The Black Sea is unique and cannot be compared with any other, therefore a specific approach is needed when defining the policies of the European Union. The participants in the meeting with the head of the Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria, Yordanka Chobanova, and the Director General of the General Directorate "Maritime and Fisheries" of the European Commission, Charlina Vicheva, united around this.
Burgas Municipality hosted the extremely important forum where the idea of the new European Pact for the Oceans was presented. It should define the policy of the European Union for the sustainable development of marine resources.
Scientific research is the basis on which European policies should be based, because it is very important to find a balance between the protection of marine resources and their use, commented the participants in the meeting.
Fishermen also asked for more scientific evidence, which should be presented in a way that is understandable to the fishing community. They also insist on simplifying the legislation.
Charlina Vicheva specified that one of the important goals of the Pact is to increase competitiveness, and this is a huge chance for local communities that can develop successfully through the blue economy. "We are talking about billions, hundreds of billions of annual turnover in the blue economy worldwide. The annual added value of the blue economy alone is over 170 billion," Vicheva explained.
The participants in the meeting asked for greater support from the EU for Bulgaria and Romania. The two countries are the only Black Sea member states of the EU, which sometimes puts them at a disadvantage compared to other Black Sea countries that do not comply with European requirements and directives.
"We need more such meetings and conversations with experts. The Black Sea municipalities have great benefits from the European Union. Both our sewage treatment plants and our fishing ports were built with European funds. But it is important for us that when the policies are defined, someone should ask us too, because we are not guests in the European Union, but are part of it," commented Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov.
The meeting with the Director General of the General Directorate "Maritime and Fisheries" of the European Commission Charlina Vicheva was attended by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Stefan Burjev, the Director of IARA Nikolay Georgiev, the Director of IA "Maritime Administration" Capt. Zhivko Petrov, the mayor of Burgas Dimitar Nikolov, the mayor of Pomorie Ivan Alexiev, the mayor of Primorsko Ivan Gaikov, the mayor of Tsarevo Marin Kirov, representatives of the fishing community, the scientific community and the non-governmental sector.
