The Common maritime agenda for the Black Sea has officially launched on 17 February 2020 in Sofia, where representatives from seven Black Sea countries – Bulgaria, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine– convened for their first steering group meeting.
With the Common maritime agenda, the Black Sea region joins the rest of the sea basins bordering the EU in setting a basin-wide initiative for more, and more sustainable, economic growth.
Based on the positive experience of sustainable development initiatives in other sea basins, such as the West Med Initiative, the steering committee decided to schedule a number of regional seminars, stakeholders’ events and high-level meetings to raise awareness, facilitate stakeholders’ involvement and networking and identify significant projects for the region.
In their first meeting on 27 February, they addressed key issues including marine litter, protection against pollution of marine resources, green sustainable shipping and digital connectivity.
The initiative is supported by key organisations such as the organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), the Commission for the protection of the Black Sea against pollution, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), the Conference of peripheral and maritime regions and the managing authority of the Joint Operational Programme for the Black Sea basin.
WWF and the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank have also showed their interest in supporting the common maritime agenda.
Announced in May 2019, the Common Maritime Agenda is the first of its kind in the region and came as a result of a process initiated and backed by the European Commission.
Between 2015 and 2018 alone, the EU has supported the region’s blue economy with more than 13 million euros.
The key goals of the Agenda are:
- Healthy marine and coastal ecosystems
- A competitive, innovative and sustainable blue economy for the Black Sea
- Fostering Investment in the Black Sea blue economy
Next meeting of the steering group will be held on 19 June in Varna to discuss on the thematic priorities and related actions as well as high level events and regional workshops that will be held in the second half of 2020.
