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1.3 Policy context There is currently no overarching marine biotechnology policy or strategy in Europe. However, a number of strategic documents have been published as an outcome of science policy and research initiatives which have been implemented over the last decade or so. These have laid the foundations for a future vision and strategy for marine biotechnology across Europe. This activity has provided the Europe with a direction for future marine biotechnology which addresses coordination and collaboration within Europe, identified research priorities, defined common interests within Europe, and highlighted the opportunities and potential for marine biotechnology as well as identifying some challenges to the growth of marine biotechnology. The European Commission has acknowledged the potential of marine biotechnology in Europe through its Communication on Blue Growth9 and European Bioeconomy Strategy10, both of which identify marine biotechnology as a sector which has the potential to contribute to the bioeconomy and economic growth in general. Furthermore, EU research policy has been responsive to the growing awareness of the importance of marine biotechnology; the EU has funded, and will continue to fund, key research into marine biotechnology through its Framework Programmes for Research: FP6, FP7 and Horizon 2020. The EU’s new Horizon 2020 strategy and support programme11 specifically mentions Blue Biotechnology and marine biomass as contributors to the economy of the future. There have been major projects under FP6 and FP7 that have been focused on science policy, coordination, infrastructures and support of marine biotechnology, the outcomes of which provide key contributions to developing a European strategy. A list of events and policy documents that are considered to have made notable advances towards a common approach to a marine biotechnology strategy in Europe is presented in Annex 1. 9 European Commission, 2012, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Blue Growth: Opportunities for marine and maritime sustainable growth, COM (2012) 494 final, http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/blue_growth/documents/com_2012_494_en.pdf 10 European Commission, 2012, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Innovating for Sustainable Growth: A Bioeconomy for Europe, COM (2012) 60 final, http://ec.europa.eu/research/bioeconomy/pdf/201202_innovating_sustainable_growth_en.pdf 11 European Commission, Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2014-2015 in the area of Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy, Important notice, http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/h2020-sections Study in support of Impact Assessment work on Blue Biotechnology 3

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