The European Commission adopted on May 18 a report on the feasibility of an EU ecolabel scheme for fishery and aquaculture products. The report analyses three options for action by the EU: reinforcing the use of existing tools; mimimum requirements set by the EU; or establishing an EU-wide ecolabel scheme. It discusses each option's feasibility, advantages and disadvantages.

The 2016 edition explores ways to unlock the full potential of Blue Growth

EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and FisheriesKarmenu Vella is travelling to Toyama to participate in the meeting of G7 Environment Ministers on 15-16 May. G7 representatives from France, Germany, Italy, the UK, the US, Japan and Canada are also attending.

The first summit of the Blue Economy Business and Science Forum took place in Hamburg on 12-13 September 2016 at the International Maritime Museum Hamburg.

World fish stocks are being depleted by overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. This threatens not only the fish, but also the coastal communities that rely on fisheries for economic survival and a dependable food source. The European Commission has worked in close cooperation with EU countries and non-EU countries to develop the FLUX standards in order to exchange fisheries information in an effective, transparent and efficient manner.

On 10 May, during its plenary session, the European Parliament voted to give its final consent to the new Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Mauritania.

The objective is to create and maintain an operational service providing free and open access to digital maps of the seabed topography and coastline of European seas at the highest resolution possible and to the survey data underlying them.