The committee favours the creation of more maritime clusters which take advantage of the positive experience gained and good practices already being carried out in this domain and believes that these examples should be followed and promoted and calls on the Member States to take measures to enhance the economic competitiveness of coastal regions by encouraging research, the creation of centres of maritime excellence and technological development and innovation as well as inter-business cooperation (networks, clusters, public partners) and the provision of improved support services aimed at reducing the dependence of those regions on a very limited number of (traditional) economic activities.
Nikolaos VAKALIS (PPE-DE, EL)