Cooperation with Northern and Southern Transatlantic Dimension – Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) 

This project was developed from the foundations develop in a Report on the role of the European Union (EU) in promoting a broader Transatlantic Partnership by MEP Francisco José Millán Mon (14 May 2013). The report calls inter alia for a key EU role in a broader transatlantic cooperation including the African and South American rims of the Atlantic basin. The project, “Cooperation with Northern and Southern Transatlantic Dimension – Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)”, aimed to contribute to operationalise this concept. In this respect, it focused on deepening comprehensive cooperation between all the countries of the Atlantic Basin by encouraging think-tanks, researchers and influential decision makers to engage in a broader transatlantic cooperation on cross-regional issues ranging from security to economics, migration to energy and thus fostering the idea of a wider Atlantic community.

The project’s global objective was to promote EU’s role in the international arena by providing elements necessary for the Commission and the European External Action Services (EEAS) for effective policy formulation and programming vis-à-vis the wider Atlantic region. To achieve this objective the project stimulated broader transatlantic cooperation, centered around a new comprehensive concept of Atlanticism underscoring the growing importance of Africa and Latin America as actors in the Atlantic space.

The specific objective of the project was to broaden the discussion on the effective management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on both rims of the Atlantic with a view to protect marine biodiversity.

This project had two main lines of action related to marine protected areas:

1. Improving management modes and structures of MPAs, and
2. Promoting partnerships among comparable MPAs and exchange of best practices.

Francis was a key expert, overseeing the Marine Mammals Twinning.

The project was funded under the Partnership Instrument, administered by the service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI.4). The budget earmarked for this project was €1,000,000.