Today, representatives of the European Union's employers and trade unions in the sea fisheries sector signed an agreement to ensure that fishermen have decent working conditions on board fishing ...

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the opening ceremony of the European Maritime Day, Göteborg, Sweden

L'Union européenne se prépare à célébrer, le 20 mai prochain, l’édition 2012 de la Journée maritime européenne; diverses manifestations seront organisées à cette occasion dans les États membres. C’est à Göteborg (Suède) que se tiendra cette année la principale manifestation, à savoir la conférence de la Journée maritime européenne. Près de 1 000 participants sont attendus à cette conférence qui aura lieu les 21 et 22 mai 2012.

Tourism is undoubtedly an economic backbone of coastal regions. At present about 2.36 million people are employed in the coastal tourism sector, representing 1.1% total EU employment.

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) will meet in Morocco, Marrakesh from 14 to 19 May 2012. The European Commission represents the EU at the meeting.

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the AGROBALT Exhibition "For a Healthier Life", Vilnius

European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki will visit Lithuania on May 9 & 10, 2012.

European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, will be in Tallin, Estonia, on May 3, 2012 to discuss the on-going reform of the Common Fisheries Policy with the Estonian government.

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the International Hydrographic Conference in Monaco

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Ministerial Seminar on the Black Sea, Bucharest

Commissioner Maria Damanaki, in charge of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, visits Romania and Bulgaria on 29 and 30 March, respectively, to discuss maritime and fisheries-related issues and cooperation in the Black Sea basin.

Project on Maritime Spatial Planning in the Atlantic, including Celtic Sea and Bay of Biscay

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Conference on Maritime Spatial Planning

On 26 March in Brussels, Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, will host an international conference on how maritime spatial planning can contribute to boosting growth.

Following the Cohesion Policy proposals of 6th October, and in order to help Member States with their preparations for the next programming period the Commission has today presented the "Common ...

Speech by Commissioner Maria Damanaki at the Symposium "A Blueprint for Oceans and Coasts" at the European Parliament

European Maritime Day 2012 will be organised in Gothenburg, Västra Götaland, Sweden on May 21 and 22, 2012. It is the first time Maritime Day is organised in Scandinavia and in the North Sea area.

On 14 February, Athens will host the 1st Stakeholders' Workshop on Adriatic-Ionian Maritime Affairs. The Stakeholders will present their proposals on how to enhance benefits from maritime activities on employment, sustainable growth, accessibility and better quality of life. The workshop will discuss maritime economy, protection of the marine environment, fisheries and safer sea. The conclusions of the workshop, as well as the most relevant and feasible proposals, will be included in a EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region.

Baltic: a new ecosystem approach; Controls: European Union inspectors; Illegal fishing: DNA as evidence; EFF: taking stock of the territorial approach

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the seminar "The Future of Marine and Maritime Innovation in Europe" at the European Parliament

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Lisbon Atlantic Conference

The European Commission has presented its proposal for fishing opportunities for fish stocks in the Black Sea for 2012.

On Monday 28 November, in Lisbon, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, will present a new maritime strategy for growth and jobs in the Atlantic Ocean area, just ...

Reform: raising consumer awareness, 2012 TACs & quotas: towards maximum sustainable yield, Bluefin tuna: tightening controls, Slow Fish: the sustainable fish fair

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council will meet in Luxemburg on 20 (starting at 10.00) and 21 October, under the presidency of Mr Marek Sawicki, Polish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development....

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Seminar High North, Oslo, Norway

Commissioner Maria Damanaki, in charge of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, will meet Norvegian ministers and stakeholders during a two day visit to Norway starting Monday 17 October.

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Brainstorming event on maritime affairs and fisheries in the Black Sea

European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki is hosting a high-level brainstorming meeting in Brussels on Friday 14 October on increased cooperation on fisheries and maritime affairs in the Black Sea area.

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the  Arctic Future Symposium, Brussels

The European Commission today tabled its proposal on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2012. Based on scientific advice, the Commission proposes to increase TACs (total allowable ...

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Meridian Institute - Joint Ocean Commission Initiative Stakeholder Roundtable, Washington

The European Commission has tabled its proposal for a new Regulation of the Council and the European Parliament establishing a multiannual plan for the sustainable management of Baltic salmon. ...

Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries decided to close the bluefin tuna fishery to Spanish purse seiners in the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic on 9 June 2011 due to the exhaustion of their quotas. Spain was informed of this decision which is to become effective as of 17.00 today (Friday, 10th of June 2011).

Lecture by Commissioner Damanakiat the Baltic Academy of Fishery Fleet, Kaliningrad

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Ministerial Conference, Adriatic Ionian Initiative, Committee of the Regions

The pollution of our seas and oceans from marine litter - especially plastic litter - has taken alarming dimensions.

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the European Maritime Day, Gdansk

Every year on May 20, European Maritime Day is celebrated across the European Union to showcase the importance of the sea and oceans for our everyday life. This year, Gdańsk (Poland) will host the 4th edition of the European ...

Commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries, Maria Damanaki today said that she expects Member States to take all necessary measures to ensure full compliance by their vessels during the main fishing season for bluefin tuna, which started on 15 May.

Modern tools for effective control, Study: women in maritime sectors, Discards: new rules on the drawing board

New study on-line

A new and improved version of the European Atlas of the Seas is now available. It includes 24 new maps, hundreds of updates and improvements. New maps include for example: Natura 2000 protected maritime sites, Pollution response vessels and Coastal GDP.

The atlas is an easy and fun way for students, professionals and anyone interested to learn more about Europe's seas and coasts, their environment, related human activities and European policies.

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the "Pact of Islands": conference and signing ceremony at the Committee of the Regions

Speech by Commissioner Janez Potočnik at the Joint plastic MED event with Commissioner Damanaki on the protection of the Mediterranean Sea

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Round table discussion on pollution of the Mediterranean from marine litter

Speech made by Lowri Evans, Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries at the public hearing on EU support for marine research infrastructures in the European Parliament

The European Commission, the European Investment Bank and the International Maritime Organization today launched a study under the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP) on maritime cooperation ...

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Conference: "Arctic Science, International Law and Climate Protection", Berlin, Germany

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the meeting on Common Fisheries Policy at the EC Representation in Berlin, Germany

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the meeting of the Employers' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee 

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the European Parliament plenary session

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the European Parliament plenary session

The 20th Century evolution of Mediterranean exploited demersal resources under increasing fishing disturbance and environmental change

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Committee of Senior Officials of the Adriatic Ionian Initiative, Ancona, Italy

Speech by Commissioner Maria Damanaki at the Plenary session of the Committee of the Regions

The summary programme for the  stakeholder conference in Gdańsk 19-20 May is now available.

Final report

Today, the European Commission published a Communication entitled '"Maritime Spatial Planning in the EU – Achievements and future development". This report reviews developments concerning Maritime Spatial Planning ...

At the end of the first day of their meeting in Brussels, the Council of Fisheries Ministers reached political agreement on TACs and quotas for turbot and sprat fisheries in the Black Sea.

The European Commission has tabled its proposal on fishing possibilities for fish stocks in the Black Sea for 2011.

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the conference "International Year of Biodiversity: The Day After and the Greek Reality", Athens, Greece

Speech by Commissioner Maria Damanaki at the Plenary Session of the European Parliament

Video on the European Parliament's website

Issue 49 of the magazine Fisheries and aquaculture in Europe focuses on stock management: success stories

Speech by Commissioner Maria Damanaki at the meeting of the European Parliament TRAN Committee

The Commission is satisfied that – as a result of the good cooperation with the Belgian Presidency and the member states – agreement has been reached on several important Baltic Sea fish stocks.

Register now to the Commission’s conference on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy in Brussels on 16 November 2010.

Commissioner Maria Damanaki's speech at the EurOCEAN 2010 Conference in Oostende

Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki will travel to Ankara and Istanbul from the 6th to the 9th of October, to discuss both fisheries and maritime affairs and pursue closer EU-Turkey cooperation in the shared goals of a sustainable marine environment and a sustainable an prosperous fishing environment. 

Tomorrow and Saturday, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki will be in Scotland for her first visit as European Commissioner.

European Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki arrives in Germany today for a series of engagements in Berlin and Hamburg.

More photos are now available on the Maritime Day web site

The Member of the European Commission responsible for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Mrs. Maria Damanaki, met in Athens today with the Greek Minister for the Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Mrs Tina Birbili.

The European Commission today proposed a total allowable catch (TAC) of 15 600 tonnes of anchovy in the Bay of Biscay for the fishing season 1 July 2010 - 30 June 2011.

Today, the Commission has adopted a Regulation to modify the 2010 fishing possibilities for sandeel in the North Sea and Skagerrak.

The European Commission is sending a letter to five member states on the implementation of the Mediterranean Regulation, recalling that all the rules fully apply as from 1 June 2010 while specifying what is further needed from each Member State to make their national management plan operational.

Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries decided to close the bluefin tuna fishery to purse seiners in the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic, due to the exhaustion of the quotas allocated to them.

The European Commission today launched a pilot version of a new European Atlas of the Seas – a dynamic online atlas where users will be able to learn more about Europe's seas, its maritime sectors, the interaction between them and the maritime policy which brings them all together.

Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Mrs Maria Damanaki made clear yesterday that there will be no postponement in the implementation of the Mediterranean Regulation no. 1967/2006.

Today, at the 2009 Regular Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) currently taking place in Brazil, the EU will present a new proposal which would lead to substantial progress in the conservation and management of swordfish in the Mediterranean.

Key figures on the Mediterranean Sea
Approximately 45,000 km of coastline, of which 19,000 km represent island coastlines.

The European Commission today adopted a proposal for a long-term plan for the sustainable management of horse mackerel across the eastern Atlantic from the Iberian Peninsula to the northern North Sea.

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), which met in Tunis last week for its annual session, adopted a number of recommendations towards sustainable fisheries management.

The EU has put forward a set of ambitious proposals for this year's annual meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) in Tunis from 23 to 27 March 2009.

Commissioner Maria Damanaki's speech at the International Chamber of Commerce, Athens, 19 March 2010

The Commission has received the Ombudsman's draft recommendation wherein he asks the Commission to rectify an administrative error concerning fishing quotas in the West of Scotland allocated for the year 2007.