1st meeting of the Blue Economy Working Group

Turku, Finland, 17 May 2016

The recently adopted Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial Declaration on the Blue Economy represents the political commitment to improve maritime governance and create an environment conducive to job creation, innovation and knowledge-based business opportunities through the strengthening or development of key maritime sectors in the Mediterranean, in line with sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Amongst the various deliverables envisaged in the Declaration, Ministers endorsed the establishment of a UfM Forum on Blue Economy, which would annually bring together the Mediterranean countries to exchange information, views and best practices, create synergies among current initiatives, provide input to future actions and possible sea basin approaches in maritime strategies, without duplicating existing initiatives and bodies.

In the above context, the first meeting of the UfM Working Group on the Blue Economy (BE WG) will take place on 17 May 2016, in Turku, Finland.

The BE WG is convened as the successor of the former Working Group on Integrated Maritime Policy in the Mediterranean (IMP-MED WG), and is a preparatory step in setting up the UfM Forum on Blue Economy.