Debates
Tuesday, 10 July 2007 – Strasbourg

Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union

Ian Hudghton, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group . – Madam President, the EU has about 65,000 kilometres of coastline. Scotland has about one-sixth of that and 95 inhabited islands. Clearly, we have much to offer as well as much to gain from an EU maritime strategy which helps us to sustain and develop our coastal communities. Scotland is energy rich, with oil and gas reserves and offshore wind and wave generation potential. Scotland is well placed to develop further maritime transport hub facilities. Scotland has excellent marine research facilities which can contribute to a better understanding of marine environment issues, and, in spite of the CFP, Scotland still has a high proportion of the EU’s fishing industry.

The idea of an EU maritime strategy is to be welcomed, but it must not signal a shift towards EU waters being regarded as a common resource with no particular attachment to individual maritime nations. Let the EU act only where our maritime nations require action or support for their own strategic planning. Let us learn the lessons of the CFP and its failure.