-eu-maritime, access: 15 July 2021.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 36The scope of the ETS (intra-EU or extra-EU) is an important question, too. FuelEU measures to set car-bon standards seem to offer distinct advantages.According to the chair of the Waterborne Technology Platform Association based in Brussels, which en-tered into a partnership with the EU Commission on zero-emission waterborne transport in June 2021,a roadmap was developed for the coming 7-10 years to demonstrate zero-emission technologies for allmain ship types and the first calls for research were going to be launched. That also includes the bigocean-going vessels. Interested parties are urged to join efforts in the partnership.The secretary-general of Sea Europe, the Shipyards’ and Maritime Equipment Association of Europe, ex-pressed happiness about the collaborative platform Waterborne Transport in the context of the Water-borne Technology Platform.On the side of the shipyards and equipment manufacturers, the greening is seen as a challenge and oppor-tunity, and it was underlined, that there will be no one-size-fits-all solution. Next to global implications,there is an important domestic, economic growth dimension of short sea shipping. Fishing vessels and in-land navigation vessels will also have to green. COVID-19 is putting a lot of stress on the sector. Next tothe EU Green Deal it should lead to rethink existing maritime policies. Fleet renewal and retrofitting areimportant aspects of recent EU Commission documents. The financial challenge is big and the financialframework will not suffice if it is project-based. There is the need for a dedicated fund for the entire wa-terborne sector which includes also the port community.A cruise industry representative was concerned about the significant investments already made inLNG-powered vessels.The reduction of administrative burden and of the commercial and technical risks for “first movers” intaking investments were also discussed. The fund established under the European Union Emissions Trad-ing Scheme (EU ETS) should be used to reinvest in the sector and to make transition happen.On SMEs, ECSA developed publicly available framework conditions how to accommodate them underthe EU ETS.IMO also started the discussion on a global market-based measure, so it is important for the EU to comeforward with a proposal on the EU ETS, which can be aligned with the coming IMO regulation in orderto solve the problem of “carbon leakage”. It was debated whether both systems need to be identical.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 37From the ports’ side it was underlined that investments in the transition have long lead times, and thereis a high risk involved in not knowing if a certain infrastructure will be used and for how long.Legislation must be set very clearly, and first movers must be found to scale up innovations. The infra-structure in the ports must be timely ready.Participants agreed that the long term is a short term for shipping regarding the green transition. The Eu-ropean Maritime Transport Environmental Report will be published on 2 September 2021.EMD Maritime Sustainable Coastal Tourism Workshop, 21 May 2021During the Maritime Sustainable Coastal Tourism Workshop on 21 May 2021 the focus lay on key-ac-tions towards a smart and resilient recovery. It addressed territorial needs and potential solutions thatcould be implemented at different levels, explaining also the EU instruments and tools of the programmeperiod 2021-2027. It was organized by CPMR and moderated by Mr Jeremy Samson, CEO Travel Foun-dation, a non-profit based in Bristol, UK, which cooperates with tourism destinations and businesses. Heis also chair of the Future of Tourism Coalition (created in 2020, collaboration of the NGO sector).High-level tourism experts from different sea basins identified common themes and challenges• Low wages and job insecurity due to seasonality of tourism, while competition is increasing (e.g.addressed by Interreg Mediterranean Winter Med project); increasing demand for vacation rentals• Reduce environmental pressures, like droughts, scarcity of water; complaints of local populationabout overtourism• Make the pivot from volume to value; understand the real costs of tourism (impact on theenvironment, protection of resources, provision of infrastructure, waste management, etc.);understand what we mean by the word “value”• Technology/Big data use to identify key blockers for change and to allocate money in the rightdirection quickly• Develop skills and cooperate at different levelsA – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 38Participants identified several needs for action: Policy coordination, understand the impacts of tourismholistically, use new performance indicators/exchange of data for green and circular economy, developtransnational strategy to foster cooperation; invest in mature tourist destinations and facilitate moderni-zation of all sectors linked to tourismPresented situation and innovative actions in the different sea basins:• Change of tourism model (Balearean Islands) to increase quality of live of residents, the capacity ofinfrastructure and economic prosperity; new tourism law 2012, strategy involved tourism tax in2016, campaigns, regulation of tourism rentals and holiday homes, waste law in 2018, climate law,energy transition law; 2020 decree against tourism excess; Balearic Islands and all otherMediterranean tourism regions need to cooperate; severe drop in GDP during the COVID-19pandemic (three times more than EU average). Safety, diversification (focus on different segments)and inclusive tourism are an important aspect, and technology will help. Use momentum tochange direction of tourism (recovery plan).• Stephen Hynes from Fáilte Ireland (National Tourism Development Authority of the Republic ofIreland) who is also director of the Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit of the NationalUniversity of Ireland, Galway, stated how tourism can be the key driver in a sustainable, post-covid economic recovery in coastal destination. In 2020, there was an estimated loss of 5.7 billionEuros in revenue because of the COVID-19 collapse of international travel to Ireland (here,international tourist numbers have fallen by 78%). Earnings from domestic tourism have seen adecline from 2.0 billion in 2019 to 800 million Euros in 2020. According to estimates, 160.000jobs got lost and several hundred businesses faced closure. Fáilte Ireland has published operatingand budgeting guidelines, practical information presented through a webinar series on fundinginitiatives, such as the COVID-19 adaptation fund, and targeted tourism business continuityschemes. A COVID-19 safety charter has been developed to reinforce confidence in the tourismbusinesses. An Irish short-term revival strategy focuses on 2021, and a long-term vision preparesthe next five years (among the pillars: “staycation”, opening the outdoors, a digital that delivers,stay safe, drive de-carbonization); a case study was conducted in the realm of Interreg projectMOSES to identify sustainable transition pathways in coastal and marine tourism, among others.Infrastructure and cooperation with local communities were deemed essential. It seems also to bepromising to develop niche marine tourism products and to enhance cultural and visualexperience.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 39• Experience from the Black Sea/Project Tourism 4.0 for the Black Sea (demonstrate benefits of bigdata analytics to stimulate policy dialogue on tourism for 4.0 potential, test field Batumi): theENP and EU funds like EMFF enabled Black Sea countries to increase sustainability practices;before the crisis, tourism contributed a lot to Georgian local economies• Experience from Gotland regarding needs and solutions for recovery in the Baltic: reduction ofvisitors by 40% in 2020; ferries are an important gateway; voyage and destination must be safe.Lots of SMEs had to find and use new ways of communication; new strategy for tourismdevelopment of Gotland region (find new way to have more visitors all year around, threethematic areas: food and drink, outdoors, nature and culture; three projects have started, e.g. inthe domain of food and drink involving 30 actors/entrepreneurs who work with local materials/circular economy to achieve change and try to create good examples for other companies aroundthe region.• Need to look at the new normal in tourism with new eyes: look at new markets, maybe not targetgroups, but interest groups; different views of different stakeholders/sectors on “sustainability”,data-driven information is very important; the new way of using digitalization includes all aspectsof business development, and also cooperation, marketing and sales. Public institutions will beinvolved in the work of digitalization in the coming years; EU resources can support thisdevelopment. All actors – private, public and academia – are required to listen to the needs of theothers. Companies look for better tools for translation and better use of social media. Activecollaboration is sought between private actors, universities (e.g. Uppsala University has a campuson the island and a master program for sustainable tourism development) and other partners.Digital solutions can increase cooperation across borders and create attractive offers that drawvisitors to the Baltic Sea.• Sustainability not only on the company level, but also at the level of the destination/regional level:transport is important (easy ways for visitors to reach different spots); Gotland looks forinternational cooperation and is working together with other small ports in the Baltic Sea, e.g. aproject on gold-washing with four different countries.• West Sweden Tourism Board, region Västra Götaland (North Sea): Programme “Stepping upsustainability” started before the pandemic (public and private operators cooperate to createeconomically viable businesses in tourism which do not lead to negative environmental impactsand are valued by both visitors and residents.) Involves no new certification system; is based onA – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 40global goal of Agenda 2030 and four key principles: 1) As little unnecessary environmental impactas possible by focusing on domestic and near-by markets, encourage longer stays, make demandson companies, to offer sustainable activities• 2) Visitors and residents should benefit from tourism: where there are many tourists, theunderstanding about the benefits is encouraged among residents (advantages like more shops,restaurants, etc. are emphasized) and efforts are prioritized that help making the income generatedby tourism stay local 3) Attract visitors to all of the parts of Western Sweden all year long 4)Create more full-time jobs and more resilient businesses (e.g. workforce sharing: restaurants thatare frequented mainly in summer time cooperate with conference facilities which operate mainlyin the other part of the year)30 local authorities have signed up and 300 companies.Questions & Answers:Challenges for cruise shipping: In 2019, there were 100 cruise courses to Visby, Gotland and 100.000passengers in comparison to only three international cruise liners which came in 2020. But more Swed-ish, Finnish and Estonian ships arrived because they could travel under Swedish regulations. Internation-al cruises will be coming, but rather having German passengers on-board, starting from Germany, goingon a course in the Baltic Sea and make stops within their own “cruise bubbles”. Therefore, not much mon-ey will go to the local domain. Maybe there will be a slow restart.In Ireland, cruise tourism came to a stop. Impact in terms of revenue is lower than of traditional tourists.If the starting point would be in Dublin, it would be different, which authorities would like to see in thefuture. In the nearer time, there will not be too much cruise activity.Are the public authorities doing enough to make sustainability a condition of funding? In Sweden, therehas been a change, information between the regions is shared. The EU member states have to show intheir recovery plans how they build back better, become greener and take into account the digital transi-tion. Money is drawn from the ESF and ERDF.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 4112. 13th Baltic Sea Region Forum 2021The theme of the 2021 Baltic Sea Region Forum (online) on 27 May 2021 was the turbulent world orderand the BSR. In two panel discussions, experts discussed the role of geopolitics in the and internal secu-rity of the region. Among topics reoccurring in the discussions were cyber security, the defence capacitiesof the region, climate change, the importance of dialogue, and the role of citizens.In his keynote speech, the Latvian Minister of Defence Mr Artis Pabriks pointed out that the countries ofthe BSR being among the most developed in the world brings its own challenges. Ambassador Mr TomDodd from the British Embassy in Helsinki emphasized the need to adapt to the changing world, espe-cially when it comes to the capability to respond to unexpected crises, as well as to new threats, such ascyber-attacks. In the changing security environment, Director General for Rescue Services Mr KimmoKohvakka from the Ministry of the Interior of Finland found it especially important to be proactive inseeking constructive solutions and looking forward.Despite new challenges, Senior Consulting Fellow Keir Giles from Chatham House, UK, explained thatthe BSR is ahead also with its policies, as the region has already started to deal with a lot of the problemsthat the rest of the world is only starting to realize.Improving defence capabilitiesIn his speech, Mr Artis Pabriks also highlighted the complex geopolitical position of the BSR: “[...], weare the border of EU, we are the border of NATO”. Because of this position, he found that there is a riskof increased pressure to the region if the role of EU becomes weaker.However, because of the efforts made to rebuild defence capacities in the BSR, Mr Keir Giles deemed thesecurity position of the region to be significantly improved: “Now those popular scenarios for military ad-venturism [...] in the region are already far less realistic”. Still, both he and Dodd stressed that more ef-fort needs to be made to address non-military hostile activity, such as cyber-attacks.According to Mr Keir Giles, the balance between hard and soft security is very important. Although theBSR is doing relatively well also in the field of soft security, he gathered that more international coopera-tion would be beneficial for spreading best practices. Similarly, Mr Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, Member ofthe Parliament of Ukraine, emphasized the benefits of international cooperation in the field of cyberA – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 42security. He suggested that Ukraine could contribute to the security of the BSR, as the country is experi-enced in cyber security questions.The importance of dialogue and collaborationIn order to improve the current geopolitical situation, Ms Annika Söder, President of the European Insti-tute of Peace, suggested considering what to do next with the rebuilt defence capacities of the region. Ac-cording to her, diplomacy is also a key part of defence, rather than just a complementary feature.She emphasized the importance of dialogue at all levels and recommended furthering multilateral rela-tions through the already existing cooperative entities in the region.Also, Mr Artis Pabriks described the already existing collaboration in the region as exemplary: “I really be-lieve in the cooperation of the BSR. I believe in the example of the Baltic Sea cooperation for the rest ofthe world.”Deputy Director Mr William E. Pomeranz from Kennan Institute, USA, brought attention to the bene-fit of President Biden’s extensive experience in foreign policy. Although Pomeranz found it unlikely thatthe meeting between President Biden and President Putin on June 16th 2021 would result in a reset inthe relations between U.S. and Russia, he deemed an opening of dialogue a positive step.Can climate change bring us together?An area where there is already relatively good cooperation between Europe and Russia is climate change.Ambassador Dodd highlighted the rationality in working together on a common threat and argued thatit is fully possible to do that, even if there are disagreements between regimes in other fields.Mr Kimmo Kohvakka brought up the increasingly significant role climate change is playing also for safe-ty, security, and geopolitics. He found it essential to maintain dialogue with Russia, in order to ensure thepossibility to cooperate when addressing the consequences of climate change in the future, as these con-sequences will not know borders.A – Activities of the Maritime Rapporteurs and other Important Events 43Citizens – the key to a secure region?Another factor that was repeatedly underlined in the discussions was the role of citizens. In her openingspeech, Mayor of the City of Turku Minna Arve argued that cities and citizens participating in cross-bor-der cooperation is a form of effective diplomacy, as well as a pragmatic way to achieve mutual goals.Both Mr Keir Giles and Mr Kimmo Kohvakka emphasized the need for transparency. According to theformer, “there is no way that a liberal democracy can properly defend itself against something about whichthe majority of its population is unaware”. Kimmo Kohvakka found that citizens participating in decisionmaking processes on all levels in the society, as well as in the BSR cooperation, would further mutual un-derstanding and prevent possible risks.Mr Ville Niinistö, Member of the European Parliament, similarly stressed the importance of transparen-cy and open discussion about geopolitical challenges in his closing speech.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 44B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level withregard to all BSPC membersI. Blue Growth and overarching aspects1. 2021 EU Blue Economy report – Main trends 2018 and recent findingsThe fourth edition of the EU Blue Econo my Report12, published in May 2021, gives an overview of theperformance of the EU-27 economic sectors related to oceans and the coastal environment. The report-ing period is 2009-2018.The sector directly employed close to 4.5 million people in 2018 and generated around €650 billion inturnover and €176 billion in gross value added. Emerging activities such as ocean energy, marine biotech-nology and robotics are developing quickly and will play an important role in the EU’s transition towardsa carbon-neutral, circular and biodiverse economy.EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius, called the BlueEconomy an important driver of today’s European economy, in coastal communities and beyond. “Withthe European Green Deal, its importance will only grow in the future. The sector will contribute to de-carbonisation and other European environmental objectives with innovative solutions and by reducing itsown footprint“, the EU Commissioner said, calling on EU member states and private investors to supportthis transformation and invest in a sustainable Blue Economy.EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Ms Mariya Gabriel, indi-cated the establishment of the European Blue Observatory, a knowledge sharing platform that will enable nearreal-time monitoring of decarbonisation efforts across Europe’s Blue Economy sectors.12 See: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/0b0c5bfd-c737-11eb-a925-01aa75ed71a1.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 45Main trends 2018:Most of the data available for the Blue Economy focus on the so-called “established sectors”, seven largesectors ranging from maritime transport and shipbuilding over offshore wind energy to coastal tourism.The report shows an acceleration in the growth of all established sectors from 2013 to 2018 except fornon-living resources (oil, gas and minerals extraction). Gross value added from coastal tourism, the larg-est Blue Economy sector in the EU, increased by 20.6% compared to 2009, while maritime transport andport activities increased by 12% and 14.5%, respectively. Also the living resources sector – including fish-eries and aquaculture – has generated €7.3 billion gross profits in 2018, a 43% rise compared to 2009.Employment in the Blue Economy has remained stable (+1%) over the last ten years, although this fig-ure masks a strong shift between sectors. While employment in the non-living resources dropped by 60%compared to 2015, coastal tourism saw a 45% increase over the same period. Offshore wind is confirm-ing its development of recent years, with 15% more jobs in 2018 compared to just the year before.Gross investments in tangible goods decreased by 14.2% compared to 2009: from €29.8 billion to€25.5 billion. This decline was mainly driven by decreases in investments in the sectors of maritime trans-port, non-living resources, and to a lesser extent, port activities. On the other hand, shipbuilding and re-pair, as well as the living resources sector, reported a positive trend (+8.6% and +12.6%, respectively).Most recent dataBased on the most recent data and analysis, all the established sectors, with the exception of marine re-newable energy, suffered severely from the COVID-19 crisis. The coastal tourism sector is one of themost affected with an estimated decrease in tourism activity of 60 to 80%. Comparing the first halves of2019 and 2020, new orders in European shipyards decreased by 62%. In June 2020, out of 75 ports, 48%had registered a decline in container vessel calls compared to pre-COVID times.The report also looks into emerging sectors, which are still in full development but hold significant po-tential for the future (see section B.I.12 Blue Bioeconomy amd Blue Biotechnology and for moredetails) Blue Biotechnology and Bioeconomy can play a crucial role as suppliers of plant-based alter-natives to plastics and other petrochemical applications. The sector is still in its infancy, the most no-table subsector being algae production with a total turnover of € 10.7 million in France, Spain andB – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 46Portugal. In 2022, the European Commission (EC) will adopt an algae strategy to foster developmentof the sector.Emerging marine renewable energy activities including floating offshore wind, wave and tidal energyand floating solar photovoltaic energy can help the EU meet its goal of carbon-neutrality by 2050. In-stalled capacities are still small and often not yet commercial, but the EU is taking a leading role in its de-velopment. In 2020, 66% of global wave energy capacity was installed in the EU.The 2021 edition of the Blue Economy report also provides an overview of the maritime security andsurveillance sectors, which were not included in prior editions. Digitalisation and technological innova-tion are transforming the maritime sector in nearly every aspect of its operations, from underwater to airequipment, including an increased usage of robots for different purposes, such as surveys, scientific re-search, oil and gas exploration, border surveillance, infrastructure inspection, and farming. Global marketvalue of the maritime robotics sector is forecasted to double by 2025.All data used for the report are available on the Blue Economy Indicators online platform.The Covid-19 outbreak and the resulting decline in demand and disruptions in the supply chain inter-rupted the positive trends seen in the EU fishing fleet in recent years. Estimates suggest that the econom-ic performance of the EU fleets declined in 2020 - by 17% in landed value, 19% in employment and 29%in net profits compared to 2019.The EC provided rapid support to the sector through amendments to the EMFF to allow for compensa-tions payments with €136 million in 22 MS released for Covid-19 support measures under EMFF. 61%of the funds were spent on temporary cessation support, 17% on compensation to aquaculture producersand 14% on support to the processing sector. A temporary State aid framework and support from the Eu-ropean Regional Development Fund (ERDF) were also made available.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 472. Increase investment in the sustainable Blue Economy: EU Commission andEuropean Investment Bank Group join forcesFollowing the EU Commission’s communication13 on Sustainable Blue Economy from 17 May 2020, theEU Commission (EC) and the European Investment Bank Group, composed of the European Invest-ment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF), announced an increased cooperation to im-plement the new Blue Economy strategy. Both institutions work together with EU member states (MS)to meet existing financing needs in order to reduce pollution in European seas, with particular focus oncircular economy approaches, and support investment for blue innovation and Blue Bioeconomy.The EC and the EIB plan to carry out a comprehensive market study and identify projects worthy of invest-ment for pollution avoidance and reduction, such as, biodegradability, recycling and re-use along the entireplastic value chain. They also envisage to prepare a framework to stimulate investments in innovation linkedto the oceans and seas, and to implement the Farm to Fork and bioeconomy strategies. The EIF and the ECwill jointly develop solutions for equity and guarantee funding. This shall provide EU member states’ (MS)managing authorities with ways of matching their national resources with funding from relevant Europeanfunds, in particular the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) through financial in-struments and blending operations. The EIF is managing the BlueInvest Fund (see section B.I.4) and is fi-nancing businesses in the Blue Economy sector via equity funds selected earlier in 2021.3. Key-aspects of the Blue EconomyThe Blue Economy encompasses all industries and sectors related to oceans, seas and coasts, whether theyare based in the marine environment (e.g. shipping, fisheries, energy generation) or on land (e.g. ports,shipyards, land-based aquaculture and algae production, coastal tourism).Over the past decade significant steps have been taken to modernise and diversify. Alongside traditionalsectors, innovative sectors are evolving and growing - such as ocean renewable energy, blue bio-economy,bio-technology and desalination - thus providing new prospects and creating jobs. The Blue Economy isalso connected to the on-land economy through a web of spin-offs and supply chains.13 See: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2021:240:FIN.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 48Under a sustainable Blue Economy, maritime and coastal activities should reconcile economic develop-ment, improved livelihoods and social inclusion with fighting the climate crisis, protecting biodiversityand ecosystems, using resources responsibly and achieving the zero-pollution ambition.The Blue Economy can contribute to the European Green Deal (see below).With more sustainable models, the Blue Economy will use the oceans’ resources to contribute to achiev-ing the goals of the European Green Deal of a more resilient and climate-neutral European economy. Thisincludes:• a 90% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport, which accounts for morethan 80% of global trade in terms of volume.· Decarbonising maritime transport (as well as fishing operations) will decrease greenhousegas emissions, as well as air and water pollution and underwater noise.· Under the Fit for 55 package, the EC will propose a series of legislative measures toincentivise the deployment of renewable / low carbon fuels and onshore power supply inports.• minimising the environmental impacts of fishing on marine habitats with measures such asspecifications for fishing gear and mesh sizes, closed areas and seasons. The EC is now preparing areport on the implementation of these measures and will publish a new action plan with the aimof further reconciling fishing – including bottom-contact fishing – with biodiversity goals.• turning Blue Economy sectors more circular. For the recycling of large ships, the EU has a uniqueand ambitious set of standards in the Ship Recycling Regulation, that the EC plans to revise by2023 to possibly extend its scope and reinforce the existing regime.• expanding offshore renewable energy, which could generate a quarter of the EU’s electricity in2050. To speed up its development, in 2020 the EC published a new EU offshore renewableenergy strategy that aims to multiply five-fold the capacity for offshore renewable energy by 2030and 30-fold by 2050.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 49• contributing to the transition towards a sustainable, low-carbon food system in line with the EUfarm-to-fork strategy, including through developing and promoting low-impact aquaculture (suchas low-trophic, multi-trophic and organic aquaculture). The new strategic guidelines for EUaquaculture set out the vision and an operational path to achieving this transformation. In 2022,the EC will also table an initiative on algae to support the development of this innovative sector,which has the potential to become a significant source of low-carbon alternative food and feedmaterials. Moreover, a forthcoming initiatives will set new marketing standards to improveconsumer information on the environmental and social sustainability of seafood and its carbonfootprint.• developing nature-based solutions to adapt to sea level rise, depollute areas or fight eutrophication.Potential contribution of a sustainable Blue Economy to a green recovery:Innovative technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, advanced modelling, sophisticated sensorsand autonomous systems are likely to transform the Blue Economy in the immediate future.The EC wants to see the EU at the forefront of these changes and exploit its own strengths. Shipyardsneed to get ready to produce zero emission vessels. As the current leader in the production of wind, waveand tidal energy and the largest maritime space in the world, the EU is uniquely placed to develop off-shore renewable energy.The EU imports 65% of its seafood, thus there is a real market for more food and feed production fromthe sea, especially from low-impact aquaculture.Transitioning to a sustainable Blue Economy is also about resilience. Maritime and coastal tourism ac-counts for 60% of the employment in the Blue Economy. Over half of the EU’s tourist accommodationestablishments are located in coastal areas and 30% of overnight stays are at beach resorts. This sector hassuffered severe effects from the pandemic. Following the Covid-19 outbreak, the Communication hasadopted a series of initiatives to re-enable safe tourism and pave the way for a more resilient and sustain-able sector. The EC is also preparing a guide on the many funding opportunities available.A sustainable Blue Economy can create many attractive jobs. Between 2017 and 2018, employment in ma-rine renewable energy (offshore wind) has increased by 15% and it could triple by 2030. The EC will sup-port industry and vocational training institutes to bridge the skills gaps and prepare qualified workforce.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 50EU Member States (MS) and coastal regions should make use of the different tools and funds at their dis-posal to transition to a sustainable Blue Economy, notably through the the European Maritime, Fisheriesand Aquaculture Fund or recovery funds.The EC and the EIB will align efforts to reduce pollution in European seas, especially in affected waterbodies such as the Mediterranean Sea. Both sides will cooperate on a comprehensive market study and oncreating the basic conditions for investable projects for pollution avoidance and reduction, such as, bio-degradability, recycling and re-use along the entire plastic value chain. On that basis, both sides will consi-der appropriate solutions to increase access to financing, including through risk reduction facilities, pro-vision of equity or loans, grants, all aimed at incentivizing private and public financiers to provide addi-tional liquidity to such projects.Sustainability principles should be mainstreamed into all investment decisions, including corporate ones.The revision of the EU taxonomy is relevant in this respect. In addition, the EC and the EIB will contin-ue to advocate for sustainable Blue Economy finance principles with private investors (see also above),which will create tangible opportunities for new jobs and businesses. To address the specific needs of BlueEconomy SMEs, the EC’s BlueInvest Platform provides them with customised support, visibility, accessto investors and investment-readiness advice. The BlueInvest equity fund will combine financial contri-butions from the EU budget with private venture capital to finance blue tech start-ups.Ocean and seas are subject to cumulative impacts from human activities, and those impacts know no bor-ders. A system managing each sector independently and allowing sectors to ignore each other is thereforeinadequate. The EC sees the need for one single concept – that of sustainability - that must apply acrosssectors and across borders.There are several areas of the maritime economy that can benefit from such a coordinated approach:• The space available for maritime activities is limited and solutions therefore need to allow fishingand energy generation, transport and tourism to co-exist and even benefit from each other’spresence. The Blue Forum will allow such dialogue for operators so that they can create synergies,reconcile competitive uses and reduce the impact of activities on habitats while leaving space fornature to run its course undisturbed.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 51• To adapt to the challenges of our time, the EU Blue Economy needs to be innovative. The EC’sCommunication on a new approach for sustainable Blue Economy in the EU14 proposes to bettercoordinate data collection and improve forecasting and modelling to allow for better knowledge ofoceans dynamics and a better understanding of the impact of activities at sea. The candidateHorizon 2020 Mission on oceans will mobilize all players, including citizens, towards commonpurposes such as finding solutions to plastic pollution, coastal erosion or biodiversity loss.• EU countries share the seas also with non-EU countries. They need to join forces on commonissues that could never be tackled by individual countries. The EU will continue todevelop tailored strategies for each European sea basin15 and extend the same cooperative approachto neighbouring countries that share with the EU a basin, marine living resources and geo-economic features.• Security is essential to every economic activity, but control in the open seas is costly - even more soif each Member State and each authority, from civil protection to navy, has to do it on its own.Sharing information, which is the object of the Common Information Sharing Environment forthe maritime domain (CISE), will allow EU member states’ authorities to access a multitude ofdata, carry out common analyses and share human and physical resources (such as vessels andaircrafts).To facilitate and accelerate the transition towards a sustainable Blue Economy, the communication an-nounces a series of legislative and voluntary initiatives to be rolled out over the coming years with the sup-port of EU funds. These include strengthening vocational training and education in blue skills to addressworkforce needs, fostering more resilient and sustainable forms of marine and coastal tourism, facilitatingmarket access for innovative marine products such as algae and improving consumer information on theenvironmental and social sustainability of seafood and on its carbon footprint. The purpose of the EC’sCommunication is to lay a foundation on which to build the initiatives of the next few years, includinginitiatives that are not yet planned. The EC will be working closely with the MS and regions, so that theEU can move ‘as one’ towards sustainability.14 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2021:240:FIN.15 See for the BSR: https://ec.europa.eu/oceans-and-fisheries/ocean/sea-basins/baltic-sea_en.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 524. Initiatives related to maritime policy in the EU Commission‘s 2021 WorkProgrammeSeveral Initiatives in the EC’s Work Programme 202116 have implications for the maritime sector:• Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), including maritime, aviation and CORSIAas well as a proposal for ETS as own resource (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Q2 2021)• Zero pollution action plan for water, air and soil (non-legislative, Q2 2021)• New legal framework on the restoration of healthy ecosystems (legislative, incl. impact assessment,Article 192 TFEU, Q4 2021)• Revision of the Directive on Intelligent Transport Systems, including a multimodal ticketinginitiative (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 91 TFEU, Q3 2021)• Revision of the Regulation on the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) (legislative, incl.impact assessment, Article 172 TFEU, Q3 2021)• Joint Communication on the Arctic (non-legislative, Q4 2021)• Revision of Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 on Shipments of Waste (Q2/2021; Legislative; Legalbasis: Article 192 of the TFEU)• Revision of Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive in order to reinforcethe essential requirements for packaging to be placed on the EU market• Revision of the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European FisheryStatistics, repealing Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006, Regulation (EC) No 762/2008, Regulation(EC) No 216/2009, Regulation (EC) No 217/2009 and Regulation (EC) No 218/2009(Q4/2021; Legislative; Legal basis: Article 338 of the TFEU)16 See for a comprehensive list of EU initiatives: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0690&from=EN.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 53• Revision of the Guidelines on State aid for the fishery and aquaculture sector, Block ExemptionRegulation (FIBER) and Regulation on de minimis (Q4/2021; Legislative; Legal basis: Article 107and 108 of the TFEU• Revision - Maritime Accident Investigation (Q4/2021; Legislative; Legal basis: Article 100(2) ofthe TFEU)• Revision - Port State control (Q4/2021; Legislative; Legal basis: Article 100(2) of the TFEU)• Revision - Flag State control (Q4/2021; Legislative; Legal basis: Article 100(2) of the TFEU)• Evaluation of Fishing Vessel safetyThe EU, with NextGeneration EU strives for sustainable investment and reforms, with 37% of expendi-ture of the Recovery and Resilience Facility earmarked for green transition spending and a minimum 20%to be invested in digital.The EU Commission (EC) wants to further explore synergies between the Green Deal and the Blue Econ-omy:European Green Deal: EU Commission adopted strategic guidelines for sustainable and competitive EU aquacultureThe EC adopted new strategic guidelines [communication COM(2021) 236 final] for a more sustainableand competitive EU aquaculture 2021-2030. The guidelines offer a common vision for the EC, EU mem-ber states (MS) and stakeholders to develop the sector in a way that contributes directly to the EuropeanGreen Deal and in particular the Farm to Fork Strategy. The guidelines are supposed to help the EU aq-uaculture sector become more competitive and resilient, and to improve its environmental and climateperformance. Thirteen areas where further work is needed to promote the sustainability have been iden-tified. Despite EU legislation on aquatic health and EU-funded research in this area, infectious diseasesremain a very significant constraint on aquaculture productivity. More attention should be paid to thewelfare of fish, and not only because of the increasing public interest in – and demand for – high-welfarefish products. A new Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic productshas been adopted and will be applicable as from 1 January 2022.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 54With the mentioned guidelines adopted, the EC wants to position EU aquaculture production as theglobal reference for sustainability and quality, reduce dependence on seafood imports and create morejobs, especially in coastal regions. The communication states that special attention should be given to thedevelopment of aquaculture with a lower environmental impact (such as combining certain types of farm-ing to further reduce the emissions of nutrients and organic matter into the environment), and the inte-gration of suitable aquaculture activities (notably those offering ecosystem services) into protected areassuch as Natura2000 areas.Objectives of the GuidelinesThe guidelines have been prepared in close consultation with EU Member States and stakeholders, nota-bly those represented in the Aquaculture Advisory Council. They set four inter-related objectives for thefurther development of aquaculture in the EU:• building resilience and competitiveness• participating in the green transition• ensuring social acceptance and consumer information, and• increasing knowledge and innovationThe proposed guidelines will also support the substantial increase in organic aquaculture at EU level. Asnoted in the Organic Farming Action Plan17, organic aquaculture production remains a relatively new sec-tor but with a significant potential for growth.Unlike fisheries, aquaculture is not an area of exclusive EU competence. Nevertheless, in recognition ofthe important role aquaculture plays in European food security, sustainable growth and employment, theCommon Fisheries Policy (CFP) foresees a system of strategic coordination of aquaculture policy in theEU.From the EC’s perspective, such a strategic approach has become even more relevant today, given the po-tential of the aquaculture sector to contribute to achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal,and the need to ensure long-term sustainability and resilience of the sector, notably in the light of theCOVID-19 crisis. According to the EC, the new strategic guidelines have fully integrated those goals.17 See link: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_21_1277.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 55Looking at the challenges and opportunities of the EU aquaculture sector, the guidelines propose specificactions on a number of areas, including access to space and water, human and animal health, environmen-tal performance, climate change, animal welfare, regulatory and administrative framework, and commu-nicating on EU aquaculture.In particular, the EC proposes to develop detailed guidance documents regarding good practices in themost important areas, and foresees a dedicated Aquaculture Assistance Mechanism to support the devel-opment of those guidance documents, as well as the implementation of good practices described therein.Among other objectives, the EC also encourages MS to include the increase of organic aquaculture in the(in May 2021 still ongoing) review of their national strategic plans for the aquaculture sector as well tosupport this type of aquaculture production with part of the funds available under the European Mari-time, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).The EC invited MS to consider these new guidelines in their multiannual national strategic plans for thedevelopment of the aquaculture sector, as well as their support to the sector under the future EuropeanMaritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) and other EU funds.One in four of every seafood product consumed in Europe comes from aquaculture. However, most ofseafood consumption is covered by imports, making up around 60% of the total supply. Overall, only10% of EU seafood consumption comes from EU aquaculture. This shows a sizeable growth potential.Despite these commercial prospects, EU aquaculture production has only increased by 6% since 2007,reaching 1.2 million tonnes in sales volume and €4.1 billion in turnover in 2018. The EU’s contributionto world aquaculture production represented less than 2% of global production in 2018 (FAO 2020).European Green Deal: Developing a sustainable Blue Economy in the European UnionThe EC has proposed a new approach for a sustainable Blue Economy in the EU for the industries andsectors related to oceans, seas and coasts. A sustainable Blue Economy is essential to achieving the objec-tives of the European Green Deal and ensuring a green and inclusive recovery from the pandemic.Mr Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for the Green Deal said: “Healthy oceans are a precon-dition for a thriving Blue Economy. Pollution, overfishing and habitat destruction, coupled with the ef-fects of the climate crisis, all threaten the rich marine biodiversity that the Blue Economy depends on. WeB – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 56must change tack and develop a sustainable Blue Economy where environmental protection and econom-ic activities go hand in hand.”All Blue Economy sectors including fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, maritime transport, port ac-tivities and shipbuilding will have to reduce their environmental and climate impact. Tackling the climateand biodiversity crises requires healthy seas and a sustainable use of their resources to create alternativesto fossil fuels and traditional food production.Transitioning to a sustainable Blue Economy requires investing in innovative technologies. Wave- and tid-al energy, algae production, development of innovative fishing gear or restoration of marine ecosystemswill create new green jobs and businesses in the Blue Economy.The Communication18 sets out a detailed agenda for the Blue Economy to:• Achieve the objectives of climate neutrality and zero pollution notably by developing offshorerenewable energy, by decarbonising maritime transport and by greening ports. A sustainable oceanenergy mix including floating wind, thermal, wave and tidal energy could generate a quarter of theEU’s electricity in 2050. Ports are crucial to the connectivity and the economy of Europe’s regionsand countries and could be used as energy hubs.• Switch to a circular economy and reduce pollution – including through renewed standards forfishing gear design, for ship recycling, and for decommissioning of offshore platforms and actionto reduce plastics and microplastics pollution.• Preserve biodiversity and invest in nature - protecting 30% of the EU’s sea area will reversebiodiversity loss, increase fish stocks, contribute to climate mitigation and resilience, and generatesignificant financial and social benefits. Environmental impacts of fishing on marine habitats willbe further minimised.• Support climate adaptation and coastal resilience – adaptation activities, such as developing greeninfrastructure in coastal areas and protecting coastlines from the risk of erosion and flooding willhelp preserve biodiversity and landscapes, while benefitting tourism and the coastal economy.18 See: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2021:240:FIN.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 57• Ensure sustainable food production - sustainable production of and new marketing standards forseafood, use of algae and seagrass, stronger fisheries control as well as research and innovation incell-based seafood will help to preserve Europe’s seas. With the EU sustainable aquaculturestrategic guidelines now also adopted, the EC has also committed to growing sustainableaquaculture in the EU.• Improve management of space at sea – the new Blue Forum for users of the sea to coordinate adialogue between offshore operators, stakeholders and scientists engaged in fisheries, aquaculture,shipping, tourism, renewable energy and other activities will stimulate cooperative exchange forthe sustainable use of marine environment. A report on the implementation of the EU Directiveon Maritime Spatial Planning was going to be issued in 2022, following the adoption of nationalmaritime spatial plans in March 2021.The EC will also continue creating the conditions for a sustainable Blue Economy internationally follow-ing the international ocean governance agenda.Financing the sustainable Blue EconomyThe EC and the European Investment Bank Group, composed of the European Investment Bank and theEuropean Investment Fund (EIF) will increase their cooperation on a sustainable Blue Economy. The in-stitutions will work jointly with Member States to meet existing financing needs to reduce pollution inEuropean seas and support investment for blue innovation and Blue Bioeconomy.The new European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund - especially with its ‘BlueInvest’ plat-form and the new BlueInvest Fund - will support the transition towards more sustainable value chainsbased on the oceans, seas and coastal activities. To further finance the transformation, the EC has urgedMS to include investments for a sustainable Blue Economy in their national resilience and recovery plansas well as their national operational programmes for various EU-funds from now to 2027. Other EU pro-grammes such as the research programme Horizon Europe will also contribute and a dedicated Missionon Oceans and Waters will be set up.As regards private investments, agreed ocean-specific sustainability principles and standards such as theEU-sponsored Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Initiative should be used in relevant investment deci-sions.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 585. BlueInvestIn January 2021, the EIF announced EUR 45 million of investments into funds across Europe under thefirst ever equity funding programme for the EU Blue Economy sector.Investments into “Astanor Ventures” and “Blue Horizon Ventures I” were announced at the BlueInvestDay conference in Brussels.EIF has approved three additional investments into funds with specialised Blue Economy strategies andin total over EUR 300 million of funding is expected to flow into the Blue Economy. Since its launch in2020, EIF has deployed EUR 45 million of the EUR 75 million BlueInvest pilot initiative. Two newfunds with established teams have received funding (state: January 2021), whose strategies encompass theagrifood tech industry including the Blue Economy, with an emphasis on food security, health and sus-tainability. These investments are supposed to support start-ups developing innovative products, materi-als, and services that can contribute to enhance ocean conservation and the sustainability of the BlueEconomy.Three additional fund investments into specialised Blue Economy funds, and backed by BlueInvest andInnovFin Equity under Horizon 2020 finance, have also already been approved and are expected to ma-terialise during the course of 2021. Through investments into these funds, around EUR 300 million inequity funding were going to be mobilised for investment in innovative and sustainable ventures active inthe Blue Economy.6. Activities in the European Committee of the RegionsOpinion of the European Committee of the Regions “Contribution of local and regional authorities to the protection ofthe marine environment”During the 144th Plenary Meeting of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) from 5-7 May2021, the EU local and regional representatives adopted their opinion “Contribution of local and region-al authorities to the protection of the marine environment”. In view of the increasing pressures on coast-al areas from urban development and tourism, CoR members argued for measurable targets and deadlinesin the EU Commission’s action plan because, contrary to the goal of the Marine Strategy FrameworkB – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 59Directive (MSFD), good environmental status had not been achieved in EU seas by 2020. They advocat-ed for an EU marine law, active restoration of marine ecosystems and the prevention of plastic waste atsource. They also encouraged marine environmental considerations in urban planning, transport projects,wastewater treatment, waste management, industrial production, agriculture and energy production. Intheir view, local and regional authorities should use available EU funds for regional environmental coop-eration.The CoR, within its Commission for Natural Resources, is also discussing the issue of sustainable BlueEconomy in the coastal and maritime regions of the EU.The COVID-19 pandemic showed that sustainablility, resilience and economic development must gohand in hand and not to the detriment of one another. The CoR aims to further explore synergies betweenthe Green deal and the Blue economy.Interregional Group “Baltic Sea macro-region” 2020-2025 of the European Committee of the Re-gionsOn 14 October 2020, the Interregional Group “Baltic Sea macro-region” of the European Committee ofthe Regions (CoR) met online.Mr Jean-Pierre Halkin from the EC’s Directorate-General for regional and urban policy (DG REGIO)gave a lecture about green and digital change, the new European Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EU-SBSR) and the COVID-19 response. Mr Halkin mentioned that EU Cohesion policy 2021-2027 wouldcontinue to support all regions in all MS, while broad support would allow technological change. Accord-ing to him, the EUSBSR (see picture of BSR regions) was in line with the Just Transition Fund (JTF),which was going to be reflected in national reconstruction plans and should benefit all citizens.Regarding the green transition and the Green Deal, the growth strategy of the EC, Mr Halkin told themembers of the interregional group that the SDGs make up a second dimension.Climate neutrality and recycling management were going to affect all areas of EU policy.The new EUSBSR action plan reflected the Green Deal, and cohesion policy was the main investmentB – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 60instrument, which could contribute to innovation, e.g. inbringing products to market faster, fostering smart and sus-tainable change.The digital transition required a rapid uptake of digital tech-nologies by SMEs.Digitization is territorially dependent: There is a need to re-duce disparities and to catch up on innovation; cooperationis therefore important; 21 billion Euros are spent on digitisa-tion already, financed by cohesion policy. The European Ru-ral Development Fund (ERDF) is a source, e.g. to imple-ment the Broadband Agenda.Macro-regional strategies can contribute to the digital strate-gy, and the EU’s resource consumption is currently not sus-The EU areas of the BSR, source: EC.tainable, not even in the Baltic Sea region.One of the main goals of the EUSBSR is to preserve the sea,while the EUSBSR is also an opportunity to advance the Green Deal and digital change. Demographicchange and migration are addressed, too.Cooperation of the participating countries and also between the macro-regional strategies is important,for it is a political coordination mechanism that does not own resources. Cohesion policy could be thebest ally.Mentioning the MS’s and the EU’s quick COVID-19-crisis response, Mr Halikin pointed out the unprec-edented EU recovery package. Using a new instrument, the EC will assist MS in implementing countermeasures.During their discussion, the CoR members among others underlined the need for quick action in mak-ing available the money and for using integrated financing possibilities. The recovery fund required tar-geted action, and the Cohesion funds could be used for e.g. to renew energy systems. Sharing plans with-in the Baltic Sea Region could be fruitful.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 61A feedback from the EU Commission’s DG Regio would be necessary, which could be passed on to theministries, for example.Due to somewhat radical elements of the EC in cohesion policy, the use of flexibility during the program-ming phase (every seven years) became vital, next to the imperative not to build on an outdated basis andto cooperate. Mr Halkin stressed the help provided in cooperation within the framework of macro-re-gional strategies to keep an eye on the big picture. The EC published its third report on the implementa-tion of macro-regional strategies, which was to be discussed in the Council in November 2020. Nationalrepresentatives could be informed and use their influence. Council conclusions were going to follow soon.A representative of the BSSSC, which is active since 1992 for interregional cooperation in the Baltic Searegion, mentioned cooperation with CoR and the CBSS, the Nordic dimension and Russia and the pros-pect of increasing co-financing rates.The objectives of the Interregional Group Baltic Sea Region 2030 are to make the BSR:• become the leading innovative and people-centric macro-region,• the most sustainable forerunner in Europe• and the first plastic-free sea in the world.7. Publication on the Marine Regions ForumOn 30 September 2019, the European Commission (EC) and Germany had organized the first MarineRegions Forum. Gathering experts from different disciplines, the Forum brought the regional perspectiveinto international ocean governance.In 2021 the final report concluded, that despite the multitude of efforts, unsustainable practices contin-ue and the health of ocean ecosystems continues to decline.19 The report also stated that solutions for ad-dressing the immense challenges facing the ocean and making progress in achieving the implementation19 Neumann, Barbara et al. (2021): “Marine Regions Forum: An international stakeholder forum to strengthen regional ocean governance”, German Environ-ment Agency, p. 17.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 62of global agreements such as the 2030 Agenda have to be tailored to the specific features of marine regionsand their sea basins.8. The new European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment ExecutiveAgencyWith the implementation of the new long-term EU budget, some programmes managed by the Europe-an Agency for SMEs (EASME) moved to the new European Climate, Infrastructure and EnvironmentExecutive Agency (CINEA).From 1 April 2021 on, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), the Life Programme, Hori-zon 2020 Energy Efficiency and part of the Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge ‘Climate action, environ-ment, resource efficiency and raw materials has been managed by the new agency.CINEA had just been established by the EC (EU2021/173) and started its operations on 1 April 2021.CINEA supports the implementation of the European Green Deal by managing relevant EU programmeswith a total budget of €52bn over the period of 2021-2027, including parts of Horizon Europe, LIFE,EMFF, the Climate Innovation Fund, the Renewable Energy Financing Mechanism and parts of the Con-necting Europe Facility. The EMFF was replaced by the new European Maritime Fisheries and Aquacul-ture Fund (EMFAF), an ambitious support package for the implementation of the common fisheries pol-icy (CFP), the Union’s maritime policy and the EU’s agenda for international ocean governance. TheEMFF Unit of EASME will become Sustainable Blue Economy Unit of CINEA.The funding opportunities were published in the first half of 2021.2020 See: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-opportunities-maritime-affairs-and-fisheries_en and https://wayback.archive-it.org/12090/20210628092110/https://cin-ea.ec.europa.eu/index_en.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 639. A practical guide for EU cooperation on coast guard activitiesThe EC has adopted a ‘Practical Handbook’ for closer cooperation between coast guard functions acrossthe EU.The handbook is supposed to improve cross-border and cross-sector collaboration between civilian andmilitary authorities carrying out coast guard functions. It has been developed between the European Fish-eries Control Agency (EFCA), the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the European Borderand Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), together with member states’ experts.The handbook provides a compilation of services and relevant information available through the threeagencies, including cooperation frameworks, training courses, best practice guidelines and manuals of allinter-agency activities supporting coast guard functions in EU countries. Country factsheets provide de-tails on the structure and organisation of coast guard functions in EU countries and European Free TradeAssociation (EFTA) States. Over autumn 2021, an online platform will be launched by EFCA, support-ed by the other two agencies and the EC. The platform will contain the practical information offered bythe handbook, continuously updated by the three agencies, with input from the national authorities, tofurther improve the coast guard cooperation across the EU.A safe and secure maritime space is crucial to protect the EU’s strategic interests such as freedom of navi-gation, external border control or the supply of essential materials. Moreover it is a prerequisite for devel-oping European economic activities at sea and on shore. The cooperation on coast guard activities at EUand MS level will contribute to this safe and secure maritime space, as highlighted in the EU maritime se-curity strategy and its revised action plan. Therefore, the legal acts of the three agencies (EFCA, EMSAand Frontex) had set the obligation for a “Practical Handbook”, in order to facilitate the cooperation be-tween the relevant national and EU authorities and bodies carrying out coast guard functions.10. Research and InnovationThe Blue Economy report 2021 sees research and education as key enablers for the twin green and digitaltransitions.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 64A preliminary assessment shows that the majority of Horizon 2020 investments in the Blue Economy fo-cused on ocean observation, Blue Growth and Blue Biotechnology. Between 2007 and 2019, public andprivate R&D expenditure on wave and tidal energy (see secion B.II) in the EU amounted to €3.84 bil-lion. For the next long-term research programme Horizon Europe (2021-27), at least 35% will be devot-ed to climate-related actions and supporting the transition of maritime industries to climate neutrality.Science seminar 2021 on Marine Protected AreasEvery year, the EC organises a seminar on fisheries science. The event attracts dozens of stakeholders fromdifferent areas to discuss and learn about topical issues regarding oceans and fisheries. The focus of thisyear’s seminar was on marine protected areas (MPAs), their beneficial role for the environment, fishingand coastal communities.In its 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, the EC announced its ambition to increase the European marine watersunder protection from 11% today to 30% by 2030. Within this, at least one third will receive strict pro-tection, whereby only limited and strictly controlled activities are allowed, under the condition that theyleave natural processes essentially undisturbed.According to the EC, in the past decade, the EU has already made significant progress to conserve fisher-ies resources and to protect marine ecosystems. But although a comprehensive policy framework is inplace, evidence shows that it is not fully implemented across the EU. The new biodiversity strategy is sup-posed to promote a larger and well-connected EU-wide network of protected areas with specific and ef-fective fisheries-management measures, to contribute to the sustainable use of seas and oceans.Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius sees in MPAs an im-portant tool for protecting seas and oceans, if they are based on science, have clear conservation objectivesand are properly managed.By their very nature, some types of MPAs (such as no-take marine reserves) can take away fishing grounds.In this phase, public and / or private support to fishermen is very important. However, there is scientificevidence that those areas provide a refuge for species to grow and reproduce, contributing to enhance orsustain adjacent fishing grounds by exporting biomass of adults, eggs and larvae. The EC therefore con-siders it important to look at the full picture, and not just at the short term. Fisheries is not a short-termbusiness.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 65MPAs work best where fishers are involved in their design and management – a climate of trust and co-operation needs to be installed to create buy-in and sense of ownership. Stakeholders have – naturally andnot surprisingly – differing opinions about what, why, and how protecting and about how much ofMPAs. It is important to observe how the costs and benefits of MPAs are distributed between differentgroups.2021 Seminar on fisheries science: Supporting fisheries with marine protected areasThis year’s edition of the annual Seminar on Fisheries Science of the European Commission’s Directo-rate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) focused on marine protected areas (MPAs).Most marine ecosystems have suffered changes through anthropogenic activities. The need to protect orrestore marine biodiversity and fish stocks has led to increasing calls for the establishment of MPAs. Thementioned 30%-MPA-target for EU waters by 2030 shall promote a larger EU-wide network of protect-ed areas with specific fisheries-management measures.In a panel discussion, MPA’s benefits for fisheries were explored.The half-day event took place virtually on 1 June 2021 and brought together a wide range of stakeholderssuch as scientists, MPA managers, fishing industry, NGOs, and the representatives of the EC, Parliament,Council and MS. The seminar included a video booth, where attendees were able to record their testimo-nials, share ideas and ask questions about MPAs.11. EU mission for healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland watersAn EU missions’ call for ideas collected input about the protection and restoration of the health of oceans,seas, coastal and inland waters, and aims to deliver solutions to identified challenges. As part of this process,an interactive pilot platform was launched, so that anyone can put forward their own ideas and vote for theones they like best. The voting and the opportunity to submit proposals were open until September 2020.The results of the call for ideas were going to be presented at the online ‘European Research & InnovationDays (22-24 September 2020). The selected missions were to be announced at the end of 2020 andlaunched in 2021.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 66Aims of mission for healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland watersA mission in the area of healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters will be a tool to raise awareness oftheir importance among citizens and help develop solutions on a range of issues.These include• systemic solutions for the prevention, reduction, mitigation and removal of marine pollutionincluding plastics• transition to a circular and Blue Economy• adaption to and mitigation of pollution and climate change in the ocean• sustainable use and management of ocean resources• development of new materials including biodegradable plastic substitutes, new feed and food• urban, coastal and maritime spatial planning• ocean governance• ocean economics applied to maritime activities12. Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)Blue post-COVID-19 recovery strategies and 4th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiver-sity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ)On 8 December 2020, the UN General Assembly debated two resolutions on Oceans and Law of the Seasand on Sustainable Fisheries.In this context, the EU stressed that in addressing the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pan-demic, recovery strategies should aim at keeping oceans healthy and productive, fighting climate change,halting biodiversity loss, as well as tackling hunger and poverty. These should not be seen as “either or”options, as ensuring resilience of the society, economies as well as the environment to future shocks canonly be achieved by tackling these challenges.For the EU, in line with the principles of its Green Deal, the best way forward to recover from the pan-demic is by rebuilding greener and bluer. This requires decision-making on the basis of the best availablescience. In this respect, the EU welcomes the outcomes of the Second World Ocean Assessment under theB – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 67UN Regular Process and looks forward to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for SustainableDevelopment (2021–2030).The EU recognises the important role seafarers and fishers play in providing the global community withgoods, including the medicines and equipment used to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as food.It remains concerned with the plight of many seafarers and fishers who have been stranded on board oftheir ships, as also pointed out by the UN Secretary General. In this regard, the EU welcomes the consen-sual adoption by the Assembly of a Resolution on “International cooperation to address challenges facedby seafarers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to support global supply chains”.In line with the objectives of its CFP, the EU remains committed to achieving sustainable fisheries. Harm-ful subsidies which contribute to overcapacity, overfishing and illegal, unregulated and unreported fishingare one of the main impediments to achieving sustainability, therefore the EU hopes that the long-stand-ing World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations in this regard can be concluded as soon as possible,in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.6, and remains fully committed to this end.The EU recalls that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) remains the over-arching legal framework for ocean governance. The EU continues to encourage all UN states to ratify itto achieve universal participation and calls on states to abide by the fundamental principles and rules ofthe law of the sea and to refrain from any actions undermining regional stability and security. In addition,the EU considers that the negotiations of the implementing agreement for the conservation and sustain-able use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction should be finalised as soon as possi-ble, ideally in 2021, to enhance the framework for marine biodiversity in these areas.Already December 2017 the UN General Assembly in its resolution 72/249 had decided to convene anIntergovernmental Conference, under the auspices of the UN, to consider the recommendations ofthe Preparatory Committee established by resolution 69/292 of 19 June 2015 on the elements and toelaborate the text of an international legally binding instrument under the UNCLOS on the conservationand sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, with a view to de-veloping the instrument as soon as possible.In April 2018 the Intergovernmental Conference held a three-day organizational meeting in New York todiscuss organizational matters, including the process for the preparation of the zero draft of the instru-ment.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 68The first session was convened from 4 to 17 September 2018, the second session from 25 March to 5 April2019 and the third session from 19 to 30 August 2019. By resolution 75/239, the General Assembly de-cided to convene the fourth session from 16 to 27 August 2021.Shipyards and shipbuilding in the region of Mecklenburg-VorpommernLike many Baltic regions, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pan-demic. This section is describing how the shipyards, which belong to Genting Hong Kong, and supplyersfaced the crisis.The Regional Government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern had negotiated a recovery package for ship-yards in July 2020: 175 million euros of pledged bank deposits have been released. Further 300 millioneuros out of the Federal Economic Stabilisation Fund will support Shipyards Mecklenburg-Vorpommern(MV Werften), as was made public in June 2021.In February 2021, the Shipyards Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV Werften) in Stralsund, Wismar andRostock-Warnemünde faced 1200 losses of jobs, which corresponds to approximately 1/3 of the enter-prise’s jobs.Short-time allowance was subsidized by the Federal Government during the three “COVID-19 waves”.MV Werften had good order books until the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic. It had contin-uously built up personnel and invested substantially in the sites. Innovation in the field of alternative pro-pulsion was ongoing. Of all employees at the shipyards in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, approximately 90percent worked in the cruise ship construction sector until the start of the corona pandemic. In this re-spect, the shipyards in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have been particularly affected by the pandemic dueto the induced worldwide decline in tourism and cruise tourism.On 31 May 2021, a special session of the Regional Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (LandtagM-V) was convened.As mentioned above, the Federal Government was prepared, under certain conditions, to provide MVWerften with 300 million euros from the Economic Stabilization Fund for the completion of the shipsGlobal I and Endeavor I and to secure the financing of the purchase price of these ships with Hermesguarantees in a total volume of around 1.5 billion euros (According to the Minister for the Economy,B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 69Labour and Health of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Mr Harry Glawe, negotiations have been long anddifficult).21 The Landtag M-V recognized that in this context the Federal Government requires a loancommitment from the Land Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to close any liquidity gap that may arise, andthat the banks expect an increase in the guarantee ratio from 80 percent to 90 percent for further disburse-ments under the Global I financing. The Landtag also supported that Mecklenburg-Vorpommern pro-vides Genting Hong Kong and MV Werften with a loan commitment in the amount of 88 million U.S.dollars (equivalent to approx. 72 million euros) to secure a liquidity reserve with an expected term untilthe fall of 2034, whereby such a loan is only to be used in the event of the actual occurrence of the poten-tial liquidity shortfall calculated by the Federal Export Credit Insurance Agency, Euler Hermes (hedgingfor a worst-case scenario). In this context, the shipyard properties will also be made available as collateralfor the public sector.The Landtag also supported that Mecklenburg-Vorpommern increases the guarantee protection for theconstruction period financing of Global I from 80 percent to 90 percent from Milestone E until deliveryof Global I, thus entering into an additional commitment of the Land Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, total-ing 38.2 million euros.13. Common FisheriesEU Commission proposal to extend ‘access to waters’ regime under the EU Common Fisheries PolicyOn 5 July, the EC adopted the proposal to extend the ”access to waters” regime under the current CFPfor another ten years, avoiding any disruption in the longstanding arrangements between MS. The pro-posal also addresses the changes following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU and additional refer-ences to access to Greek territorial waters based on a recent agreement between Greece and Italy.Under the CFP, all EU fishing vessels have equal access to waters in the entire EU. However, MS can re-strict fishing in their territorial waters to take into account the vulnerability of their coastal zones. EUcountries can limit access in waters up to 12 nautical miles from their coastlines. In the EU’s outermostregions, access can be restricted in waters of up to 100 nautical miles from the baselines of these regions.21 Motion 7/6186 of the Regional Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern “Inclusion of MV Werften under the federal rescue umbrella (WSF): Safeguarding ofjobs at the shipyard sites and supplier companies in the State”.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 70In place since the early 1970s, this access regime has been included in every version of the CFP Regula-tion since 1982. The current regime applies until 31 December 2022, as indicated in the CFP Regula-tion.22EU report projects resilience of fishing fleet during COVID-19 pandemicThe 2020 Annual Economic Report on the EU Fishing Fleet23 projects that in 2020, the EU fleet re-mained profitable overall, despite the effects of COVID-19 on the fleet and fish markets. More sustaina-ble fishing and lower fuel costs have helped to mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic.In 2018, the EU fleet registered a net profit of €800 million. This represents significant progress, consid-ering that the EU fleet was barely breaking even in 2008. The continued strong performance was the re-sult of a higher average of fish prices, low fuel prices, and the improved status of some important stocks.This trend continued into 2019.At the same time, the report shows differences in performance across fleet categories and fishing regions.The large-scale and distant-water fleet segments registered better economic performance than the small-scale coastal fleet segments. However, the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak has interrupted the positive trendsseen in recent years. Projections suggests that in 2020 the economic performance of the EU fleets has de-clined, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting decline in demand and disrup-tions in the supply chain. Projections indicate decreases of 17% in landed value, 19% in employment and29% in net profits compared to 2019.The report provides a comprehensive overview of the latest information available on the structure andeconomic performance of EU Member State fishing fleets. It covers the period 2008 to 2020 and includesinformation on the EU fleet’s fishing capacity, effort, employment, landings, income and costs. The latestyear of reported data by Member States is 2018, with preliminary 2019 data. Therefore, the now-cast per-formance estimates provided for 2019 and 2020 are projections only and by no means can be consideredas forecasts.22 See link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2021:356:FIN.23 See link: h ttps://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reports/economic/-/asset_publisher/d7Ie/document/id/2788167?inheritRedirect=false&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fstecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu%2Freports%2Feconomic%3Fp_p_id%3D101_INSTANCE_d7Ie%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3D-view%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-2%26p_p_col_pos%3D1%26p_p_col_count%3D2B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 71Despite the impact of COVID-19, projections show that the EU fleet would end 2020 with a reasonablelevel of profitability. This indicates a strong resilience of the EU fleet, which is the result of the effortsmade by the sector in previous years to achieve the maximum sustainability yield (MSY) objective set bythe CFP, in conjunction with low fuel prices. Furthermore, the report shows that the economic perfor-mance and salaries of EU fishers are improving where fleets depend on stocks that are targeted sustaina-bly and tend to stagnate where fleets depend on stocks that remain overfished or overexploited.The Annual Economic Reports on the EU Fishing Fleet provide an overview of the structure and econom-ic performance of the 22 coastal EU Member State fishing fleets. It is the result of combined work by eco-nomic experts from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee of Fisheries and the EC.Recovery must be based on sustainability, says EU at the FAO Committee on FisheriesThe impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the seafood sector dominated the 34th Session of the UNFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Committee on Fisheries, 1-5 February 2021. Across the world,market disruption has hit fisheries and aquaculture hard, adversely affecting the livelihoods of fishers andseafood farmers. At the same time, the pandemic has underscored the vital contribution of the sector tothe global economy, to nutrition and to food security.In line with the European Green Deal, the EU stressed that the post-Covid recovery must be based onsustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture, as the best tool to balance the multiple challengesof fostering economic development, whilst promoting conservation, biodiversity, food security and thefight against climate change.As the world’s largest donor of official development assistance and the principal donor to FAO, the EUreaffirmed its commitment to supporting and promoting the contribution of fisheries and aquaculture tosustainable development.Reaffirming its “zero tolerance” approach to illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, the EU contrib-uted directly to the decision to develop, for adoption in 2022, FAO Guidelines on Transshipment opera-tions that currently remain largely unregulated and insufficiently monitored and controlled. The EU alsocontributed to an agreement to progress on developing FAO Sustainable Aquaculture Guidelines in 2021to ensure that the growth of global aquaculture necessary to meet increasing world demand for proteindoes not come at the expense of the environment, economic development or social conditions. Finally,the EU invited FAO to pursue the elaboration of draft guidance on social responsibility in fish valueB – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 72chains, building more explicitly upon key conventions in this domain.24 These could be important soft in-ternational law instruments to advance EU interests on aquaculture and fisheries worldwide under theEuropean Green Deal.The delegations to the FAO Committee on fisheries meeting endorsed a Declaration on Sustainable Fish-eries and Aquaculture.25 The declaration, among other things, reiterates the importance to reduce the im-pact of marine litter, abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear, to reduce discards and by-catchissues, to eliminate harmful fishing practices and to prevent pre- or post-harvest lost and waste in the sec-tor.Implementation report of the European Maritime and Fisheries FundThe latest implementation report of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) was publishedin December 2020. It highlights the most important achievements supported by the EMFF across theEU. The report is based on data provided by the MS, reflecting the state of implementation at the end of2019. The first data reflecting the impacts of Covid-19 were due to be reported by the MS at the end ofApril 2021 and will feature in the next report.The report26 shows that by the end of 2019, €3.21 billion of EMFF support was committed to operationsin the MS. This corresponds to 55.8% of the €5.69 billion EMFF funding available to the MS.€1.4 billion of the support committed contributes to the objective of enhancing the competitiveness ofsmall to medium sized enterprises (SMEs), while €1.3 billion (i.e. 40% of support committed so far) isdedicated to preserving and protecting the environment. The remaining €0.5 billion was committed to avariety of topics, which notably include promoting quality employment and labour mobility.The report analyses the breakdown of these figures according to key policy objectives and topics such asclimate, biodiversity, and the landing obligation. Analysis is provided at EU level, by MS and specificallyfor support targeted at the small-scale coastal fisheries sector.24 In particular the ILO work in fishing Convention C-188, the IMO Convention on standards of training certification and watch keeping for fishing vessels per-sonnel, the Cape Town Agreement on Safety of Fishing vessels and, to meet the specific needs of small-scale fisheries value chains and their operators, particularlywomen, the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries.25 See: http://www.fao.org/3/ne472en/ne472en.pdf.26 See link: https://ec.europa.eu/oceans-and-fisheries/system/files/2020-12/emff-implementation-report-2019_en.pdf.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 73The report shows that most of the EMFF funding was committed towards the objectives of ensuring eco-nomically viable and competitive fishing and processing industries (€899 million). Development of sus-tainable aquaculture activities (€588 million) and supporting the achievement of the maximum sustaina-ble yield (€572 million) were also key funding targets.In terms of activities, data collection on fisheries and aquaculture activities, which helps improve stock as-sessments and understanding of the state of these sectors, including socio-economic conditions, receivedthe largest amount of support (€433.9 million). Control (€375.8 million) and productive investments inaquaculture (€348 million) also received significant support.The EMFF is one of the five European Structural and Investment (ESI) funds. This detailed report pro-vides critical input for evaluating policy implementation and tailoring future policy decisions.The new European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF)The regulation establishing the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) underthe EU’s 2021-2027 long-term budget was adopted on 6 July 2021 by the European Parliament. Theadoption follows a political agreement reached with the Council at the end of 2020 (see further below).With a total budget of €6 108 billion (2021-2027), the EMFAF will provide financial support to protect,manage and sustainably use the ocean and its resources contributing thus to the objectives of the Europe-an Green Deal. This is key to promoting biodiversity, the supply of healthy and sustainable seafood, in-cluding from aquaculture, the competitiveness of the Blue Economy and thriving coastal communities inthe EU.The EMFAF shall enable the EU to support the green recovery of Europe’s Blue Economy and underpinthe EU’s leading role in promoting sustainable ocean governance worldwide. Calling on MS to finalisetheir national programmes as a priority, EU Commissioner Sinkevičius underlined the necessity to deliv-er on the shared commitment to a healthier ocean.Of the total budget, €5 311 billion will be provided through national programmes co-financed by the EUbudget, whilst €797 million will be managed directly by the EC promoting horizontal priorities, includ-ing in the areas of Blue Economy and ocean governance.MS are expected to finalise their programmes in the coming months, to ensure that the funds can be putto work as soon as possible.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 74Under the EU’s CFP, the fund will enable MS to pursue priorities such as the implementation of the land-ing obligation, aiming to overcome wasteful discard practices, and strengthening EU’s fisheries control tofoster compliance and ensure a level playing for all operators. This also includes support for investment ineffective fisheries control tools discussed in the context of the ongoing revision of the EU’s fisheries con-trol system, such as Closed Circuit Television cameras.Background:In December 2020, the EC, the Council and the EU-Parliament had reached a provisional political agree-ment on the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) for the period of 2021-2027.According to EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius the new European Maritime, Fisheries and Aqua-culture Fund will create investments in improving the health, safety and working conditions on boardfishing vessels, while at the same time ensuring that the EU fleet is sustainable. No subsidy at EU levelshould risk harmful effects leading to overfishing and overcapacity, something the EC has been most vig-ilant about throughout the process.The provisional agreement included support for investments in the fishing fleet as a way to enhance theirsustainability and safety. In this respect, the co-legislators agreed with the safeguards proposed by the ECto prevent the risks of harmful overfishing and overcapacity. The three institutions also agreed on a crisismanagement scheme to allow emergency support to the fishery and aquaculture sector in case of a signif-icant disruption of the market. Following this agreement, and the agreement on the Common ProvisionsRegulation, the framework for the new EMFAF was complete.The following developments in the CFP, which the EC’s DG MARE informed about in this reporting pe-riod, could not be mentioned here (They can be found on the following website: https://ec.europa.eu/oceans-and-fisheries/news_en):• The annunal EU Communication on sustainable fishing• Deep-sea fisheries: Increased protection for deep-sea species• Effects of Brexit on EU fisheries• Information about access of EU fishing vessels to the UK waters as of 1 January 2021• Agreement reached on 2021 fishing opportunities• EU-UK agreement in principle on fishing opportunities for the remainder of 2021• EU Commission adopts report on multiannual planB – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 75• Coast guard cooperation: Three EU Agencies strengthen cooperation in support of EU MemberStates• European Fisheries Control Agency Work Programme and multiannual strategy• Fisheries: EU reaches provisional agreement on reducing fishing fleet in the Baltic with supportfrom EU funds• The Commission assesses the data collection framework for sustainable fisheries• Illegal unreported fishing: “Zero tolerance”• EU hosted meeting on the Port State Measures Agreement to reinforce the global fight againstillegal fishing• Fisheries control: Study on the EU member states’ sanctioning systems for infringements of theCFP• New report shows progress and shortcomings in the implementation of the EU control Regulation• EU Fisheries partnership agreements (Mauritania, Greenland, Gabon, Seychelles)• Arctic: Agreement to prevent unregulated fishing enters into force• Shellfish take the open seas: Innovative farming develops with EU funding• WTO takes important steps towards global trade rules for sustainable fishing• The EU Fish Market 2020 edition online• EU Consultations14. Blue Bioeconomy and Blue BiotechnologyThe Blue Bioeconomy is the sustainable, economic use of biological resources from oceans and waters.This includes not only fish and shellfish, but also micro and macroalgae, reeds, driftwood and vascularplants. These grow in the wild or in aquacultures in and around the sea, lakes or purpose-built facilities.This biomass can be used in a variety of applications in households (food, cosmetics, utensils), agriculture(animal feed, soil conditioners and functional adjuvants), industry (e.g. green chemicals) or even for en-ergy production. In addition, many of these uses improve the environment and contribute to the achieve-ment of the Agenda 2030 goals.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 76Study on the Impact of seafood imports on the EU small-scale coastal fleetWithin the framework of the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EU-MOFA) Talks webinar series an event based on the institution’s newly-released study about the impact ofseafood imports on the EU small-scale coastal fleet (SSCF) took place on 27 April 2021.The EUMOFA study “Impact of seafood imports on the EU small-scale coastal fleet”27 is depicting howthe EU’s role as the world’s largest seafood importer brings a large volume and variety of seafood to Euro-pean consumers, as well as its impact on the EU’s own production. It contains thirteen case studies, in-cluding one on Baltic Sea cod in Sweden.The EU’s small-scale coastal fleet (SSCF) is made up of vessels under 12 meters in length that use passivegear.The study is concluding that the EU’s CFP affirms a commitment to the economic sustainability of theEU SSCF. At the same time, the EU market is a major importer of seafood. In light of this, concerns havebeen raised that extra-EU seafood imports could be negatively impacting the economic sustainability ofthe EU SSCF. Seafood imports could be impacting the EU SSCF if two conditions are present. First, themarkets for SSCF production and EU imports would need to be integrated, meaning that seafood im-ports and SSCF production are sold as substitute products and their prices trend together. Second, interms of market power, the SSCF needs to function as the price taker, meaning that lower-priced seafoodimports would force SSCF prices downward.Using this framework, the impact of seafood imports can only be assessed at the level of a defined market.For many SSCF products, this is at a very local level and is dependent on several external factors of whichseafood imports is just one.Data challenges limited the number of cases that could be statistically analysed, for example difficultiesacquiring SSCF-specific prices and trade data at the right level of species aggregation. Datasets on importsand SSCF production also need to be long enough and complete enough (i.e. no or few missing values)to allow for a robust analysis of market integration.The Swedish cod case study revealed that Norwegian cod imports and SSCF production are integrated27 See: https://www.eumofa.eu/market-analysis#thematic?2.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 77with SSCF serving as a price taker, yet Swedish fishers were more concerned about impacts from low quo-tas due to the state of the stock and seal predation. These localised problems may not be true in a differ-ent context.The French lobster case study revealed that whether European lobster and American lobster operate in thesame market depends on the quality of the lobster (lower grade lobster being sold in the same market) andalso on the perception of individuals. While UK lobster become extra-EU imports, this trade flow wasfound to have no significant impact on French SSCF prices.The Spanish octopus case study revealed that imports of Moroccan octopus and Spanish SSCF produc-tion are only loosely integrated. This may be due in part to different product stages as a share of Moroc-can octopus imports are sold frozen whereas Spanish SSCF production is sold fresh.The statistical analysis for the ten other cases revealed even less market integration than the case study ex-amples, most often finding loose market integration, but with findings differing on a case-by-case basisand nuanced by issues such as intra-EU trade. Despite being a highly traded global product, it appearsthat the local still matters in EU fisheries.These important findings at a granular level point towards a case-specific understanding of seafood mar-kets and point away from generalised conclusions at the EU or the MS level. The impact of seafood im-ports on the many SSCF fisheries not covered in this study is therefore ambiguous and drawing any con-clusions total impact of imports on EU fisheries is thus highly uncertain and is not advised.The study’s findings also highlight the importance of non-trade impacts on price determination for theEU SSCF. Other influences, such as policies and institutions, may have a significant role to play in thesemarkets, and, importantly, there may still be scope for impactful SSCF market strategies despite the in-crease in seafood trade.New action plan to boost organic agriculture and aquaculture in EuropeThe EC has published a new action plan to accelerate the development of the organic sector. The plan isB – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 78supposed to increase the production and consumption of organic products, in order to reach 25% of ag-ricultural land under organic farming by 2030, as well as a significant increase in organic aquaculture, asset in the EU’s Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies.Structured around 23 actions, the plan should provide the sector with appropriate tools and enhances therole of organics in the fight against climate change and sustainable resource management, contributing tohealthier and biodiverse ecosystems.With only 4% of total aquaculture production (2015), organic aquaculture is still in its early stages in Eu-rope. Lately, however, the sector seems to be getting out of its niche. The EUMOFA EU Fish Market2020 Edition reports a 20% growth in the consumption of organic aquaculture products over the last 5years, up to even 48% in the case of France. A substantial part of the demand is met through importscoming from e.g. the UK and Norway. This highlights the growth potential and the business opportuni-ties for EU producers.The action plan for the development of the organic sector puts forward actions structured around threeaxes:• increasing consumption while maintaining consumer trust• increasing production• improving further the sustainability of the sectorTo further consumption, the action plan emphasizes the importance of communicating about organicfarming and its benefits and includes actions such as EU promotion campaigns or strengthening the fightagainst fraudulent practices, as well as improving traceability.In line with the new organic legislation, which will enter into application on 1 January 2022, the EC alsoaims at fostering local and small-scale processing. This is crucial to ensure organised and efficient supplychains for organic products and to make sure that small producers can find an outlet for their production.The Commission will also support research and innovation, for example to improve animal nutrition inaccordance with organic rules.The final section of the action plan emphasises organic farming’s drive to lead by example in the transi-tion to sustainable agriculture and aquaculture. This includes a more efficient use of resources, whichB – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 79remains a challenge for the whole agriculture and aquaculture sector. The EC will, for example, draftguidelines to minimise the use of plastics and will promote efficient use of water and energy.The CFP provides for means to promote the sustainable development of EU aquaculture. The upcomingnew strategic guidelines for EU aquaculture (to be adopted April 2021) will promote organic aquacultureas one of the ways to increase the sustainability of aquaculture production.The EC also encourages MS to include organic aquaculture in the (ongoing) review of their national stra-tegic plans and support this type of aquaculture production with part of the funds available under the newEMFAF 2021-2027.Horizon Europe will continue to support research an innovation for organic aquaculture. In addition, theEU method of policy coordination for aquaculture (so called Open Method of Coordination) will con-tinue to allow MS and stakeholders to exchange best practices and innovative approaches to further de-velop organic aquaculture.Organic aquaculture production in the EUEU countries with the largest organic aquaculture production volumes in 201928Country ProductionIreland 27 264 MtItaly 9 608 MtThe Netherlands 8 536 MtSpain 7 062 MtBulgaria 5 004 MtHungary 2 970 MtRomania 1 493 MtGreece 1 267 Mt28 Report “The world of organic agriculture – statistics and emerging trends 2021”, FiBL& IFOAM – Organics International.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 80In Europe (2015) the main species produced under organic standards were29Top 5 organic aquaculture species Production (Metric tons, rd.) % of EU total productionSalmon 16 000 Mt 9%Mussels 20 000 Mt 4%Carp 6 000 Mt 8%Trout 5 000 Mt 3%Seabass and seabream 2 000 Mt 1%CARBIOTECH extracts OMEGA-3 health supplement from algae, thanks to EU supportThe EC’s DG MARE presented an algae production site near the Galician Costa da Morte, set up by Jaco-bo Bouzada Rodríquez, a chemical engineer. Having worked on various marine-related research projects,including for fish processing plants, he wanted to develop a high-value product from a natural resourcethat is abundantly present in the area: algae.In particular, Mr Rodríquez has laid his eye on a specific kind of micro-algae, called Crypthecodiniumcohnii, after he discovered that the oil from this seaweed was particularly high in omega-3. The fatty acid,known for its health benefits, is widely used as a supplement in the food and nutraceutical industry. Hisrole, Jacobo reckoned, could be to extract, refine and sell this potent, highly unsaturated omega-3 oil toexactly those companies.The initiative was quickly welcomed by the Costa da Morte FLAG30, the local fisheries action group sup-ported by the EMFF.With help from the FLAG, Mr Rodríquez found a production site in the industrial area of Bértoa (Car-ballo), close to the supply of the micro-algae, and he set up a small company Carbiotech, employing twopeople.29 EUMOFA study on organic aquaculture (2017).30 See: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/cms/farnet2/on-the-ground/flag-factsheets/costa-da-morte_en.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 81The FLAG contributed with a grant of 200 000 euro, or 40% of the project costs. The FLAG did morethan just chipping in for the investment. They also introduced him to local fishers and shellfish gathererswho could help identify and collect the micro-algae which he would afterwards cultivate in closed-circuitbioreactors.To start with, the oil would be sold directly to the pharmaceutical industry for omega-3 capsules and oth-er health supplements. As the project set off, Carbiotech already signed a contract with a multinationalfor its entire production in the initial years: 1000 litres of oil for year 1, 4000 litres of oil for year 2.In 2021, Carbiotech is still existing, even after the FLAG project finished in August 2019. In a few years’time, the market had shifted to a different kind of algae, Schizochytrium, and so his production had to fol-low. Together with the University of Vigo they started new research in order to adapt the cultivation. Butbecause of COVID-19, the research technicians from the university were locked down. Carbiotech beganto work in its own facilities to carry out the necessary research themselves.Meanwhile, the cultivation of the new micro-algae is well underway. The immediate priority now is to im-prove the productivity so they can produce at a larger scale, which will increase the profitability of thecompany.The company continues to look out for funding to increase and research the production of microalgae inbioreactors and expand its market lines. At a later stage, Carbiotech plans to develop and market this typeof product itself.New EUMOFA report on the Blue BioeconomyFrom integrated multi-trophic aquaculture over fish rest raw material in Denmark to cell-plant technolo-gy and the breeding of cells through mariculture, the Blue Bioeconomy is a spawning ground for cut-ting-edge innovation in Europe. The 2020 edition of the EUMOFA report “Blue Bioeconomy. SituationReport and Perspective”31 dives into three sub-sectors and discovers how they are quickly evolving in thesustainable economy, and what potential they hold for the future.31 See: https://www.eumofa.eu/market-analysis#tabs-3ThemB – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 82Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture: an ecosystem on its ownIntegrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture is called for pilot projects to promote its practice.However, despite its proven environmental and economic benefits, adoption by mainstream producers isslow. More commercial-scale evidence is likely needed to convince the industry.Reusing fish waste in DenmarkThe second section of the report is a case study from Denmark about the use of fish rest raw material. Thisis essentially all the useful material removed from fish and seafood when preparing it for food use.Denmark is a big seafood nation and that includes massive volumes of fish rests: more than 500,000tonnes in 2019. The case study found that fish rest raw material is mainly used for fishmeal and fish oil,animal feed, biogas, and indirect human consumption. It is most lucrative when utilised for food addi-tives or supplements, such as Omega-3 capsules.Seafood from cells, not plants or animalsThe final part of the report deals with cellular mariculture, an emerging technology whereby marine prod-ucts are produced from cell cultures rather than from whole plants or animals. Such systems are a poten-tial renewable source of valuable compounds, flavours, fragrances and colorants, which cannot be pro-duced by microbial cells or chemical synthesis.Contrary to animal-based seafood, cell-based seafood can combine developments in biomedical engineer-ing with modern aquaculture techniques, making it a versatile and promising technology altogether.Blue Bioeconomy has brought to the healthcare and pharmaceuticals sectorThe Blue Biotechnology sector as part of the European Blue Economy uses living marine organisms – al-gae, bacteria, fungi, shellfish – to develop new, sustainable applications for a variety of sectors, rangingfrom pharmaceuticals and textiles to chemicals, packaging, fuel and more.The EC’s DG MARE reported via Euronews in OCEAN magazine episode on what the Blue Bioeconomyhas brought to the healthcare and pharmaceuticals sector. In recent years, marine biotechnology has led to thedevelopment of promising new medicines, therapies, diagnostics and vaccines, including Covid-19 vaccines.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 83For example, biotechnological breakthroughs have created new medicines for patients suffering fromgrowth diseases, metabolic diseases, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and Alzheimer’s dis-ease.Following the Sea4Us project32, marine researchers are presented, who collect invertebrate samples in thePortuguese Algarve. In addition, the Sea4Us lab in Lisbon is visited, where sponges are analysed regard-ing molecules with anti-pain properties for potential pharmaceutical use.Finally, at the CIIMAR centre in Porto insights are given in EU-funded projects studying marine cyano-bacteria in the fight against cancer and obesity.II. Energy aspects with regard to maritime policy1. Green Energy projectsGreen Hydrogen plant as an opportunity for Rostock PortAs announced in June 2020, at the international port of Rostock an experimental plant for green hydro-gen production and refinement will be built as a contribution to the aim of carbon-neutral shipping. Theport has access to electrical energy from offshore wind energy plants. The emitted thermal energy is sup-posed to be used at the port or for district heating. The produced hydrogen can be used directly in theproduction of fertilizers, petrol stations or conversion into electricity.3332 See: https://sea4us.pt/en/33 Rostocker Neueste Nachrichten, 29 June 2020.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 84Cooperation between Baltic Sea countriesMinister President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Manuela Schwesig, expressed her interest to expandeconomic cooperation among the Baltic Sea countries in the coming years. Among other things, the re-gional government’s new business event, the “Unternehmertag Ostsee - Baltic Business Day”, is to be es-tablished as part of the Hanse Sail 2022, Schwesig said in August 2021 at the 20th Hanse Sail BusinessForum in Rostock.Another future field for cooperation is climate and marine protection, she said. “If we want to continueeconomic growth, we have to do business more sustainably. We are the first generation that is sensing theconsequences of man-made climate change,” said Schwesig. Economic growth must not be at the expenseof the environment and future generations.Also in August 2021, the “Hydrogen Hanse” was founded in Warnemünde. It is intended to unite citiesand regions in the Baltic Sea region in an alliance committed to a hydrogen-based economy and the useof the associated value-added potential. Energy Minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Christian Pegel,emphasised, that in order to achieve the climate targets, the use of renewable energy must also be signifi-cantly advanced in areas other than electricity supply.The use of hydrogen is an important building block in this. On the occasion of the foundation of the“Hydrogen Hanse”, the passenger ferry “Breitling” was refuelled with hydrogen-based synthetic diesel. AsKnut Schäfer, Managing Director of the White Fleet, said, the “Breitling” is Germany’s first ferry in localpublic transport to run on hydrogen-based e-fuel.Energy aspects in maritime transportThe EU Commission’s DG MARE gave an overview on EU maritime transport industry’s initiatives toreduce its impact on the environment with innovative solutions like battery-operated vessels, wind-pow-ered ships and carbon-neutral shipping.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 85The EC, in a Euronews Ocean magazine episode34, showed how the European shipping industry is ad-vancing towards the 2050 goal of reducing its CO emissions down to 50% compared to 2008: Research-2ers were accompanied, using drones and other innovative tools to take accurate measurements of vesselemissions close to the port of Hamburg, as a part of an EU-funded SCIPPER project. In addition, Eu-rope’s goals and methods of reducing shipping emissions were introduced in an interview with Jaap Ge-braad, Executive Director of Waterborne, the European research and innovation platform for waterborneindustries. Also, examples of innovative technologies were given, helping reduce emissions on “the clean-est ship on the Baltic” — MS VIking Grace, a hybrid vessel that along with LNG fuel uses wind propul-sion with an innovative rotor sail, developed within an EU-funded project (RotorDEMO). In Turku, Fin-land, an example for improvements in logistics and infrastructure reduce ports’ environmental footprint(EU-funded NextGen Link project) was given.2. Energy TransitionThe technology report 202135 by DNV Group is presenting technologies at the forefront of the energytransition and expected near-term developments. The ten key technologies analysed in a five-year pros-pect are floating wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, waste to fuel and feedstock, pipelines for low-carbongases, meshed high voltage direct current grids, battery technology, novel shipping technologies (marinefuel cells and nuclear-powered ships), electric vehicles and grid integration, green hydrogen productionand carbon capture and storage.According to the report, in the shipping sector, the options for reducing emissions are limited. Therefore,new propulsion technologies using hydrogen fuel cells and nuclear have potential. In the case of fuel cells,an infrastructure of low-emission hydrogen must be built and the whole value chain of such technologieswill need integration.Floating wind turbines will see a significant technological development in the next five years, which willreduce costs and increase applicability. A challenge for cost reduction is the number of different fabrica-tion approaches and shapes of floating wind with regard to fabrication facilities and the manufacturing of34 See: https://www.euronews.com/green/green-series/ocean.35 The content of this section on energy transition refers to https://eto.dnv.com/technology-progress-report-2021.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 86optimal turbines. There is a need for industrial cooperation. The report is projecting, that offshore float-ing wind will grow to reach a total capacity of 250 GW by 2050.Solar photovoltaics, today using monocristalline or polycrystalline silicon cells or thin film technologies,are the world’s fastest growing renewable electricity resource. Electricity generation will be expanding 30-fold from 0.8 PWh in 2019 to 22 PWh in 2050. Tandem solar cells are in the process of being developed.Waste is increasingly being viewed as a resource in the wrong place. This applies particularly to the grow-ing mountain of municipal solid waste – over two billion tons of it annually worldwide, which, with rap-id urbanization, is set to increase by more than 60% by 2050. Most of this waste is biogenic and alongwith other combustibles, such as plastic, has long been tapped as a source of energy via incineration. Inrecent decades attention has shifted to include municipal solid waste as a source of fuels, principally meth-ane and biodiesel. Energy recovery from waste in the form of electricity and/or heat is on the rise world-wide, driven both by the increased availability of waste and by technological improvements. Collectedlandfill gas can be cleaned and treated for use in electricity generation or further refined to produce biom-ethane.There is considerable potential for „methane mining“ worldwide, while incinerators will struggleto compete with renewables and face growing public opposition.The report is also describing other ways to treat waste, and is criticizing that only 15% of the world’s plas-tic waste is recycled (mainly mechanically), whereas plastic waste is going to increase enormously (from250 million tons in 2020 to 350 million tons in 2030). In mechanical recycling, there would be the needto presort polymers by sort and color and to decontaminate them. Chemical recycling is being opposedby Greenpeace. Pyrolysis requires high heat and there are concerns about its carbon footprint and com-mercial viability.With stakeholder pressure increasing, and governments passing net zero legislation, industry is accelerat-ing its solutions for decarbonizing production and consumption of the molecular energy – hydrocarbons– that the world needs. Pipelines will play a critical role in transporting this energy, but carry safety andfinancial risks if new design, construction, and operational considerations are not taken into account.The report is forecasting that some 50% of the energy system will still be hydrocarbon based in 2050.Critical issues are impurities, possible cryogenic effects, leak from CO and H pipelines/major accident2 2risk amongst others.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 87The report is also summarizing the four main green hydrogen technologies (alkaline electrolysis, protonexchange membrane and solid oxide electrolysis and anion ex change membrane). It is expecting a rise inglobal demand for hydrogen as an ener gy carrier to 24 EJ/ year in 2050.DNV’s Maritime Forecast to 2050 aims to enhance the decision-making of shipowners as they navigatethe technological, regulatory and market uncertainties surrounding decarbonization. In 2020, DNVplanned to develop a library of scenarios, projecting fleet composition, energy use, fuel mix, and CO2emissions to 2050. 16 different fuel types and 10 fuel technology systems were modelled. For the purpos-es of the present DNV report novel shipping technologies have been selected which DNV had hithertonot covered in depth: fuel-cell technology and nuclear power. In the latter case, next-generation nucleartechnology is not a near-term commercial reality for shipping, but there are important developments un-derway in both fission and fusion that make these technologies worth watching, the report states, as oneof many longer-term zero-carbon options for the world’s future fleet.Fuel cell technology has a long history, stretching back to the 19th century, but were first practically ap-plied by NASA in space missions from the 1960s onwards. The technology was subsequently used for AirIndependent Propulsion in submarines. Since the turn of the millennium, fuel cell technology has ma-tured and is in commercial use in forklifts, standby generators/ uninterruptible power supply and com-bined heat and power systems. The use of fuel cells in shipping is still in its infancy. Fuel cells combinedwith alternative fuels such as hydrogen can efficiently reduce and even eliminate emissions and noise,while energy efficiency can be increased compared with conventional combustion engines. Furthermore,fuel cells have other potential benefits such as reduced maintenance, modular and flexible design, and im-proved part load operation efficiency. However, fuel cells come with significant disadvantages related tocost and durability. These challenges will have to be overcome before fuel cells can make a meaningfulcontribution to compliance with the stricter emission requirements that are being introduced to decar-bonize shipping. In simple terms, a fuel cell power pack consists of the fuel being supplied from a fuelstorage tank; a gas processing system; and, a fuel cell stack that converts the chemical energy in the fuel toelectric energy (and heat) through electrochemical reactions. The fuel cell produces electric energy, andthe onboard power system must therefore be designed accordingly, allowing for the utilization of the elec-tricity produced.Regarding fuel cell types, a variety is available, and their names reflect the materials used in the electrolytemembrane. The properties of the membrane affect the permissible operating temperature, the nature ofelectrochemical reactions, and fuel purity requirements. Depending on fuel cell type, an electrical efficien-cy of 50–60% is expected. Some fuel cell types operate at high temperatures, enabling heat recovery thatB – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 88can increase the electric efficiency to 70%. Some types of fuel cells can run on several fuels, including op-tions such as LNG and methanol, as well as their bio-based and electro-based equivalents. This is predom-inantly the case for the high-temperature fuel cell types such as Solid Oxide and Molten Carbonate.Low-temperature fuel cells such as Proton-Exchange Membrane need hydrogen as a fuel, but other fuelscan be used if reforming of these is deployed upstream of the fuel cell to produce hydrogen which canthen be fed to the fuel cell stack. The reforming and purification process for low-temperature fuel cells us-ing non-hydrogen fuels lowers the overall system efficiency and, importantly, does not contribute to de-carbonization if the CO from the reforming process is not captured. The large number of processing2steps will also impact the power density and transient response time of the overall system. For this tech-nology, the direct use of hydrogen offers the highest energy efficiency on the ship.DNV has previously evaluated seven technologies, and concluded that Solid Oxide fuel cells, Low-tem-perature Proton-Exchange Membrane fuel cells and the hightemperature Proton-Exchange Membranefuel cell are the most promising for marine use. The Low-temperature Proton-Exchange Membrane fuelcells maturity is high, while moderate for the hightemperature Proton-Exchange Membrane and SolidOxide fuel cells.Testing and evaluation of these fuel cell types have been performed in projects focused specifically on ma-rine usage. Use of Molten Carbonate fuel cells has also been demonstrated by marine projects. The Fel-lowSHIP project was the first large-scale installation and demonstration of a fuel cell in a merchant ves-sel, the offshore supply vessel Viking Lady. The project, which involved installation of a 320 kW MoltenCarbonate fuel cell system fuelled by LNG provided auxiliary power to the ship, reaching a total of18,500 hours of operation.Fuel cells with low operational temperatures are more tolerant of dynamic load variations than high-tem-perature fuel cells. Smaller and medium applications in the short-sea segment may favour low- and medi-um-temperature technology, such as Low-temperature Proton-Exchange Membrane fuel cells and hight-emperature Proton-Exchange Membrane fuel cells.Vessels in the short-sea segment are typically smaller, with more varied operational profiles and a greatershare of their time and energy is spent on purposes other than steady propulsion. For these ships, theshorter distances and highly variable power demands often make electric and direct use of H highly rel-2evant. This is reflected by the world’s first hydrogen powered car ferries (Norled’s MF NSEVIK), plannedto be put into operation in March 2021 in Norway.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 89For application on larger deep-sea ships, which can more easily accommodate waste heat recovery solu-tions, high-temperature fuel cell systems such as Molten Carbonate and Solid Oxide fuel cells should beexplored. Deep-sea shipping comprises large ocean-going ships, and a very large proportion of their ener-gy consumption relates to propulsion of the ship at steady speed over long distances. Combining fuel flex-ible hightemperature fuel cells with a battery (or other hybrid configurations) and waste heat recoverysolutions for deep sea ships will ensure a more flexible operation, reduce thermal strain on the fuel cellsand increase the energy efficiency of the system. For deep-sea ships with high energy demand and longbunkering intervals, non-hydrogen fuels with higher volumetric energy density such as ammonia, meth-ane and methanol should be considered. The demonstration of the world’s first hightemperature ammo-nia-based fuel cell systems will also be important for maturing the high temperature fuel cell technology,as well as for introducing zero-carbon fuels. In addition, alternative bunkering arrangements and storagemediums for H , such as Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers, should be considered.2Currently, costs and lifetime of the fuel cell stack are the primary barriers hindering uptake of fuel cellsfor maritime applications. Recent literature reviews concluded that fuels cells are currently many timesmore expensive than internal combustion engines. This is due to significantly higher capital costs. Thatsaid, falling costs have been reported in relation to increased land-based uptake of some fuel cell technol-ogies, and projections suggest further cuts in costs due to expected scaling up and mass production. Theincreased volume and weight of marine fuel cells compared with diesel engines has been a competitive dis-advantage. This is compounded by the fact that fuel cells will use alternative fuels which also have in-creased volume and weight compared with conventional fuels.The NDV report also says that more work should be carried out assessing life cycle impacts of the differ-ent fuel cell types operating on various fuels, and comparing these to conventional internal combustionengine solutions. Studies had indicated that the manufacturing stage has a relatively large impact, and theenvironmental gains depend on the lifetime of the stack and recyclability of the stack.From a DNV perspective, the future uptake of fuel cell technologies is hard to project owing to high mar-ket and regulatory uncertainties, as well as uncertainty in the anticipated reduction in investment costsfor installing fuel cell systems onboard vessels. The most promising marine application in the short termare for short sea shipping such as ferries (e.g. Low-temperature Proton-Exchange Membrane fuel cells), aswell as for auxiliary/harbourmode solutions, where ships will benefit from reduced local and GHG emis-sions, as well as from the reduction of noise and vibrations. From the auxiliary/harbourmode solutions, itwill also be possible, eventually, to scale up to hybrid fuel cell configurations for deep-sea shipping.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 90Use of fuel cells with LNG as fuel could be a future option for deep-sea ships. This is contingent on a sig-nificant reduction in the unit cost of installed fuel cells from today’s high levels, which could be achievedas the technology matures and productions is scaled up. Shifting gradually from conventional internalcombustion engines and use of fossil fuels over to fuel cells on zero- and carbon neutral fuels will help theindustry to meet the global GHG target trajectories set by IMO.Nuclear FissionNuclear fission, the workhorse of the atomic age, is highly controversial.Novel nuclear technology may be outcompeted for land use by very cheap solar and wind energy. As such,the shipping sector, in which nuclear holds great promise, may not benefit from land-based nuclear de-velopments.Nuclear FusionPrivate companies are accelerating nuclear fusion technology towards commercial use in the current dec-ade. Shipping could benefit from developments in fusion. Advances in computing power, material sci-ence, and manufacturing, together with the rising availability of venture capital, have enabled recent pro-gress in fusion technology. Once the domain of governmental players, private companies are now bring-ing much needed innovation as they seek to realize the potential of nuclear fusion as a zero-emission en-ergy source.The report is concluding that no single technology will solve the GHG challenge, but different technolo-gies will rather need to work together.3. Offshore Renewable Energy for a Climate Neutral EuropeTo help meet the EU’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050, the European Commission (EC) presented theEU Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy in November 2020.36 The Strategy proposes36 See: https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/offshore_renewable_energy_strategy.pdf.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 91to increase Europe’s offshore wind capacity from its current level of 12 GW to at least 60 GW by 2030and to 300 GW by 2050. The EC aims to complement this with 40 GW of ocean energy and otheremerging technologies such as floating wind and solar by 2050.This ambitious growth will be based on the vast potential across all of Europe’s sea basins and on the glob-al leadership position of EU companies in the sector. It will create new opportunities for industry, gener-ate green jobs across the continent, and strengthen the EU’s global leadership in offshore energy technol-ogies. Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans said in November2020: “[The] strategy shows the urgency and opportunity of ramping up our investment in offshore re-newables. With our vast sea basins and industrial leadership, the European Union has all that it needs torise up to the challenge. Already, offshore renewable energy is a true European success story. We aim toturn it into an even greater opportunity for clean energy, high quality jobs, sustainable growth, and inter-national competitiveness.”To promote the scale-up of offshore energy capacity, the EC will encourage cross-border cooperation be-tween EU Member States (MS) on long term planning and deployment. Offshore renewable energy de-velopment objectives are required in the National Maritime Spatial Plans, which coastal states were dueto submit to the EC by March 2021. The EC also planned to propose a framework under the revisedTEN-E Regulation for long-term offshore grid planning, involving regulators and the MS in each sea ba-sin.The EC estimates that investment of nearly €800 billion will be needed between now and 2050 to meetits proposed objectives. To help generate and unleash this investment, the EC will:• Provide a clear and supportive legal framework. To this end, the EC today also clarified theelectricity market rules in an accompanying Staff Working Document and will assess whethermore specific and targeted rules are needed. The EC will ensure that the revisions of the State aidguidelines on energy and environmental protection and of the Renewable Energy Directive willfacilitate cost-effective deployment of renewable offshore energy.• Help mobilise all relevant funds to support the sector’s development. The EC encourages MS touse the Recovery and Resilience Facility and work together with the EIB and other financialinstitutions to support investments in offshore energy through InvestEU. Horizon Europe fundswill be mobilised to support research and development, particularly in less mature technologies.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 92• Ensure a strengthened supply chain. The Strategy underlines the need to improve manufacturingcapacity and port infrastructure and to increase the appropriately skilled workforce to sustainhigher installation rates. The EC plans to establish a dedicated platform on offshore renewableswithin the Clean Energy Industrial Forum to bring together all actors and address supply chaindevelopment.Offshore renewable energy is a rapidly growing global market, notably in Asia and the United States, andprovides opportunities for EU industry around the world. Through its Green Deal diplomacy, trade pol-icy and the EU’s energy dialogues with partner countries, the EC will support global uptake of these tech-nologies.To analyse and monitor the environmental, social and economic impacts of offshore renewable energy onthe marine environment and the economic activities that depend on it, the EC will regularly consult acommunity of experts from public authorities, stakeholders and scientists. The EC has also adopted a newguidance document on wind energy development and EU nature legislation.Offshore wind produces clean electricity that competes with, and sometimes is cheaper than, existing fos-sil fuel-based technology. European industries are fast developing a range of other technologies to harnessthe power of our seas for producing green electricity. From floating offshore wind, to ocean energy tech-nologies such as wave and tidal, floating photovoltaic installations and the use of algae to produce biofu-els, European companies and laboratories are currently at the forefront.The Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy sets the highest deployment ambition for offshore wind tur-bines (both fixed-bottom and floating), where commercial activity is well advanced. In these sectors, Eu-rope has already gained unrivalled technological, scientific and industrial experience and strong capacityalready exists across the supply chain, from manufacturing to installation.While the Strategy underlines the opportunities across all of the EU’s sea basins – the North Sea, the Bal-tic Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic – and for certain coastal and island communi-ties, the benefits of these technologies are not limited to coastal regions. The Strategy highlights a broadrange of inland areas where manufacturing and research is already supporting offshore energy develop-ment.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 93Euronews OCEAN magazine (Season 2 episode 1037) informs about offshore renewable energy.The EU isthe world leader in offshore renewable energy production. It accelerates development of this sector whichcan become its largest source of power over the coming decades, providing more than 25% of EU energyby 2050. Achieving that goal would require increasing the offshore wind capacity 5-fold by 2030, and 20-fold by 2050 compared to end of 2020. In this episode, a new offshore wind farm nearing completion isshown, at the new heavy-weight terminal at the port of Ostend in Belgium. Here, wind turbines arepre-assembled by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. Also, there is a prototype of an innovative ener-gy-producing pontoon developed to desalinate sea water using wind and solar energy — a EU-fundedtechnology that can save lives in marine emergencies. Finally, the GE Renewable Energy’s LM Wind Pow-er wind turbine blade factory in Cherbourg is visited: the factory producing the world’s largest offshorewind turbine blades is expected to double the number of employees by early next year, addressing indus-try demand and bringing new skills to Normandy’s workforce.4. Wave energyWave energy is a highly valuable and predictable source of renewable power. Up to 10% of the EU’s en-ergy can be harvested from waves by 2050, so the technology will be indispensable in reaching net-zeroemissions. So far, however, the installed capacity in Europe and the world is still very small and mostly re-stricted to demonstration units. To realise its full potential, the technology needs to be scaled up quickly.That thought was on the minds of Christopher Ridgewell and Jussi Åkerberg from AW-Energy, when in2019 they submitted their WaveFarm project to the “Blue Economy Window”, an EU-funded financingfacility.The Finnish company had already developed, certified and demonstrated the WaveRoller, a submergedoscillating wave surge converter attached to the sea bottom near the shore. It generates electricity from themovement of the waves and is connected to the electric grid on land. A full-scale commercially-applicableWaveRoller unit was deployed in Portugal in October 2019. By integrating up to 24 WaveRoller units,the new project will deliver the world’s first large-scale, multiple-megawatt WaveFarm.3837 See: https://www.euronews.com/green/green-series/ocean.38 See: https://aw-energy.com/.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 94According to Jussi Åkerberg from AWE, manager of the project, this project will help to displace initiallymore than 270,000 tons of CO [that is the equivalent of the yearly CO production of nearly 600002 2cars] by 2030. It is also anticipated to create 1,500 new jobs in the post‐project period. Once fully de-ployed wave energy will deliver emissions savings measured in the billions of tonnesThe WaveFarm project is funded by the EMFF to create an industrial ‘package’ comprising the Wa-veRoller wave energy converters, all WaveFarm infrastructure, logistics, life-cycle services, product docu-mentation and everything else that the customer needs to produce indigenous stable renewable energy.The WaveFarm project will prepare two pilot WaveFarm projects that will deliver a total capacity of15MW and will serve as models for additional future WaveFarms with up to 500 MW capacity-each oneof those would fully cover the yearly need of a large town.5. Nord Stream 2In the debate over the controversial Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline, the leader of the European Peo-ple’s Party (EPP) in the EU Parliament, Mr Manfred Weber, has complained in July 2021 of a strain onrelations with European allies: “It must be clear to the operators that the operation of the new pipelinerepresents a major mortgage,” Weber told Handelsblatt. “Should relations with Russia’s leadership contin-ue to deteriorate, it must be possible to halt offtake and operations,” the EPP chairman demanded.“Nord Stream 2 is straining relations with our allies,” Weber continued. Russia’s President Vladimir Putinshould “not be economically rewarded for his provocative behavior as well,” he added.The head of the pipeline project, Mr Matthias Warnig told the newspaper that Nord Stream 2 would becompleted in summer 2021. “We expect construction to be completed by the end of August,” Warnigsaid.“In the meantime, 98 percent of the pipeline has been completed. The two percent that is still missing isfor one of the two strings. The other string is completely built.” The goal, he said, was to put the pipelineinto operation in 2021.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 95The pipeline, which is almost complete, is intended to bring Russian natural gas to Germany in the futureon a much larger scale than before. The project has met with criticism in the EU and above all in the USA.Washington fears that Germany and Europe will become increasingly dependent on Moscow and damageUkraine as a gas transit country.In the rest of Europe, too, new developments on the subject of Nord Stream 2 have been watched withinterest. EU countries such as Lithuania continue to view Russia with suspicion.39 The German-Frenchpush for a new summit meeting with Mr Vladimir Putin has failed, in particular due to the resistance ofthose countries that are skeptical of Russia.Mr Jochen Schulte discussed in his speech about the creation of a ”Foundation Climate and Environmen-tal Protection Mecklenburg-Vorpommern” at the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on 7 January2021 the importance of the Nordstream 2 pipeline for German energy provision security. According tohim, the creation of the mentioned foundation aims to support the management of the use of renewableenergies among others (document 7/5696), but it is also important for the completion of the Nordstream2 pipeline. The Nordstream 2 corporation is involved in the foundation as a partner, contributing 60 mil-lion Euros (20 million to set it up). A business within the foundation will be created. The former primeminister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Erwin Sellering, and the former German chancellor GerhardSchröder are both members of the foundation, too.In December 2020, construction works had been taken up again in German waters. In January, they weresupposed to continue in Danish waters.In January 2021, a firm from Norway, DNV GL, quit its certification activities related to the pipeline pro-ject due to the threat of US sanctions. It had already stopped its service related to ships constructing thepipeline in November 2020. The potential appointment of an envoy (Amos Hochstein) to lead negotia-tions on halting the construction of Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 indicates a new stra-tegic focus by the Biden administration in the US.4039 EurActiv newsletter from 13 July 2021, source: https://www.euractiv.de/section/eu-aussenpolitik/news/evp-vorsitzender-weber-beklagt-belastung-von-beziehun-gen-durch-nord-stream-2/.40 See: Politico: “Biden looks to appoint special envoy to kill Russia-Germany energy pipeline”. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/07/biden-envoy-nord-stream-2-479706?utm_source=morgenlage-politik, access: 8 April 2021.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 96Mr Hochstein’s work is to “reduce the risks” of the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The ap-pointment of diplomat Mr Amos Hochstein underscores the U.S. government’s determination to stopRussia from using its energy supplies as a geopolitical weapon, Mr Blinken said in Washington.41Hochstein is aiming to help Ukraine and eastern NATO and EU countries achieve a more secure and sus-tainable energy future, Blinken said. Hochstein is known for his critical stance toward Russia. He servedas special envoy for international energy affairs at the State Department for the administration of then-Pres-ident Barack Obama. Since 2017, he has worked in the private sector, including for energy companies.In the dispute over the German-Russian Baltic Sea pipeline, Berlin and Washington had announced abreakthrough in July. They published a joint statement pledging support for Ukraine. Among otherthings, Germany pledged to use all its influence to enable an extension of Ukraine’s gas transit agreementwith Russia, which expires in 2024, by up to ten years. Blinken said Hochstein should now work to im-plement the agreement.The nearly completed Baltic Sea pipeline is intended to bring Russian gas to Germany - bypassing Ukraine,which relies on gas transit revenues. The U.S. had massively criticized Nord Stream 2 for years and con-tinues to oppose the project.III. Infrastructural aspects with regard to maritime policy1. EU maritime security infrastructureEuropean maritime security has significantly improved over the last years on several dimensions includinginternational or regional cooperation, information sharing, capability development, risk managementand training.41 https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/amos-hochstein-us-aussenminister-ernennt-berater-fuer-risiken-von-nord-stream-2/27501554.html?utm_source=morgenlage-politik&ticket=ST-5402940-QZSI1dQni0tzwBQXwM9A-ap2, Access: 12 August 2021.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 97This is the conclusion of a new report about the implementation of the EU’s maritime security strategyaction plan, developed by the European Commission (EC) together with the European Defence Agencyand the European External Action Service.The EU depends on safe, secure and clean seas and oceans. Through maritime security policies, the rule oflaw in areas beyond national jurisdiction can be maintained and the EU strategic maritime interests can beprotected. These include, among others, external borders, common natural resources and maritime infra-structures such as ports, offshore platforms and scientific equipment. Also climate change, and preparednessto face its impact on the marine and coastal environment, is an important maritime security priority.The European Union maritime security strategy42 explains how the EU defends its maritime interests, infull respect of international rules and principles. An action plan – adopted in 2014 and revised in 2018 –helps implementing this strategy.According to the progress report, significant improvements have been achieved in all five “key areas forimmediate action” defined in the strategy. Actions vary strongly, from improving resilience against cy-ber-attacks, over common information sharing platforms to developing semi-autonomous surveillancecapabilities. The international level remains of critical importance to the EU, as it has strengthened its co-operation with the United Nations, NATO and other strategic partners.2. Maritime Spatial PlanningDevelopment of national maritime spatial plansAs the Blue Economy is evolving not just with fisheries and trade, but also tourism, aquaculture, offshoreenergy, Blue Biotechnology and marine environment protection, there is the need for an effective, sustain-able and safe way to coordinate all those activities. Not only within a countries’ own coastal areas, butacross sea basins. And not just today, but over the next decades.Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is supposed to make sure that conflicts between various sectors are notjust solved, but prevented. Where to place underwater cables without hindering shipping, for example?42 See: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/02ab6cfa-b735-4b56-a6e1-587e4b3e4882.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 98Or how to develop large wind parks while keeping fishing activities profitable?Introduced in European legislation since 2014, MSP is gradually being rolled out across EU memberstates with support from the EU. By 31 March 2021, MS had to develop their national MSP plans andshare it, within 3 months, with the EC. By 2022, a report will be published on the state of play.© Belgian MSP concept, Belgian Federal Public Service (SPF) Public Health, Safety of the Food Chain and Environ-ment.An Assistance Mechanism was launched in 2016 to provide administrative and technical support to EUcountries in implementing the MSP legislation. The European MSP platform43 was set up, featuring in-formation on existing MSP practices, processes and projects, a question and answer service, technicalstudies and a focal point service for EU countries. And several EU-funded projects have been rolled outto facilitate cooperation across sectors and countries.43 See: https://www.msp-platform.eu/.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 99The EU has become a leader on MSP worldwide, and it promotes the practice with third countries, forexample through the International MSP Forum. Together with UNESCO-IOC, it has set up #MSP-Global, which is expected to triple the area of territorial waters that benefit from an effectively implement-ed MSP system.According to the EC, the key to the success of the EU’s MSP is that it takes a holistic approach. There-fore, quite a-typical for EU law, the legal basis of the EU MSP Directive is not only the CFP, environ-ment, or transport policy, but all of that and more. This shows that all of those areas are equally impor-tant and their interests need to converge.3. New developments in shipping infrastructureRederi AB Gotland plans to move 75,000 vehicles from heavily trafficked highways to more environmental-ly friendly waterways, with regular services to Germany starting in autumn 2021.44Rederi AB Gotland’s liner service to Germany will be operated by M/S Drotten.Equipped with a café, a border shop and a pub, the new ferry line called Hansa Destinations will start at theend of August 2021 with both freight and passengers between Nynäshamn in Sweden and Rostock in Ger-many, via Visby. The new line gives customers an additional transport option and allows for reduced emis-sions by shifting cargo from land to sea, the shipping company said in a press release.In a first step, the route will be operated with one vessel departing from Nynäshamn on Mondays, Wednes-days and Fridays. Departures from Rostock will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The plan is thento increase the service to two vessels, which will mean daily departures in both directions. Some departureswill also call at Visby.The trip will take 18 hours, departing at 19:00/19:30 and arriving the next day at 13:00/13:30.With Hansa Destinations, customers now have another option to transport goods between the Stockholm44 See: https://www.sjofart.ax/nyheter/gotlanningar-i-ny-tysklandstrafik/.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 100region and northern Germany, improving flexibility and efficiency. The new line will be able to move over75,000 trucks from land to sea annually, thereby reducing emissions from transport, says Håkan Johansson,CEO of Rederi AB Gotland.The line is part of Rederi AB Gotland’s investment in more environmentally friendly transport solutions inshipping. Earlier this year, a climate roadmap was launched for Destination Gotland as well as the companyGotland Tech Development, which is tasked with driving technological development towards sustainableshipping.Through this initiative, Rederi AB Gotland and Hansa Destinations are facilitating the transfer of goodsfrom land transport to sea transport, a more environmentally friendly shipping option that is also support-ed by the Swedish government with an eco-bonus.Shifting freight traffic to the sea route between Rostock and Nynäshamn will reduce emissions by at least20%. The new line will also provide freight operators with a cost-effective transport option that will increaseboth flexibility and efficiency. By allowing truck drivers to have their rest time on board the vessel, driverswill be able to drive longer distances directly upon arrival in Rostock or Nynäshamn.The line has received a government subsidy (eco-bonus) in the start-up phase to reduce Sweden’s greenhousegas emissions. Hansa Destinations is the largest project to receive eco-bonus support with the aim of achiev-ing Sweden’s climate targets.Hansa Destinations, which will be a sister company to Destination Gotland, will also offer a new opportu-nity for travellers who want to travel between Germany and Sweden.“We are very much looking forward to expanding our operations through Hansa Destinations. In additionto creating a cost-effective and more environmentally friendly transport option between Sweden and Ger-many, Hansa Destinations will also improve the connection to and from Visby”, says Håkan Johansson.The line is being launched in cooperation with Sartori & Berger, sales agent for the freight market.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 101IV. Environmental aspects with regard to maritime policy includingclimate protection1. Money keeps flowing into activities that harm the oceanThe Blue Economy is growing fast and attracting investment worldwide. Its potential for sustainable eco-nomic growth, in line with the European Green Deal, is enormous. Unfortunately, not all economic ac-tivities at sea contribute to a healthy marine environment. A new report45 by the EC analyses the reasonsand ways to induce change.The Blue Economy plays a pivotal role in the European and global transition to a carbon neutral, sustain-able future. Offshore energy and the Blue Bioeconomy are only two examples of how to reach the goalsof the EU Green Deal. However, some economic operators do not yet subscribe to that forward-lookingagenda. Illegal fishing, excessive tourism, polluting shipping or poorly designed port activities: these areall examples that threaten marine eco-systems and jeopardise the biodiversity at sea. If left unchecked, onethird of investments in the global Blue Economy could be unsustainable by 2030. This means at least 250billion euros could be invested in activities harmful to the oceans and ultimately the planet.But why do businesses keep on damaging the environment on which they so heavily depend? No futurefor fishing without healthy fish stocks. No tourism without pristine beaches and rich sea life to explore.The study, “Unsustainable finance in the Blue Economy: Where does the money come from?” examineswhy money flows into damaging activities and – more importantly – how to shift investments worldwideto activities that preserve the ocean and ensure long-term prosperity.The EC stresses that all financial players should be involved, including private equity funds, impact inves-tors and policymakers. A sustainable Blue Economy is a global challenge that requires swift and coordi-nated global action (See information on blue finance promoted by the UN Environment Programme Fi-nance Initiative further below).45 See: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/2c390547-2a1b-11eb-9d7e-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF/source-173288055.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 1022. New report: EU’s performance on the UN sustainable development goal 14The Von der Leyen EU Commission has made the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 (SDGs)an integral part of the EU’s political priorities. SDG 14, ‘Life under water’, is about conserving and sus-tainably using the oceans and seas. It is at the core of the EU international ocean governance agenda.On 11 May 2021, the EC released a comprehensive assessment of the contribution of EU and its MS toachieving SDG 14. This study is the first of its kind. It looks both at quantitative indicators as well as atthe quality of progress achieved.The EU has established a significant ‘SDG 14 toolbox’. It contains nearly 600 policy tools (170 at EU lev-el and 417 at national level) that together form a coherent framework. The efficiency of this policy frame-work is furthermore backed up by considerable financial investments from the EU and its MS, for exam-ple to strengthen ocean knowledge. On this basis, the EU and its MS are taking strong action to improvethe state of the marine environment and can look back at a number of achievements. This includes therestoration of certain fish stocks and the establishment of marine protected areas.Most SDG 14 targets are currently not on track to be met by the agreed deadlines. In some areas, tangi-ble results and impact have yet to emerge and some negative trends are far from being reversed, for exam-ple on ocean acidification or pollution of all kinds.Against this background, the EU must continue its efforts. More than ever, collaboration and coordina-tion across sectors and boundaries are key to success. This is even more evident, as we tap into the poten-tial of the Blue Economy to ensure a sustainable recovery after the COVID crisis.In the run-up to the next UN Ocean Conference in 2022, the EU will use the insights of the assessmentto review its ocean agenda and further strengthen its role in international ocean governance.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 1033. Creation of the “Foundation Climate and Environmental ProtectionMecklenburg-Vorpommern”Picture: Nature reserves in the exclusive economic zone of the North Sea and the Baltic SeaSource: https://www.bfn.de/themen/meeresnaturschutz/nationale-meeresschutzgebiete.html, access: 27 July 2021.On 7 January 2021, the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern voted on Printed Paper 7/5696 to passthe motion tabled by the State Government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to establish the “Climate andEnvironmental Protection Foundation MV”. The Regional Government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommerncontributes 200.000 euros to its creation, which corresponds to 1% of the initial capital provided by theNord Stream 2 corporation (the Nord Stream 2 corporation will contribute additional 40 million eurosat a later point in time).The purpose of the foundation is among others the implementation and promotion of measures and pro-jects for climate protection and for the preservation or restoration of nature in Mecklenburg-Vorpom-mern, along the coasts of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and on and off the coasts of the Baltic Sea states.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 104In addition, it is supposed to contribute to the implementation and promotion of measures to preserveand improve the ecological situation in the aforementioned regions, to promote science and research inthe field of climate and environmental protection and in the field of climate-friendly energy supply inMecklenburg-Vorpommern or with the lead participation of business enterprises, universities, scientificinstitutions or non-governmental organisations based in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In addition, its pur-pose is the promotion of measures to safeguard biodiversity and to safeguard water protection and drink-ing water protection.It can deliver information, advice and public relations work on issues of climate protection and natureconservation in the Baltic Sea region, primarily in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and, in special cases, in thecountries bordering the Baltic Sea.Further tasks are:• Exchange of experience, knowledge and information as well as networking between those involvedin climate and environmental protection, especially in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and withthe Baltic Sea states;• Education, training and further education in the field of climate and environmental protection inMecklenburg-Vorpommern;• cooperation with other institutions and organisations in order to realise joint projects andundertakings within the framework of the Foundation’s purpose, which are also permissiblethrough the Foundation alone in accordance with this statutory purpose;• the establishment of an economic business operation within the Foundation with the aim ofcontributing to the progress of the work on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.The Regional Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern reaffirmed its resolution of 27 August 2020 onprinted matter 7/5302 and called on regional government to continue to clearly and unequivocally com-mit to the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, which was necessary for European and Ger-man energy security, and to strictly reject extraterritorial efforts against this, as well as to clearly and em-phatically support and guide all state authorities and state companies in all activities that help to make thecompletion of the project possible.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 1054. EU-Atlas of the SeasWith the newest release of the EU-Atlas of the Seas46 in September 2020, citizens from all around the EUhave access to marine maps and interactive oceanic information in the 24 official languages of the EU, aswell as explore a wide range of popular marine topics, such as tourism, litter, environment, energy, aqua-culture, among others.The enriched catalogue consists of more than 285 interactive map layers, and it is possible to create cus-tom maps that can be printed, shared and embedded in articles or presentations.The Atlas comes with an improved measurement tool, the integration of short stories highlighting inter-esting map layers and the use of the most detailed background map available worldwide, provided byEMODnet. An interactive help function guides visitors through these new features of the Atlas.46 See: http://www.european-atlas-of-the-seas.eu/.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 1065. Information on Marine litterThe EU Commission’s DG MARE in its newsletter also informed about the high amounts of fishing gearlost at sea every year, about the EU-funded Twinapp that combines sports and litter collection47, aboutthe EU-funded FISH4FISH project48 to avoid single-use-plastic in the seafood area and about the EUCommission’s activities to provide guidance for harmonised application of Single-Use Plastic rules49/toadvance on monitoring of fishing gear.6. Summary of the public consultation on the way forward for the EuropeanUnion’s Arctic policyIn January 2021, the EC and the External Action Service have released the summary of the results of thepublic consultation on the way forward for the European Union’s Arctic policy. The EU’s current Arcticpolicy, set out in a Joint Communication from 2016, is based on three pillars: fighting climate change andprotecting the environment, promoting sustainable development and strengthening international coop-eration.In July 2020, the EC and the European External Action Service launched a public consultation with aview to updating its policy. Closed on 10 November 2020, the consultation helped to reflect more broad-ly on the new challenges and opportunities in the Arctic region, in light of the EU’s objectives underthe European Green Deal and the EU’s International Ocean Governance agenda.The consultation process involved a wide range of Arctic stakeholders, public and private alike, govern-mental and non-governmental, regional and local.The overwhelming majority of responses to the consultation confirmed the continued relevance of thecurrent Arctic priorities. What is clear from the consultation is that the EU has an important role to playin making the Arctic safe, stable, sustainable and prosperous, including through enhanced internationalcooperation. According to contributors the EU should47 See: www.twinapp.net.48 See: http://fish4fish.dbcf.unisi.it/.49 See: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.C_.2021.216.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AC%3A2021%3A216%3ATOC.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 107• take a long-term view and discourage environmentally unsustainable practices that undermineArctic ecosystems, inhabitants and species• make a stronger link between its climate policy, the European Green Deal and the updated EUArctic policy to achieve sustainable development of the Arctic and• maintain science and research at the heart of EU policies and actions in the ArcticAgainst this background, the EC and the European External Action Service will re-examine the role of theEU in Arctic affairs and update the 2016 Joint Communication on an integrated European Union policyfor the Arctic by the end of 2021.7. Turning the tide: How to finance a sustainable ocean recoveryThe UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) in March 2021 has released a new guid-ance on blue finance to help banks, insurers and investors take action on the transition of ocean sectors toa sustainable future.‘Turning the Tide: How to finance a sustainable ocean recovery’50 is guide for financial institutions in fivekey ocean sectors: seafood, shipping, ports, offshore renewables and coastal tourism. It provides a roadmap with a detailed breakdown of which client activities to seek out as best practice, which activitiesto challenge, and which activities to avoid completely due to their damaging nature.The guidance is funded by the EC and builds on the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles, a key-stone in the market for financing a sustainable Blue Economy. These principles were developed in 2017by the EC in partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Prince of Wales’ Interna-tional Sustainability Unit and the EIB. They are now hosted by UNEP FI.The new release leverages best practices based on input from over 50 pioneering institutions and experts.50 See: https://www.unepfi.org/publications/turning-the-tide/.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 108Earlier this year, UNEP PI has published the Rising Tide Report (Feb 2021)51, which mapped the oceanfinance space, providing an entry point for financial institutions to shift the impact of their activities to-wards rebuilding ocean prosperity, restoring biodiversity and regenerating ocean health.8. No quick fixes for quicksilver - but EU supports innovative solutions withMER-CLUBThe oceans are polluted by floating debris such as plastic bottles, straws and bags, discarded fishing netstrapping marine animals and oil spills.Pollution of marine waters by mercury (quicksilver) is also a critical problem worldwide, with major im-pacts not just on the environment, but also on human health. Decades of industrial activity, mining andfossil fuel combustion have led to large emissions of this heavy metal into the marine environment. To-day’s surface marine waters contain three times as much mercury as they should.And the pollution is there to last. Mercury persists in the environment – and in organisms living in or nearthat environment – for extensive periods of time.People eat fish and shellfish that have mercury in their tissues. Exposure at high levels can harm the brain,heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages. High levels of the heavy metal in thebloodstream of babies in the womb or young children may harm their nervous systems, and affect theirability to think and learn.Despite the drastic reduction of mercury emissions in recent years, concentrations in marine fish from dif-ferent European seas remain the same. This level of persistence shows that avoiding new emissions is notsufficient, but there is the need to clean and to decontaminate the marine environment.MER-CLUB is an EU-funded project aiming to deliver a mercury clean-up system based on microbial bi-oremediation. Using recent advances in environmental genomics, cell sorting and mercury tracing, MER-CLUB will first identify the microorganisms that have the potential for mercury bioremediation. Then it51 See: https://www.unepfi.org/publications/rising-tide/.B – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 109will test their performance in a special clean-up system, based on immobilized bacteria able to operate indredged marine sediments. That system will afterwards serve as a proof of concept for further develop-ment and, hopefully, commercial implementation.MER-CLUB will carry out its actions in sediments from the Baltic, Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Al-ready within the first five years, the consortium of six international research groups and one company isexpected to lead to:• a patented system and a marketable product• redesign and optimization of the pilot plant to make it economically viable, and the industrialupscaling of the clean-up system• affordable technology for ex situ decontamination of marine sedimentsIn the long-term, MER-CLUB hopes to develop a full-fledged, eco-friendly in situ bioremediation proce-dure. This would avoid the large costs involved in dredging the sediments and allowing the ecological res-toration of large locations for human activities.9. Ocean conservation: EU takes lead in international effort to establish newMarine Protected Areas in AntarcticaOn 28 April 2021, EU Commissioner Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius hosted a ministerial meeting to buildsupport among the members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Re-sources for the designation of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Southern Ocean, in particularin East Antarctica and in the Weddell Sea. The meeting was key in shaping a joint strategy to work togeth-er towards the adoption of new MPAs in the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Liv-ing Resources and to present the EC ‘s actions under the European Green Deal that contribute to protect-ing the Antarctica.The ministerial meeting garnered further support for the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in East Antarc-tica and in the Weddell Sea with co-sponsorship announced by the United States and New Zealand. Thesetwo countries are joining the European Union and the other earlier co-sponsors (Australia, Norway, theB – (Legislative) Developments at the EU level with regard to all BSPC members 110United Kingdom and Uruguay). Participants also expressed support for the proposal from Argentina andChile to create a Marine Protected Area in the Western Antarctic Peninsula.While some prominent members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine LivingResources are yet to join the growing consensus behind these MPA proposals, the EU is steadfast in its de-termination to drive the process forward. Commissioner Sinkevičius invited all Members to deliver on thelong overdue commitment to establish a representative system of MPAs.The designation of new Antarctic marine protected areas remains a high priority for the EU and its MSand is a key deliverable of both the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy 2030, adopted in May 2020, and of theEU’s International Ocean Governance agenda. The creation of new Antarctic MPAs would also be fullyconsistent with the ambitions set forth for the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the Convention onBiological Biodiversity, which China will be hosting later in 2021.The MPA proposals in East Antarctica and in the Weddell Sea are based on the best available science, asdetermined by the Scientific Committee of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic MarineLiving Resources. If these two new large-scale MPAs are approved, they would make an essential contri-bution to achieving a representative system of MPAs in Antarctica, covering an area of more than 3 mil-lion km2.The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources was established by an inter-national convention in 1982 with the objective of conserving Antarctic marine life. This was in responseto concerns that an increase in krill catches in the Southern Ocean could have a serious impact on popu-lations of other marine life, which are dependent upon krill for food.Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferencewww.bspc.netBSPC SecretariatSchlossgartenallee 1519061 SchwerinGermany