The Regional Assistant Secretariat of the Presidency for External Affairs stated in Brussels that the sea is "a strong strategic challenge" for the European Union and the Azores as Outermost Region.
 
"The Azores Sea is a fundamental crossing point for any EU development scenario involving the sea," said Rui Bettencourt. He spoke at the international conference held under the title "Ocean Governance - An agenda for the future of our oceans." Promoted by Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas Intergroup, the event was attended by the Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella.
 
"For us, the governance of the sea cannot fail and, hence, the Azores face the challenge of becoming a key piece in this governance," Rui Bettencourt said, "highlighting the paramount importance of coordinating global and European level of governance with regional level."
 
In his speech, the Regional Secretary stressed the key role of the Conference of European Peripheral Maritime Regions in this joint effort as it represents 150 European regions.
 
According to Rui Bettencourt, "it would be unthinkable not to involve the Azores in the various levels of governance regarding Oceans," not only because the Azores Sea represents 18% of the European sea but also because "the Azores want to be in this historical process of establishing the international governance of the oceans."
 
For the government official, the Azorean contribution is "based on exemplary policies that have been developed in most maritime territory of Europe and most oceanic of the North Atlantic as regards the protection and conservation of the marine environment, the research in the deep ocean and the internationalisation of its strategic vision for the sea."
 
In this context, Rui Bettencourt mentioned the relevance of the active participation of islands, including the Autonomous Region of the Azores, stressing that "the maritime tailoring of the Azores and their location in the crossroads of the oceanic routes of the European, African and American continents are factors of development and differentiation. They provide an opportunity to put this outermost region in a major comparative advantage position as a platform and mobilising centre of value generation in the sea-related activities."
 
"The Azoreans are particularly sensitive to the sea that surrounds them. Due to their way of life, their culture and their economy, the Azorean population is strongly linked to the sea," said Rui Bettencourt.
 
The Regional Assistant Secretary for External Relations also stated that "the assessment of the European Integrated Maritime Policy in its multiple aspects. It is clearly a very positive milestone for the governance of the oceans" According to him, the sustainable growth of the maritime economy - blue growth- is "a key strategy for the progress of maritime communities in Europe, including peripheral and outermost regions such as the Azores."
 
Rui Bettencourt stressed that, "despite the stable situation we now have, the integration process of the European Maritime Policy faces several difficulties arising from the political strategies of Member States." In this regard, the government official noted the difficulties that many States face when implementing international tools dedicated to the sustainable management of oceans "will be a major impediment to a truly global policy in this area."
 
"Hence, the lack of connection and fragmentation of sectoral policies seems to be the main problem that the goal towards the international governance of oceans faces," said the Regional Assistant Secretary. He added that "the greatest challenge that international communities face in this area concerns the coordination of several players" so that the European initiative of international governance of oceans becomes a success.
 
Also in Brussels, the Regional Secretary met today with the Head of Outermost Region Unit of the European Commission's Directorate General for Regional Policy, Sabine Bourdy. The meeting address, among other subjects, the participation of the Azores in the Forum of Outermost Regions, which takes place in the Belgian capital in late March.