The Annual Atlantic Stakeholder Conference is taking place in Dublin today, 27th of September 2016. Below is Comissioner Karmenu Vella's speech on the successes & future of our Atlantic Action Plan.

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Lord Mayor, Minister, Honourable Member of the European Parliament, Ladies and gentlemen, first, let me thank you, Lord Mayor, for your welcoming words.  And a big thank-you to the vibrant city of Dublin for hosting us at this historic venue at Croke Park, long-standing home to Gaelic sports.

It has been three years since we launched the Atlantic Action Plan. In the middle of the economic crisis, we came together: we, the European Commission, and you, the many maritime stakeholders of the Atlantic region.

Together, we focused on using the potential of the sea to offer new economic opportunities. Opportunities not only in emerging sectors, but also by breathing fresh air into traditional ones.  Together, we identified four priority areas where maritime research and investment could make a difference.

The Atlantic Action Plan was an invitation to you – whether as researchers, public bodies, entrepreneurs or innovators, whether from Ireland, Spain, Portugal, France or the UK – to start designing projects under those priorities.

Always with the same ambition: to invigorate and drive the 'blue economy' forward, while keeping our marine environment healthy and intact. But, I don't think we quite expected such a massive response – you really stepped up to the mark.

Today is a celebration of everything you have achieved, of all the projects and actions that have been undertaken these past years.

The 'Atlantic Project Awards' will give credit where credit is due – and highlight some of the most successful projects stimulating the blue economy.

Let me give you a few examples of how far we have come in the last three years. The Action Plan's first priority is promoting entrepreneurship and innovation – the special focus of today's event.

As you know, the European Union has made significant funding available through Horizon 2020, our research and innovation funding programme. Up to 300 million euros a year are invested in marine and maritime projects. In 2014 and 2015, 120 million euros were spent on the Atlantic alone.

Some of those projects are fantastic examples of international cooperation, with partnerships spanning the Atlantic.

Take the marine institute here in Ireland, a leader in the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance.  Or the ATLAS project, which will gather information on deep-sea ecosystems, together with Canada and the United States. The knowledge we gain from such projects is invaluable – but only if it is shared.

And so we have launched an information-sharing platform, bringing together the results of all the marine research under Horizon 2020 as well as nationally funded projects. This will make research data more accessible and, most importantly, - useable.

Our second priority is to protect, secure and develop the potential of the marine environment.  Here, too, we have made exciting progress.

Today, seamless digital maps of the seabed are publicly available. Hundreds of organisations have shared their data to build up the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet).

This is stimulating innovation and reducing uncertainty: the UK Met Office tells us that more accurate sea bottom topography is helping them to predict storm surges – increasing safety for seafarers and coastal regions. And the Atlantic is now the world's innovation centre for clean energy from the seas.

Portugal's Windfloat was the world's first pre-commercial floating wind turbine.  MeyGen Limited intends to deploy up to 398 megawatts of tidal stream turbines off the north coast of Scotland.  And several tidal projects will be deployed in France in the coming years.

But we need to work together to keep this global lead.  That is where projects like FORESEA, announced in July, come in.

Funded by the EU's INTERREG programme, FORESEA brings together Europe’s leading ocean energy test facilities in Ireland, France, the UK, and the Netherlands.

It allows European technology developers to demonstrate tidal, wave and offshore wind technologies in real-sea conditions. And it shows the added value of European cooperation – precisely the spirit of the Atlantic Action Plan.

Our third priority is to improve accessibility and connectivity. For instance right here in Dublin, where, with help from the EU's Connecting Europe Facility fund, work is underway to increase Dublin Port's capacity and accommodate larger ships.

In Spain, EU regional funds are being combined with the new European Fund for Strategic Investment to improve land connectivity in key ports. This continues the extensive support provided by the European Investment Bank over the last years.

Finally, perhaps one of my favourite projects falls under the Atlantic Action Plan's fourth priority, creating a socially inclusive and sustainable model of regional development.

'Bicyclettes bleues', supported by the European Fisheries Fund, is a wonderful example of a project that is preserving and promoting the Atlantic's cultural heritage. Cycling through the beautiful Arcachon area in southwest France, you can stop and visit local fishermen aboard their boats or oyster producers on their farms. You learn about their work – and then of course taste the results. A truly unique tourist experience!

Ladies and gentlemen, there are many more examples I could have chosen, but I think I have made my point. But today is not just a celebration of what we have already achieved. It is also an acknowledgement that the work is not yet over – we need to maintain this momentum, this enthusiasm.

Today is your event, a platform for you to network, share expertise, find partners and funding opportunities. In short, a launch pad for projects that will continue to stimulate the maritime economy in our wonderful, rich and diverse Atlantic regions – to make them stronger still.

I hope to see you during the plenary sessions, workshops and of course in the exhibition area, at the European Commission stand.

I know my colleagues are eager to speak with you. And our Atlantic support team are also here to help – please continue to use this valuable resource.

But above all: have a great and fruitful day!

Thank you.