EU eyes oceans innovation as source of sustainable growth

The European Commission on Thursday presented an action plan for innovation in the "blue economy" in order to help European Union (EU) member states use ocean resources sustainably and drive growth and jobs, the commission said on its website. "Today, we put the building blocks in place so that tomorrow's generation of Europeans will have the knowledge and skills to better manage our oceans and draw the full benefits they can provide us, while respecting the balance of the ecosystem of the sea," said Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. The action plan proposes creating an information platform on marine research in the EU, sharing already available data and completing a detailed seabed map of European waters by 2020, among other measures. Blue growth is a focus area in the new Horizon 2020, the EU's framework for research and innovation. The EU is already supporting marine research to the tune of around 35 million euros (49 million US dollars) a year, and has a specific 145 million euros budget for 2014-2015. A substantial amount of marine research is also carried out through member states with 300 million euros per year being spent in France and Germany, for example. According to EU statistics, around 30 percent of the seafloor surrounding Europe has not yet been surveyed. The EU's maritime or "blue" economy has over 5 million employees in sectors as diverse as fisheries, transport, marine biotech and offshore renewable.