Speeches
Commissioner Maria Damanaki
Sustainable construction for people
18/09/2012
Commissioner Maria Damanaki intervened at the World Engineering Forum 2012, on the subject "Sustainable Constructions for People".
Maritime affairs
Maritime and Coastal Tourism: The Way Ahead
27/09/2012
Tourism has an enormous capacity to contribute to Europe's emergence from the economic crisis. However, seasonality and a lack of new, innovative concepts keep Europe from harvesting the full potential for growth and jobs of this important sector and its rich and diverse destinations. Coastal and maritime tourism is of particular importance as it is the largest single maritime economic activity and the major sub-sector of the tourism industry, and can significantly increase its already highly valuable contribution to the European economy. Nonetheless, costal and maritime tourism also faces numerous challenges, including the need to extend the tourism season, increasing competition from non-European destinations and sustainability concerns. These two themes, seasonality and coastal and maritime tourism, are being discussed today in Brussels during the 2012 edition of the European Tourism Day.
Maritime affairs and fisheries
Maritime Policy as an important condition for sustainable growth
22/09/2012
Commissioner Maria Damanaki opened the international conference "THALATTA 2012 – Islands & Sea: Building a sustainable maritime economy", in Santorini. The event was organised under the auscpices of the Mayor of Santorini, with the participation of Pierre Yves Cousteau and Cousteau Divers. The conference covered several fundamental topics related to the development of a sustainable maritime economy, such as infrastructure and inter-connectivity, maritime tourism, fisheries, protection of maritime and coastal environment. The conference was an opportunity to present the Blue Growth strategy, recently adopted by the European Commission, and to set out the Commission's views on the creation of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and, more in particular, in the Aegean Sea.
Fisheries
European Parliament debate on Common Fisheries Policy, Common Markets Organisation, Reporting obligations and Measures against countries allowing non-sustainable fishing
11/09/2012
Commissioner Maria Damanaki intervened in the joint plenary debate that the European Parliament held on four reports: on the Commission proposal on measures in relation to countries allowing non-sustainable fishing for the purpose of the conservation of fish stocks (Gallagher-report), on the Common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products in the framework of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (Stevenson-report), on reporting obligations for the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources (Haglund-report) and on the overarching Commission Communication presenting the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (Salavrakos-report)
