Deep_Water

Foreword
We have the wind in our sails: let the future be blue.
With the maritime economy we can pull Europe out of
recession.
Europe is the most maritime of all continents. The
European seas and oceans offer considerable and
untapped economic potential. Nevertheless, they
also pose a formidable policy challenge to decision
makers.
We the European Commission, and the Member
States, want to take up this challenge. The maritime
economy can no longer remain on the sidelines of the
2020 strategy. We are in times that require new thinking
and the maritime dimension must be integrated
into the European vision for green growth.
It is my pleasure to introduce this report which is a
testimony of the dynamism and confidence of the
offshore wind industry, which will unlock its market
potential in the Northern Seas and Atlantic and Mediterranean
basins, which all have deep water.
It is also a testimony to the fact that there are still
areas with a massive potential for innovation and
green-blue growth, requiring considerable coordination
effort at national and European level.
Offshore wind plays a key role in the maritime economy.
It is an emerging and booming industry, ready to
renew the industrial fabric of our regions and create
jobs. By 2020, offshore wind could grow substantially,
providing electricity to almost 39 million households,
if we support its development. And this will go much
further beyond 2020, in part thanks to the deployment
of floating offshore turbines.
In the Limassol declaration, the European Commission
and the Member States have recognised the enormous
potential for innovation and competitiveness
in the maritime sectors, specifically offshore wind.
More importantly, we have committed to supporting
its development with a dynamic agenda. In the Blue
Growth Communication, we are putting specific sectorial
initiatives in place, along with maritime spatial
planning and the marine knowledge initiative. These
measures will support the growth of the blue economy.
However, these are the first steps on a long road,
placing the maritime dimension at the heart of all our
efforts.
Further work must be done to develop new and bold
economic thinking so that all the maritime sectors
meet their innovation and competitiveness potential.
As this report shows, innovation and competitiveness
will only flourish if all pillars of the European energy,
industrial, environment and research policy are linked
and framed in a comprehensive 2030 vision.
I know I can count on the European Commission, the
Member States, the European Parliament and all the
stakeholders to help develop the new economic thinking
that can take us into a sustainable blue future.
Maria Damanaki,
European Commissioner for
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
4 Deep Water - The next step for offshore wind energy