Cooperation Across the Atlantic for Marine Governance Integration (CALAMAR)

As the impact of climate change on oceans and coasts and global demand for marine resources increases, the development of an integrated, holistic marine governance framework has become a key goal for the European Union (EU) and the United States (US). In line with the pursuit of this goal, in January 2010, CALAMAR was initiated by experts on both sides of the Atlantic to foster transatlantic stakeholder dialogue, with a twofold objective:

• Strengthen networks by building strong alliances among key stakeholders;
• Contribute policy recommendations that incorporate stakeholder perspectives on the integration of marine policies and more effective transatlantic cooperation.

The CALAMAR project convened a dialogue of more than 40 experts from both sides of the Atlantic, organized in four working groups: (i) Oceans and Climate Change, (ii) High Seas, (iii) Integrated Maritime Policies and Tools; (iv) EU/US Transatlantic Cooperation. The project culminated in a final conference in Lisbon, Portugal in April 2011 where recommendations for strengthening transatlantic cooperation in maritime governance were presented. Each working group prepared a summary paper that highlights the key recommendations.