On 1 July 2021 the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union started. The presidency of the Council rotates among the EU Member States every six months, during which the presidency chairs meetings at every level in the Council and it ensures the continuity of the EU’s work. This is the second time in 17 years that Slovenia holds the presidency.

The priorities for this presidency are: ensuring the resilience, recovery and strategic autonomy of the European Union; organising discussions within the framework of the Conference on the Future of Europe; promoting a union of the European way of life, the rule of law and the same criteria for all; and ensuring a union that is capable of promoting security and stability in its neighbourhood.

In its programmatic document, the Presidency says it will focus on the recovery of specific sectors, with particular attention towards the tourism industry. On the occasion of the informal meeting of EU tourism ministers on 16 November 2021, the Presidency will launch a discussion on how to promote sustainable and safe tourism, able to resist to future shocks as well. Furthermore, on the environmental side, the Slovenian Presidency commits to the European Green Deal objectives and will start negotiations on the “Fit for 55” package proposed by the Commission. In the field of transport, the main political priority of the Slovenian Presidency is cutting transport emissions, while promoting the development of alternative fuels.

Regarding the EU internal market, as abovementioned, the tourism ecosystem will play an important part  as it has been harshly hit by the pandemic. The Slovenian Presidency aims to provide stable support to the sector, while coordinating structural and sectoral measures to promote the green and digital transitions. Moreover, the Presidency will advocate for SMEs access to a range of financing resources, especially for travel infrastructure, sustainable growth and digital renovation. By drawing lessons from the COVID crisis, the goal is also to enable secure cross-border mobility to safeguard tourist services and restore consumer confidence in the EU single market.

Read the Slovenian Presidency’s programme here.

The European Commission presented the Summer 2021 Economic Forecast. As the first quarter of the year exceeded expectations and national COVID-19 restrictions were eased, the European economy is expected to rebound faster than expected. Real GDP is forecasted to return to pre-crisis levels in the last quarter of 2021, one quarter earlier than projected in the Spring Forecast.

Virus containment strategies and vaccination campaigns contributed to infections decreasing and hospitalisations, which allowed Member States to reopen, benefitting especially service sector businesses. A specific analysis is dedicated to the tourism sector, which still suffered from movement restrictions in early 2021. First signs of a slow recovery were seen in April and May thanks to domestic tourism, with EU cross-border tourism picking up over the long weekends of May. Tourism activities are expected to increase further thanks to the new EU Digital Covid Certificate in the second part of 2021. However, given remaining impediments to cross-border movement for tourists coming from outside the EU, services export will still likely lag behind. Overall, the expected growth impulse coming from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RFF), which is expected to produce 672,5 billion euros in loans and grants, remains unchanged from the Spring Forecast.

Inflation rates have been revised higher, but they are expected to gradually moderate in 2022. Uncertainties and risks remain high, but overall balanced. The risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic and variants are also linked to vaccination campaigns. Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis praised the consumer confidence and tourism trends, encouraging for a closer monitoring of the new coronavirus variant to ensure that travelling remains safe.

Deadline: 30 July 2021

The BlueInvest Readiness Assistance is a coaching programme for high potential start-ups and SMEs with innovative and sustainable products and solutions for the Blue Economy.

Over the period of three months, participants will: receive feedback on their investment readiness level; be matched with a business coach to develop a set of concrete business objectives; receive assistance from their business coach through one-to-one coaching sessions; benefit from additional training at the BlueInvest Academy, networking and B2B matchmaking sessions at BlueInvest events.

Criteria to apply include: being a company/project relevant to the Blue Economy; being registered in an EU Member State; majority owned by EU shareholders.

The application system is available here.

The European Regional Commission of the UN World Tourism Organization held its annual meeting in Athens, Greece on 3^rd June. This was followed by a high-level conference on Coastal and Maritime Tourism on 4 June. The Conference was attended by delegates from UNWTO member countries, including Tourism Ministers, international organisations and key stakeholders.

The Conference was opened by Greek Minister of Tourism Harry Theoharis, who highlighted the Greek nation’s close connection to the sea and the importance of maritime tourism. As key areas for action, he sees sustainability across the environmental, social and economic dimensions. He also highlighted the need for authenticity of destinations and tourism. Secretary General of UNWTO Zurab Pololikashvili followed the same line and highlighted the value of maritime tourism, as well as the space and potential to develop new products in the coming months and years.

Sofia Zacharaki, Deputy Minister of Tourism of Greece added details on the strategic approach of the Greek government for tourism in the next years that is guided by a 10-year strategic plan. She underlined the need to develop skills and qualifications and expected funding through the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. Maritime tourism should be seen as a flagship of tourism in many countries. In a video message, European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean focused on the cruise sector and highlighted its key challenges and her optimism for a successful summer season.

When setting the scene, UNWTO Director for Europe Alessandra Priante recognised the economic multiplier effects of boating and yachting that benefit regions and countries in Europe. She welcomed EBI among the key stakeholders for the coastal and maritime sector in Europe.

In the following panel discussion on “Economic Sustainability, the Industry Perspective”, EBI was represented by Secretary-General Philip Easthill. Alongside representatives of the yachting, cruise and port sector, a number of key issues were raised on the future economic sustainability. The key message brought to the discussion by EBI was the uniqueness of the recreational boating and nautical tourism ecosystem, which is crucial for many European regions and is predominantly made up of SMEs backed up by a strong European manufacturing footprint. A number of areas for attention by policy-makers were raised, among them infrastructure, a level playing field in tourism, recognition of new consumer trends and environmental sustainability. The key concluding message from EBI was the untapped potential that the ecosystem offers for recovery, economic growth and success fur European regions and tourism in the coming years taking into account the post-pandemic trends.

Following the panel, the Ministerial Panel was held, where the participants welcomed the institution of the Sustainable Coastal and Maritime Tourism Research and Monitoring Centre. This new monitoring centre will be based at the University of the Aegean in Greece, where experts will measure data relating to environmental, economic and social impact of tourism. At the Panel, the participants also had the opportunity to share their visions on how to foster sustainable coastal tourism. UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili praised the vaccination campaigns and the Digital Covid Certificate in the EU, stressing that these are the pathways to restart tourism not only in the EU, but also in partner countries. Deputy Minister of Tourism of Cyprus Savvas Perdios shared Cyprus’ experience with coastal tourism, stressing that tourists want more of an experience when travelling, something that coastal and nautical tourism can provide. Secretary of State of Tourism of Portugal Rita Marques highlighted the need for infrastructure, in order to allow for seamless tourism and travel. Private and public investments are key.

On 11 June, EBI Secretary-General Philip Easthill spoke at the Global Tourism Forum Summit in Bodrum, Turkey. Organised by the World Tourism Forum Institute, a London-based think-tank focused on the tourism industry, EBI was invited to discuss the future of the boating sector in Europe and the key challenges of the industry after Covid-19.

With over 6 million boats in European waters, 36 million regular boaters and over 280,000 direct employees, the European boating industry is a thriving part of the tourism sector, with an important role to play in recovery after the pandemic. At the same time, Turkey is a key hub for boat manufacturing, refit, marinas and charter tourism, offering great opportunities. According to EBI research, Covid-19 required companies to postpone investments but over 60% of businesses see a rise in consumer interest in boating, with digitalisation and environmental sustainability as key focus areas. EBI stressed how the boating sector in Europe requires strong financial support from governments, with a long-term recovery plan to help businesses build back better. Most importantly, boating is a safe activity which could be perfectly combined with the new needs and preferences after Covid-19.

Also speaking at the event was President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, who highlighted the importance of the tourism sector in Europe, with 11.2% of total employment in 2019 dependent on tourism and contributing to 9.5% of EU GDP. The European Parliament and President Sassoli expressed favour in recent months for a “genuine European tourism policy”, which can contribute to increase European competitiveness and sustainable economic development. Mr Sassoli further praised the EU joint response in coordinating travel restrictions and common rules, such as the EU Digital Covid Certificate.

In case you missed it, you can rewatch EBI’s presentation here and Mr Sassoli’s speech here.

Since 1973, The Ocean Race’s competitors have been sailing across the globe, and on 29 May, the inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe started from Lorient, France and finished in Genova, Italy on 19 June. As the final leg was coming to an end, on Wednesday 16 June The Ocean Race Summit Europe was held online, bringing together sailors, experts and policymakers to discuss ways to tackle urgent threats to the seas.

Patron on The Ocean Race Europe was European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius responsible for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, who took the floor during the event to explain Europe’s and the Commission’s plan to tackle these challenges. Participating in the meeting was also Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the World Trade Organization and Chair of Mission Starfish 2030, which aims to restore the EU water bodies by 2030. With the support of Commissioner Sinkevičius, Mission Starfish’s proposals include: a) integrating the EU system of ocean and water governance, in order to avoid a fragmented approach; b) deploying Europe’s external action instruments; c) developing an EU marine strategic autonomy, to improve the security of European maritime space; and d) establishing a network of assemblies to enable stakeholders’ and citizens’ participation. EBI was involved in providing input to the Mission on aspects related to the recreational boating industry and blue economy, which feature at high importance in the mission.

During the event, Genova’s Mayor Marco Bucci presented the city’s objectives for more sustainable economic development on the ocean. These include making Genova’s harbour fully sustainable and eliminate CO2 emissions by 2030.

You can rewatch the full Ocean Race Summit Europe here.

On 9 June, the Commission published the June infringement package. In this package, the European Commission decides to pursue legal action against Member States which have been found to be incompliant with their obligation under EU law in various policy areas.

On the topic of biodiversity, the Commission found 18 Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia) incompliant with various provisions of Regulation 1143/2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species. These species become established in areas outside their natural origin because of human action, and they risk out-competing native species, resulting in serious economic and environmental consequences. In particular, these countries failed to establish, implement and communicate to the Commission an action plan to address unintentional introduction and spread of invasive alien species of concern for the EU.

The Commission has, therefore, decided to send each Member State a letter of formal notice giving them two months to respond to the letter and take the necessary measures. The procedure provides that, in absence of satisfactory justification from the Member States, the Commission may send a reasoned opinion, formally requesting the country to comply with EU law within two months. If the country still fails to comply, the Commission can refer the matter to the Court of Justice.

More information on the infringement procedure can be found here.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) published the annual Bathing Water report for 2020. Based on the EU’s Bathing Water Directive (BWD), the quality of European bathing water has greatly improved in the last decades. The Directive was first adopted in 2006 and it lays down provisions for the monitoring and management of bathing water quality, and the provision of information to the public. The yearly report is prepared by the EEA in cooperation with the European Commission’s DG Environment, and for 2020 it still assesses the 28 Member States (including the UK), Albania and Switzerland.

Within the EU, 22.276 bathing waters were assessed, while 308 were reported between Albania and Switzerland. Overall, the number of bathing waters in the EU has been increasing, with 716 sites more than in 2015. The quality of these waters remains high, with better quality in coastal sites than in inland ones. Nonetheless, the Covid-19 pandemic put a strain on the assessment, with a number of inadequate bathing water samples which could not be classified given the restrictions caused by the sanitary emergency. Compared to 2019, this number increased from 3.7% to 6%.

An EU interactive map can also be found here. The full report can be consulted here.

At its Plenary Session on 7 May 2021, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted the Opinion “Local and regional authorities protecting the marine environment”. The rapporteur for this opinion was Emma Nohrén (Sweden/Greens), Vice Mayor of Lysekil municipality in Sweden.

Concerned that the EU’s marine environment did not achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) by 2020 as required by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the Committee issued a number of policy recommendations. A number of elements of interest for the recreational boating sector are mentioned. In particular, CoR noted that the pandemic further demonstrated the significance of nature for recreation, highlighting the true value of nature and biodiversity. This CoR conclusion is coherent with the findings of the Blue Economy Report from the European Commission, which highlighted a change in consumer demand for more activities to be carried out in the open air. In fact, the Committee further stressed that tourism is one of the major economic sectors in coastal regions, with the need to foster sustainable tourism for both residents and “life below the surface”. In particular, the CoR encouraged coastal communities and local regional authorities (LRAs) to preserve nature and marine life from plastic pollution and underwater noise. The institution of ‘silent bays’ or motorboat-free zones could combine the well-being of local residents and marine life, in the CoR opinion. According to the CoR, the good management of land and sea together can enhance “the attractiveness of coastal regions as centres for recreation and sustainable tourism”. Municipalities and regions are further encouraged to launch their own initiatives and cooperate at cross-border level to identify and find solutions to specific issues, such as plastic litter and excessive boat traffic. In particular, the CoR pointed at available EU funds to support these initiatives.

In the document, the CoR further emphasised the need for an EU level playing field, supporting the Commission proposal to create a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) covering at least 30% of EU seas and highly protecting at least 10% of them. In doing so, the Committee identified as essential research and innovation for alternative fuels, which could greatly help in reducing the environmental footprint in the marine sector. Also, the Committee called on the Commission to adopt limits for exhaust and noise emissions in its review of the Directive of recreational craft and personal watercraft, and to include electrical engines in the scope of the Directive.

It should be noted that the opinion is advisory only and does not formally feed into the decision-making processes of the EU. The opinion is available in all EU language versions via the following link: https://europa.eu/!rG64Bd.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the UK Department of Transport have assigned the consultancy Carbon Trust with the task to produce a report on how to decarbonise the recreational marine sector. The Roadmap was published on 9 June and can be found here.

The background of this report is the UK Clean Maritime Plan, which sets out a net zero emission target, including all new vessels in UK waters designed with net zero emission capable technologies by 2025. The report provides an analysis of the current situation and key areas for decarbonisation, providing recommendations for governments’ actions. EBI was consulted on the matter and contributed with key inputs which were taken up by Carbon Trust. Some key findings of the report include the recognition of the limited proportion of emissions from the recreational sector in maritime sectors and the recognition of the need for European-wide solutions and role of the EU. Interestingly, the analysis on EU dialogue and proposals draws substantially from the ongoing European Commission initiatives.

At last, the report provides key recommendations to enable decarbonisation in the sector, such as: conducting lifecycle assessments with targets for decarbonisation; researching and investing in electrification and alternative fuels; investing in marina infrastructure for refuelling and charging; assessing and researching end-of-life boats, including potential EU-wide legislation and funding; investing in nautical tourism for a sustainable growth.

These results will then be taken forward as part of a wider strategy for the UK maritime sector.