In 2008, the European Maritime Day was celebrated for the first time. The event included a stakeholder conference in Brussels 19-20 May, which focused on the regional approach to the implementation of Maritime Policy, and dialogue with stakeholders. The European Maritime Day was officially launched on 20 May 2008 in Strasbourg where the President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering, Council President Janez Janša, and Commission President José Manuel Barroso signed a Joint Tripartite Declaration establishing a ‘European Maritime Day’.