Analysis and inventory of FP7 marine-related proposals - European ...
Analysis and inventory of FP7 marine-related proposals - European ...
Analysis and inventory of FP7 marine-related proposals - European ...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>inventory</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>FP7</strong> <strong>marine</strong>-<strong>related</strong> ed <strong>proposals</strong>posa1. PREFACESeas <strong>and</strong> oceans cover 70 percent <strong>of</strong> the Earth’s surface yet people usually know more aboutthe moon’s surface than the ocean depths. Still, seas <strong>and</strong> oceans have a huge impact on ourdaily lives, providing an essential part <strong>of</strong> our wealth <strong>and</strong> well-being. They are not only a criticalsource <strong>of</strong> food, energy <strong>and</strong> resources, but also provide the majority <strong>of</strong> Europe’s trade routes.Sea-<strong>related</strong> industries <strong>and</strong> services generate about 5% <strong>of</strong> Europe’s gross domestic product.The value <strong>of</strong> living by the sea, while intangible, is high to many <strong>of</strong> us. Europe’s coastlines are afavoured site for recreation <strong>and</strong> residence, <strong>and</strong> almost 50% <strong>of</strong> the <strong>European</strong> population live lessthan 50 km from the coast. Yet overfi shing, pollution from industry <strong>and</strong> transport, discharge<strong>of</strong> nutrients, together with the impact <strong>of</strong> climate change are dramatically affecting the <strong>marine</strong>environment, putting it at risk <strong>of</strong> severe damages.Science <strong>and</strong> technology have a vital role to play in the preservation <strong>of</strong> the <strong>marine</strong> environmentas well as in realising the great economic potential <strong>of</strong> our seas <strong>and</strong> oceans. From the“Galway Declaration” 1 in 2004 to the “Aberdeen Declaration” 2 in 2007, the <strong>European</strong> scientifi ccommunity has provided excellent contributions to the key input <strong>of</strong> <strong>marine</strong>-<strong>related</strong> researchfor the development <strong>of</strong> a dynamic <strong>and</strong> sustainable <strong>European</strong> maritime policy <strong>and</strong> <strong>European</strong>Research Area (ERA). The “<strong>European</strong> Strategy for Marine <strong>and</strong> Maritime research” (COM(2008) 534), 3 adopted in 2008, is an essential pillar <strong>of</strong> the EU 4 integrated maritime policy. Itaims, through a better integration <strong>of</strong> sectors <strong>and</strong> research disciplines, to progress towards thepreservation <strong>of</strong> fragile <strong>marine</strong> environments while sustaining the development <strong>of</strong> maritime activities.It also represents one <strong>of</strong> the fi rst attempts to fully establish, within a research domain, the<strong>European</strong> Research Area.Dissemination <strong>of</strong> information about <strong>marine</strong>-<strong>related</strong> research initiatives funded at EU level is <strong>of</strong>paramount importance to help develop synergies <strong>and</strong> cross-fertilisation <strong>of</strong> knowledge betweensectors <strong>and</strong> disciplines. It will also result in a better acknowledgement <strong>and</strong> awareness <strong>of</strong> thebenefi ts arising from the different research initiatives <strong>and</strong> avoid further duplication <strong>of</strong> efforts.1http://ec.europa.eu/research/press/2007/maritime-briefi ng/pdf/24-galway-declaration_en.pdf2http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/declaration_en.html3COM (2008) 534: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0534:FIN:EN:PDF4EU: <strong>European</strong> Union5
Change language