European Ministers for maritime policy and the European Commission adopted the new Maritime Agenda for growth and jobs. They adopted a declaration that proposes a marine and maritime agenda to back the Europe 2020 strategy. The agenda proposes a dynamic and coordinated approach to maritime affairs enhances the development of the EU's 'Blue Economy' while ensuring the health of seas and oceans.

European Ministers for maritime policy and the European Commission, represented by President Jose Manuel Barroso and Commissioner Maria Damanaki at a conference in Limassol organised by the Cypriot Presidency adopted a European agenda for creating growth and jobs in the marine and maritime sectors. Ministers also called on Member States and European Institutions to put in place the right conditions for the Blue Economy as it was proposed in a strategy presented in September 2012.

The agenda focuses on promising maritime sectors where there is a great potential for new jobs and growth, as it is proposed in the strategy for the Blue Economy. These sectors are marine renewable energy, aquaculture, blue biotechnology, coastal tourism and sea bed mining.

The European Commission, following the adoption of the Limassol Declaration, will launch a set of initiatives in the near future to explore and develop the growth potential in the identified areas, including Communications on coastal and maritime tourism, ocean energy, blue biotechnology and marine mineral mining, as well as strategic guidelines on aquaculture. The Commission announced that all initiatives will be undertaken in consultation with Member states and relevant stakeholders.