The 2018 Annual Report on the EU Blue Economy aims to describe the scope and size of the blue economy in the European Union, creating a baseline to support policymakers and stakeholders in the quest for sustainable development of oceans, seas and coastal resources.
The report describes the current status and recent trends in the EU Blue Economy, which are its established sectors (living resources; marine extraction of oil&gas; ports, warehousing and water projects; maritime transport; shipbuilding and repair; coastal tourism), and which are the emerging sectors. There are several case studies such as the Blue Growth Strategy in the Port of Vigo or the Emerging sectors in Ireland.
It monitors developments in the EU blue economy annually and examine the drivers behind trends. The report examines not only established sectors (meaning, for the purposes of this report, those that have traditionally contributed to the blue economy) but also emerging and innovative sectors, which bring new opportunities for investment and hold huge potential for future development.
It describes the most recent trends in several socioeconomic indicators and analyses the drivers behind such trends. Analyses are provided for the EU as a whole and by sector and industry for each Member State. Reflecting the availability of comparable datasets across all Member States, the focus of this first report is primarily on the established sectors. While there are still many challenges to be met, this report aims to serve as a first step to assessing the drivers and potential for oceans and coasts to provide for sustainable economic growth and to support the development of management policies that will ensure that growth is sustainable.