NRP Portugal

the National Strategy for the Sea, assuring its articulation with other strategies,planning instruments and programmes of a clear transversal scope. TheInterministerialCommitteeforSeaMattersdefinedthefollowingprogrammesinthecontextoftheimplementationoftheNationalStrategyfortheSea:1. PlanningandOrganisationoftheMaritimeAreaandActivities2. InformationandKnowledgeNetworkfortheSea3. Surveillance,SecurityandDefencefortheSea4. CommunicationandAwarenessRaisingfortheSea5. InternationalCooperationfortheSeaTheseProgrammesaretheembodimentofstrategicactivitiesincludedintheNationalStrategyfortheSeaandincludesasetofPlansofActionwhichenabletheproposedobjectivestobereached.For2008,thefollowingPlansofActionwerelaunchedwithinthescopeoftheseprogrammes:• PlanningtheMaritimeAreaPlan;• ProceduralSimplificationandLicensingofMaritimeActivities;• EnvironmentalMonitoringintheExclusiveEconomicZone;• InformationSystemforMaritimeBiodiversity;• NetworkofProtectedMaritimeAreas;• DefinitionoftheTermsofConstitutionoftheOceanicConsortium;• UpdatetheCleanSeaPlan;• SeaAwarenessRaisingCampaignandPromotion;• InclusionoftheSeaThemeintheProjectAreaandEducationalResources;• InternationalCooperationfortheSea(CPLP).Inaddition,inaccordancewiththecommitmentpresentedintheprogrammeofthe17 th Constitutional Government, also included in the first primary action of theNationalStrategyfortheSeaandintheobjectivesofthisInterministerialCommitteeforSeaMatters,thecreationofaPermanentForumforSeaMatterswasapproved.TheForumwaslaunchedonMay7,2008.TheaimofthisForumistoassureanincreasedparticipationofthecivilsocietyinthedecisionprocesses,thecreationofconsultationmechanismsofthepublicentitiestonon governmental organisations, companies and citizens, the monitoring of theactivities, measures and policies adopted, the boosting of the sea economy and thedisseminationandaccesstorelevantinformationwithinthescopeofSeaMatters.These initiatives are in full alignment with the lines of action presented in the BluePaperfortheEuropeanMaritimePolicyadoptedbytheEuropeanCommissionduringthePortuguesePresidency.With regards the extension of the Portuguese continental platform beyond 200nautical miles (proposal), the exploratory hydrographical surveys have beenconcluded in the area of Continental Portugal and Madeira archipelago and 95% ofthese surveys were made in the area of the Azores archipelago. The seismic31