Europe's maritime regions have the potential to help the EU out of the economic doldrums and to meet the Lisbon strategy goals of more and better jobs, according to Luc Van den Brande, president of the Committee of the Regions, the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives. Speaking at European Maritime Day in Rome, President Van den Brande said it was time to "boost the 'blue potential' of the green economy", but warned that this would not be possible without a significant increase in European funding.

"I would like to emphasise the commitment shown by our institution, whose members include almost 90 elected representatives of maritime regions, who have supported the EU's initiatives to promote an integrated, sustainable and active maritime policy. But while we welcome the European Commission's commitment to making maritime policy one of its political priorities, we deplore the low level of funding foreseen in this field in 2009 – just €6m from the resources available under EU fisheries policy," President Van den Brande told delegates at the event.

Mr. Van den Brande stressed in particular the importance of maritime clusters as drivers of economic growth. Clusters consist of various sectors of the maritime economy, from transport and fisheries to tourism and research, which are grouped together in one place, and increasingly across regional and national borders. "The idea of a cluster is to benefit from the synergies between the different maritime activities in a particular region or regions, and to stimulate economic growth by bringing research and industry closer together. There is no doubt that clusters are drivers for growth and employment in the hosting territories, as they favour the diffusion of innovation, thus providing opportunities for SMEs to compete in global markets and creating skilled jobs. In addition, it is not a coincidence that the development of clusters is greater, and easier, in regions where powers are more significantly decentralised and where public authorities tend to act only when their intervention can bring real added value. Any national, regional or European policy should acknowledge that clusters have by definition a territorial nature that must be taken into account: clusters inhabit territories which have a multiplicity of relevant players. Not involving them is a recipe for failure, irrespective of the more or less centralised or federalist nature of each country."

The Committee of the Regions is due to adopt its opinion on maritime and coastal policy, drafted by First Vice-President Michel Delebarre, at its June Plenary Session, and the policy will be the subject of further discussion with EU Maritime and Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg at a structured dialogue meeting with the European and national associations of regional and local authorities organised by the Committee of the Regions and the European Commission on 29 June.