Strategic developments

Joanne Sellick reflects on the strategic issues facing the European Union (EU). The EU was asked by Monaco during 2009 to co-sponsor a proposal to list the bluefin tuna under Appendix I of CITES' at the Convention meeting due to take place in March 2010. The EU launched an Integrated Maritime Policy and associated Blue Paper in 2007. It involved promoting integration of governance-structures by making them more co-operative and building the knowledge-base and cross-cutting tools necessary to enable the implementation of integrated policies. The Commission's first report on the progress of the policy and Action Plan was published in October 2009. The European Commission's first report on the progress of the policy and Action Plan was published. The Commission has sent Spain a final warning for its failure to implement a ruling of the Court of Justice in respect of breach of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.