Trade with Greece
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tribute to the ideological and spiritual renaissance
of the European perspective.
Do you hope that a coherent message on
the need for more Europe and less aus-
terity can come out of it?
Today, we have the basis that would allow the
unsuccessful policies of the past to be revisited.
Austerity policies have reached their limits. A
change of the policy mix in the euro zone, and
more broadly in Europe, is urgently needed. It has
been demonstrated, beyond doubt, that cuts in
public sector expenditure have blurred growth
prospects in an unexpected way. In order to
regain confidence in the European perspective,
we should strengthen the stability of the banking
system through a Banking Union, enhance the
European single market and tackle tax evasion
and tax heavens. We should also move decisively
towards building the principles of Fiscal and
Economic Union and enhancing the social dimen-
sion of euro zone policies, by setting the fight
against youth unemployment as a priority. In the
same vein, it would be necessary to utilize the sur-
pluses of some countries as fiscal stimuli for the
euro zone’s economy, through the enhancement of
domestic demand and appropriate solidarity
mechanisms.
Would you say that 2014 marks a turning
point for the EU, especially given the
May Euro-elections? Are you worried
that Eurosceptic forces will prevail?
As European citizens, in the coming months we
will have to choose whether to have more or less
Europe. Today the EU is faced with three options.
The first is to continue business as usual, with no
ambition or clear vision for the future. The second
option is dissolution. It is alarming that several
national politicians are embracing this view. The
third option is to move to the next level of European
integration. This option has political cost. It also
requires sending a clear message to the citizens.
I remain convinced that this is the right option for
our common future. But under the weight of the
current economic crisis and the austerity policies,
this decision is not easy for a number of citizens
to make. It is beclouded by significant losses in
benefits and social gains. Therefore, it is essential
to clarify that we do not have to choose between
the current situation and a lost paradise. The
choice that we Europeans need to make is between
today and the perspective of facing the future in a
competitive way; of adjusting ourselves to the new
conditions that globalisation has created. We have
to acknowledge the end of an era, and open the
door to a new era that we can only face if we
stand together. Without Europe we do not have a
future. This applies not only to the most deprived,
but also to those who feel confident and secure
today. At the elections we will assume the conse-
quences of our choices.
How do you feel for the fact that one of
the main issues on your portfolio, Blue
Growth and Maritime Zones, will be
among the top priorities?
I think that the set of priorities of the Greek presi-
dency is well balanced. Growth and jobs, cohe-
sion, further integration of the EU, migration and
maritime policies are among the burning issues
the EU is facing at present. The Greek presidency
must maintain the momentum on all of them. At the
same time, these are specific areas of concern for
Greece.
As far as I am concerned, both as a Greek nation-
al and as Maritime Affairs Commissioner, I am
doubly satisfied since the priorities correspond to
my personal political beliefs and my on-going
work on my portfolio. Blue Growth and Maritime
Zones are complementary policies, whose aim is
to unleash the growth potential of the seas and
the maritime economy in general. Their syner-
getic value stems from the fact that the seas and
oceans are drivers for the European economy.
The Blue Growth strategy aims at identifying and
removing obstacles and finding smart solutions to
boost new sectors of the economy of the sea.
At the Commission, we have analyzed the job-
creation potential, as well as the potential for
technological innovation, of several maritime
activities. We have come to the conclusion that
five economic sectors have significant potential of
delivering sustainable growth and jobs in the blue
economy: aquaculture, coastal tourism, marine
biotechnology, ocean energy, seabed mining. Our
aim is to enable these sectors benefit from clear-
sighted policy making. We hope that this will allow
the private sector to play a role in helping the blue
economy reach its sustainable growth potential.
The Blue Growth agenda and the overall eco-
nomic interests of the EU would benefit from the
proclamation of maritime zones, such as
Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). Within the
EEZs, coastal states have sovereign rights regard-
ing the natural resources not only of the seabed,
but also of the water column superjacent to the
seabed. For instance, although the extraction of
energy resources takes place on the continental
shelf, the extension of national jurisdiction
through EEZs would allow for enforcement by the
coastal state of its rules with regard to the pre-
vention of pollution from such activities. In the
domain of fisheries, it would enhance the condi-
tions of the sustainable exploitation of marine
