Atlantic Action Plan

The Atlantic Action Plan aims to support the marine and maritime economy in the Atlantic Ocean area. It shows how the EU's Atlantic Member States, their regions and the Commission can help create sustainable growth in coastal regions and drive forward the "blue economy" while preserving the environmental and ecological stability of the Atlantic Ocean.

Promoting cooperation

The Action Plan encourages Member States to work together in areas where they were previously working individually. They will now be able to share information, costs, results and best practices, as well as generate ideas for further areas of cooperation of maritime activities. This includes both traditional activities, such as fisheries, aquaculture, tourism and shipping, as well as emerging ones such as offshore renewables and marine biotech.

Priorities

The Action Plan considers responses to the challenges of delivering growth, reducing the carbon footprint, using the sea's natural resources sustainably, responding effectively to threats and emergencies and implementing an "ecosystem" management approach in Atlantic waters. The priorities are to:

Promote entrepreneurship and innovation;
Protect, secure and enhance the marine and coastal environment;
Improve accessibility and connectivity;
Create a socially inclusive and sustainable model of regional development;

The agreed actions will focus on growing the tourism market, meeting the increasing demand for offshore installations, improving education and training in traditional and emerging maritime industries, as well as extending cooperation in the field of oceanic research in order to better assess climate change impacts.

Related actions

The Plan follows from the Atlantic Strategy the Commission adopted in 2011 (see press release) and will contribute to the EU's "Blue Growth" strategy (press release).

The investment and research priorities identified in the Atlantic Action Plan could be considered for EU financing in the new programming period 2014-2020.

Atlantic process 2017

Atlantic stakeholder platform conference, Glasgow, 8 November 2017
Registration is open

Atlantic process 2016

Atlantic stakeholder platform conference, Dublin, 27 September 2016

"Seas in Motion - Activating the Atlantic Action Plan" European Parliament, Brussels, 14 June 2016

"The Atlantic Strategy in Action" event, Brussels, 8^th June 2016

Atlantic process 2015

Atlantic stakeholder platform conference, 29 October 2015, Brest

Atlantic workshops 2015

Atlantic process 2014

Atlantic stakeholder platform, 20 January 2015, Porto

Atlantic workshops 2014