By Kari Williamson

The governments have given their support to a Member State Position Paper on Ocean Energy, issued jointly by the governments of the UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, France, Denmark, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands, which sets out the potential for ocean energy to satisfy 15% of EU energy demand and create 314,000 new jobs across Europe by 2050.

The Position Paper calls on the European Commission to fully recognise this potential contribution from ocean energy to meeting the EU’s climate change and energy security objectives, and to give its backing to the sector with EU financial support under the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan.

Alain Berger, Acting President of the European Ocean Energy Association, comments: “This position paper underlines the potential benefit a thriving ocean energy sector offers the EU, through creating jobs, many of them in peripheral areas, and through making a significant contribution to Europe’s 2050 renewable energy goals.

“It further strengthens the case for EU-level support, which will bring together the significant industrial interests now involved in the sector and ensure Europe captures the benefits a world-leading ocean energy sector will bring.”