The blue economy of Bulgaria and Romania will be essential for the implementation of the EU Green Deal

Bulgaria and Romania have successfully completed a project for cooperation in the field of maritime spatial planning. The final conference on the initiative "Cross-border maritime spatial planning for the Black Sea - Bulgaria and Romania" - MARSPLAN-BS II was held online, in which the leading partner and organizer is the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works. This was announced by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works.

The results of the project were presented at the final conference and it was emphasized how the implementation of its main objectives - creating a Maritime Spatial Plan and developing a joint strategy for the cross-border region Romania - Bulgaria, can contribute to the development of the so-called blue economy. is essential for the implementation of the Green Deal.

3.4% / 102 962 people / of all employees in Bulgaria are employed in sectors related to the so-called blue or marine economy. According to data for 2018, it generates 2% of the national gross value added / GVA / or 995 million euros, which is above the average for the European Union.

The maritime or "blue" economy includes a wide range of activities related to the sea - such as fishing and aquaculture, oil and gas exploration and production, shipping and maritime transport, maritime and coastal tourism, as well as maritime activities that use or produce products and services from ocean and marine activities, such as seafood processing, marine biotechnology, shipbuilding and ship repair, port activities, equipment. The main focus was on the presentation and study of the land-sea interaction and the multifunctional use of marine resources.

The cross-border maritime spatial planning project for the Black Sea - Bulgaria and Romania MARSPLAN BS-II is implemented with the assistance of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Agency (CINEA) of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works is the lead organization in its implementation, together with the Ministry of Development, Public Affairs and Administration of Romania and 6 other key Bulgarian and Romanian organizations - the National Center for Territorial Development, the Center for Coastal and Marine Research - Varna, and Nikola Yonkov Vaptsarov Higher Naval School - Varna. Partners from Romania are the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Public Administration, GEOECOMAR, the Institute for Marine Research - Grigore Antipa and the University of Ovid - Constanta.

Over 80 participants in the final conference, including experts in maritime spatial planning, representatives of the Commission for Protection of the Black Sea from Pollution, the Organization for Black Sea Economic Cooperation and all project partners, as well as representatives of CINEA and DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries ”(DG MARE) to the European Commission, etc.

The main objective of the MARSPLAN BS-II project is to support coordinated cross-sectoral maritime spatial planning in Bulgaria and Romania and to create a long-term mechanism for cross-border cooperation in the Black Sea Basin.