Definition and scope

The Integrated Maritime Policy seeks to provide a more coherent approach to maritime issues, with increased coordination between different policy areas. It focuses on:

• Issues that do not fall under a single sector-based policy e.g. "blue growth" (economic growth based on different maritime sectors).
• Issues that require the coordination of different sectors and actors e.g. marine knowledge.

Specifically it covers these cross-cutting policies:

• Marine data and knowledge
• Integrated maritime surveillance
• Maritime spatial planning
• Blue growth
• Sea basin strategies

It seeks to coordinate, not to replace policies on specific maritime sectors.

Why do we need it?

• To take account of the inter-connectedness of industries and human activities centred on the sea. Whether the issue is shipping and ports, wind energy, marine research, fishing or tourism, a decision in one area can affect all the others. For instance, an off-shore wind farm may disrupt shipping, which in turn will affect ports.
• To save time and money by encouraging authorities to share data across policy fields and to cooperate rather than working separately on different aspects of the same problem.
• To build up close cooperation between decision-makers in the different sectors at all levels of government – national maritime authorities, regional and local authorities, and international authorities, both inside and outside Europe. Many countries are recognising this need and move towards more structured and systematic collaboration.

Official documents

Integrated Maritime Policy in general

• Integrated Maritime Policy work programme [115 KB] All available translations. (12.03.2012)
• Regulation (EU) No 1255/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2011 establishing a Programme to support the further development of an Integrated Maritime Policy (05.12.2011)
• Proposal for continued financial support of the Integrated Maritime Policy (29.09.2010)
• Progress Report (15.10.2009)
• Annex to the Progress Report listing all actions from the Action Plan (15.10.2009)
  • "Blue Book" - Communication on an Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union  (10.10.2007)
  • "Blue Book" Action Plan (10.10.2007)
  • "Blue Book" Impact Assessment (10.10.2007)
  • "Blue Book" Impact Assessment – Executive Summary (10.10.2007)
  • Conclusions from the consultation on the Green Paper (10.10.2007)
• Green Paper - Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union : a European vision for the oceans and seas (07.06.2006)

Integrated Maritime Policy at national and international level

• Guidelines to Member States on an Integrated Approach to Maritime Policy
• Communication on the international dimension of the Integrated Maritime Policy
• Find out which administrative body deals with maritime affairs in your country on the Maritime Forum

Go to the Maritime Forum for further reading about projects, events and specialised information linked to individual policies and sea basin strategies.

Related content

• Press releases
• Speeches
• Studies
• Recommended links