First joint WestMED and Atlantic Action Plan national event at EUROMARITIME 2024

This event was the first joint national event connecting the Atlantic Action Plan and the WestMED initiative. It was organised by the French national hub for the WestMED and the Atlantic Assistance Mechanism

The event kicked off with recalling the 2023 Ministerial Declarations, that serve as parties’ commitment to both sea basin strategies. It was also the opportunity to announce the Presidency of the Atlantic Action Plan for France and share a message of the new incoming  WestMED Portuguese Presidency (see video) with the Euromaritime  audience that consisted mainly of French stakeholders.

Sea basin synergies and project examples
Regional authorities from Sud and Bretagne (see video) presented their blue economy engagements and some of the actions related to cooperation between the sea basins. Projects related to smart ports and decarbonization of the shipping sector were presented as good examples supporting both sea basin initiatives while having with strong synergies to be shared and replicated.
(see presentation 1 | see presentation 2)

Funding opportunities
The event was also an opportunity to highlight ongoing and future funding opportunities to be considered for new initiatives and projects with the purpose to ensure the engagement/participation from the French blue economy Community. A focus on the Innovation fund was made as its last call is now open to decarbonization in the maritime industry.
(see presentation 3)

The support provided by the Assistance Mechanism to develop projects with the stakeholders was recalled with the pivotal role of the two Poles Mer (Pôle Mer Méditerranée and Pole Mer  Bretagne Atlantique)  to ensure the relay of bottom-up ideas projects to be implemented via the EU funding opportunities.

EU Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism for the WestMED and the Atlantic
The French National Hub’s attendance during Euromaritime was also the opportunity to provide a dedicated explanation and discussion related to both initiatives and the Assitance Mechanism  with the visitors (EU MPs, regional authorities, NGOs but also SMEs). For this reason a dedicated EU Sea Basins booth was available at the Pole Mer Mediterranee stand, to promote the work of the EU Sea Basins Mechanism and the objectives of the two sea basin strategies.
(see presentation  4)

Main next steps

• Lessons learned of the presented project to be promoted in each sea basin but also between the seas basins
• Dissemination of the call for interest of the Smart Ports “En Grand” to be launched in February 2024 where national and international stakeholders can bid on and follow up of the results
• Support to be provided by the French National Hub to Grand Port en Grand initiative to identify additional funding to support the initiative and enlarging it to other territories (national and international)

National and regional stakeholders who were speakers:
Région Sud, Région Bretagne, Pole Mer Méditerranée , Pole Mer Bretagne Atlantique, Université Aix Marseille, Grand Port Maritime de Marseille, French DG Maritime Affaires and Fisheries, Bouygues Energies & Services, CCI Aix Marseille Provence

 

You can contact the Assistance Mechanism’s National Hub in France directly via france@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu | france@atlantic-maritime-strategy.ec.europa.eu