Developed within the framework of the Atlantic Maritime Strategy the Atlantic Action Plan sets out practical steps to be taken in the five Member States with Atlantic coasts (Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom) and their outermost regions in order to boost the Atlantic Ocean Area’s sustainable blue economy by 2020. At a time of social and economic uncertainty, the EU is preparing the next generation of EU-funded programmes to foster economic recovery. The revamped action plan will give new impetus to the Atlantic maritime strategy and will strengthen the participating countries’ recovery efforts. It will contribute to the European Green Deal, a socially inclusive model of sustainable development and job creation, while safeguarding marine and coastal environments and securing a healthy ocean. Focusing on offsetting the adverse socio-economic impact of the crisis, the new action plan proposes concrete actions for the development of the blue economy in the Atlantic, addressing challenges, such as: (1) The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the development of renewable energy – by supporting research and investment in marine renewable energy for which the Atlantic has a huge potential; (2) The fight against marine pollution – by promoting green shipping and coordinating actions against marine litter; (3) The creation of new jobs – by addressing the skills gaps in the blue economy sectors and by supporting cooperation between EU training centres and businesses; (4) The adaptation to climate change – by improving coastal observation and designing and promoting cost effective coastal protection measures. The first Action plan is from 2013 and the second one (in place) is from 2020.
