The livelihoods of many EU citizens depend on the sea and its resources – fish of course, but also energy from offshore oil and gas fields. The EU's merchant fleet depends on the world's oceans for trade. Coastal areas are magnets for tourists - another big industry. With so much at stake we must be responsible in our use of the seas' resources, preventing over-fishing and ensuring that oil and gas extraction does not harm the marine or coastal environment.
The EU fishing industry is the fourth largest in the world. It provides some 6.4 million tonnes of fish each year. Fishing and fish processing provide jobs for more than 350,000 people.
The priority for the EU fisheries policy is to make sure that fisheries are sustainable: the needs of today's fishing industry should be met as long as they do not jeopardise fish stocks for future generations.
Related objectives include maintaining healthy ecosystems and ensuring the fishing industry provides fair standards of living for people who depend on it. Consumers' interests must also be taken into account.
Over the period 2007-2013, the European Fisheries Fund has €4.3 billion to support the restructuring of the fishing sector and help EU countries implement the 2002 reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Money can be used for sustainable development of fisheries, aquaculture businesses, the processing and marketing sectors, and for economic diversification in fishing communities.
Helping to preserve fish stocks for the future – a major objective for the EU's fisheries policy.
The EU has fisheries partnership agreements with non-EU countries and negotiates within regional and international fisheries organisations to ensure that waters all over the world are managed within a regulated, transparent and sustainable framework and are not over-fished.
These agreements also give EU fishermen access to fish in distant waters, and so help to keep the EU market supplied – in return for a financial contribution whereby non-EU countries, including developing countries, can invest in their fisheries industries and in building up their fish stocks.
The oil industry is an important source of jobs in the maritime economy.
Worldwide, demand for fish and other aquatic products is increasing: EU aquaculture can help meet this demand. Today, a quarter of the tonnage of fish and seafood produced in the EU already comes from fish farms and other forms of aquaculture. In terms of volume, mussels, rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon are the most important EU aquaculture species followed by oysters, sea bream, common carp, clam and sea bass.
Globally, aquaculture is an important and growing food production industry, with an average annual growth rate of over 5% worldwide (2006-08). However, aquaculture in the EU as a whole is static. The European Commission is therefore supporting and promoting this EU industry.
The EU has the world’s largest maritime area (1200 ports) and the world's largest merchant fleet. 90% of foreign trade and 40% of internal trade is seaborne.
The EU's fisheries policy has always taken environmental aspects into account. Recently, though, maritime policy has taken an even broader approach, looking at all uses of our maritime space. The goal is to build on Europe's assets and tradition in the field of marine research, technology and innovation, and contribute to the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
The integrated maritime policy encompasses maritime transport, the competitiveness of maritime businesses, employment, scientific research, fisheries and the protection of the marine environment. The overarching objective is to ensure economic development while safeguarding environmental sustainability.
To highlight the importance of the seas as an essential component of our society and economy, the EU celebrates "European Maritime Day" each year on 20 May.
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