Venice Platform conference:

contributions to a European maritime platform

21 May 2010, from 9 to 13h.

The Venice Platform aims to bring science and stakeholder communities together in the process of an emerging European maritime platform.

This conference stages the preparation of a work programme 2010-2011, enabling those interested to become actively involved in:

- an all embracing Maritime Stakeholders Platform for the EU Maritime Policy

- the establishment of a marine, maritime and coastal science forum (MARCOM+).

Co-chairs and convenors:

Job Dronkers, coordinator ENCORA coordination action

Pierpaolo Campostrini, chairman Venice Platform; CORILA, Venice

Albert Salman, Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC)

Programme:

Introduction to the Venice Platform. Pierpaolo Campostrini, director of CORILA.

Stakeholder synergies from the environmental perspective. Saskia Richartz, EU Oceans Policy Director, Greenpeace.

A stakeholder’s view on Maritime Spatial Planning and co-operation between maritime actors. Annabel Holroyd, EU Affairs Officer, International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP Europe).

Stakeholder synergies from the regional governments perspective. Damien Perissé, Director, CPMR.

Stakeholder synergies from the ICZM perspective. Albert Salman, Director General, EUCC

MARCOM+: how stakeholders and scientists can contribute to providing the knowledge base for the IMP. Adi Kellermann, Head of Science Programme, ICES.

Conclusions from the EUROMARES session on research integration. Denis Bailly, FP7 SPICOSA.

What science is needed to better manage marine and coastal ecosystems? Jean-Paul Ducrotoy, General Secretary, European Federation of Marine Science and Technology Societies (EFMS).

Integrating science to deliver input to IMP. Job Dronkers, Deltares.

Panel discussion on synergies between the stakeholders and science community and the role of the Venice Platform.

Conclusions by the chairs.

1. Three key messages
   • Cooperation among maritime stakeholders makes Europe stronger: experience of best practices is shared and interests are tuned towards synergy
   • Maritime innovation is key to a sustainable and efficient use of marine resources and to taking full advantage of marine ecosystem services
   • The Venice Platform has a role in uniting maritime stakeholders who want to innovate by sharing practices, knowledge, information and knowledge.

2. Summary of the interventions from the panel: see ppt presentations (also available in www.veniceplatform.eu)

3. Major questions brought up by the audience

What is the position of the Venice Platform with respect to the maritime stakeholder forum?
The stakeholder forum and the Venice Platform are closely connected. The stakeholder forum is a group of stakeholder representatives restricted in size and membership, which provides a convenient setting to clarify mutual interests and to launch common initiatives.
The Venice Platform facilitates cooperation among stakeholders at the working level: sharing knowledge, exchange of experience on best practices, dissemination of information, organisation of meetings.

The following suggestion was brought forward to promote sharing of best practices in Europe. As many coastal projects are conceived and carried out at local or regional levels, the Venice Platform can offer the organisation of international panels, which review project plans and bring in the experience of similar projects carried out elsewhere in Europe.

Several other beneficial roles of the Venice Platform were raised by the audience.

Building bridges between science and practice was seen as an important role. Progress in science should be a motor of innovation; however, the presentation of scientific results is often not well tailored to the needs of small innovative companies. Europe could innovate more if closer links were established between science and practice.

The Venice Platform could also facilitate maritime and coastal stakeholders by fulfilling a radar function. The Venice Platform member organisations receive together many early signals of emerging insights, technologies and other new developments, which are relevant for maritime and coastal stakeholders. Channelling this information would provide a valuable service to the Venice Platform members.

It would also be a natural role of the Venice Platform to actively stimulate the Joint Programming Initiative. The JPI needs a science-policy-practice interface that the Venice Platform can offer. For this purpose Venice Platform members also cooperate in the MARCOM+ project, which provides an excellent opportunity for stimulating joint programming initiatives.

Several speakers from the audience expressed a concern that Integrated Coastal Zone Management is not sufficiently addressed in the Maritime Policy. Many uses of the sea and many impacts are related to activities in the coastal zone. The Venice Platform therefore should contribute to creating awareness of the important role of planning and managing coastal zones.

A last major issue discussed with the audience related to the financial and personal means of the Venice Platform. During the past year the Venice Platform could run only a modest programme of activities, which did not meet all the expectations formulated at the start and agreed by the member organisations. It was mentioned that DG Mare has the intention to launch a call that may provide an opportunity for funding the Venice Platform. An appointment was also made with representatives of several member organisations to discuss possibilities for joining efforts of secretarial staff in support of a more substantial programme of activities.

4. Links to presentations and speeches by speakers, and other documentation relevant for the workshop (also available in www.veniceplatform.eu)

Contact person: Pierpaolo Campostrini

www.veniceplatform.eu

Lead: Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC)