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Since the addition of tourism to the European Union’s competences in 2009 with the Lisbon Treaty, the European Commission has been working to develop a tourism policy, which enhances Europe’s broad and competitive tourism industry. On 20 February 2014, the European Commission adopted the strategy on coastal and marine tourism, where it also recognised the issues signalled by European Boating Industry.

European Boating Industry has been submitting its policy contributions with regards to nautical tourism, given the importance of boating and water based leisure activities (such as water sports) to the wider tourism economy.

• Nautical tourism in Europe
• Tourism Manifesto for Jobs & Growth
• EU funding guide for the tourism sector
• European strategy on coastal and maritime tourism
• EU approach to nautical tourism

Nautical tourism in Europe

Europe boasts close to 70,000 km coastline and 27,000 km of navigable inland waterways. It is a leading destination for boating and water sports enthusiasts from across the world. There are over 4,500 marinas in Europe, which offer 1.75 million berths for a total boat park of 6.3 million vessels. Today, 70% of boat charter takes place in Europe, with a significant part being held in the Mediterranean Sea. These activities represent an important income for coastal and insular economies with boating, water sports and marinas accounting for 180,000 jobs and generating approximately 17 billion euros in revenue per year across Europe.

In 2017 the European Commission published a study on the nautical tourism, 'Assessment of the impact of business development improvements around nautical tourism'. The study aims to assess the impact of business development actions around nautical tourism. It provides an elaboration of specific problems that have been identified, also with European Boating Industry's input, by the Commission across six thematic areas: skippers’ qualifications; on-board boat safety equipment, including satellite applications; boat recycling; marina and boating development; regional development around marinas; market development for combined nautical and coastal tourism products.

Tourism Manifesto for Jobs & Growth Manifesto

European Boating Industry has joined forces with other private and public tourism stakeholders and signed the Tourism for Growth and Jobs Manifesto. Europe is the world’s number one tourist destination with a market share of 51% in 2014. The tourism industry generates (directly and indirectly) 9.7% of total EU-28 GDP, a figure which is forecasted to rise to 10.4% of GDP by 2025. Today, the Mediterranean Sea alone attracts 70% of the world charter activity (in all length segment) and is the number one destination for nautical tourism. Boating and water sports are practised in all European seas and oceans, as well as on rivers and lakes in the continental countries.

The signatories of the Manifesto, believe our aims can be achieved by establishing an integrated approach to the travel and tourism sector. The Manifesto sets out the European policy priorities that need to be further improved in the area of tourism, such as competitiveness, skills and qualifications, reducing seasonality, digitalisation and sustainability.

Find out more about the Tourism Manifesto.

EU funding guide for the tourism sector

In line with the European Strategy for more Growth and Jobs in Coastal and Maritime Tourism (COM 2014 86), the European Commission published the 'Guide on EU funding for the tourism sector' up to 2020, focusing on coastal and maritime tourism related projects. This initiative aims at providing operators with information on projects which have been awarded EU funding in order to inspire them on possible ways to apply for financial assistance for the development of sustainable and innovative tourism projects in coastal areas.

European Strategy for coastal and maritime tourism

In 2014, the European Commission adopted the European Strategy for more Growth and Jobs in Coastal and Maritime Tourism. It recognises the sector's potential for sustainable growth and job creation and outlined 14 actions to help coastal regions and businesses tackle the challenges they face and strengthen the sector's position as a key driver of Europe's blue economy. Since the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, tourism which was before an exclusive competence of Member States and required unanimity for any decision, bccame a shared EU and national competence, subject to a qualified majority for actions. The European Commission is for the first time competent to propose concrete actions and encourage Member States and regional/local authorities as well as stakeholders like the industry to engage in a number of them.

Of particular interest to the boating industry, the following actions are proposed in the Communication:

• Assess the need for EU action on qualification requirements for professional yacht skippers and recreational boating.
• Assess the need for EU action on provisions for nautical tourism safety equipment
• Promote strategies on waste prevention, management and marine litter to support sustainable coastal and maritime tourism.
• Develop guidelines on minimising impacts on biodiversity and enhancing benefits of recreation and tourism in protected areas.
• Promote the use of shore-side electricity and provision of port facilities.
• For industry and other stakeholders, actively participate in projects that reduce waste, emissions, marine litter, natural resource use and in water and waste recovery / recycling.
• Encourage the diversification and integration of coastal and inland at tractors, including through transnational thematic itineraries like cultural, religious or ancient trade routes.
• Contract a study on how to improve island connectivity and design innovative tourism strategies for (remote) islands.
• Contract a study to identify innovative practices for marina development.
• For Member States and industry, develop innovative practices for regenerating and re-using existing maritime infrastructure.
• For industry, develop a specific network of maritime tourism stakeholders including tour operators
• Develop an online guide with an overview of the main funding opportunities available for the sector (particularly SMEs).
• For Member States and regions, develop and implement national / regional strategies on coastal and maritime tourism and projects to be included in the Operational Programmes.
• For Member States and regions, seek cross-border cooperation on the above strategies and exchange of best practice.

EU approach to Nautical Tourism

Based on the overarching coastal and maritime tourism strategy, the European Commission published its dedicate approach to nautical tourism (see here). It recognises the potential of nautical tourism for jobs and growth. The main actions proposed are:

• Recognition of professional skipper licenses
• Recognition of private skipper licenses
• Safety equipment
• Integration of boating, marinas and hinterland
• Circular boating/end-of-life boats
• Innovation for the boating industry

EBI is closely working with the European Commission and stakeholders in the implementation of the Staff Working Document.

Our main areas of work include:

• Professional skippers' qualifications
• Boater's qualifications
• EU smart borders

Professional skippers' qualifications

Despite a single internal market and greatly simplified administrative procedures for EU citizens to live and study anywhere in Europe, certain professional qualifications are still not accepted by various EU countries. This is the case for skippers of small commercial vessels. For this reason, an EU-funded project called TCC-SCV (TRECVET Core Curriculum for Skippers of Small Commercial Vessels) was initiated.

TCC-SCV kicked-off in Palma de Mallorca in November 2014 and finished in August 2016 with its main outputs presented at the "Skippers Working Without Borders" conference on 16 June 2016 in Brussels.

The project looked at the problem of restricted working mobility for professional skippers on small vessels within the EU (who unlike merchant seafarers don’t enjoy worldwide mobility). The initiative gathered 10 partners from 9 countries, namely Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and UK.

TCC-SCV expanded its comparison software (back then 3 sets of qualifications), developed in 2011 with TRECVET project, to 7 national qualifications now from Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Slovenia, Spain and UK. The comparison software (providing transparency and simplicity when comparing similar qualifications from different countries) will also contain information about the commonalities and differences of all 7 qualifications. This information will be used to inform and assist the maritime administrations in Czech Republic and Romania, where work is in progress to develop the relevant legal framework for the profession. The detailed analysis of both theoretical and practical fundamental elements of each national qualification carried out by the TCC-SCV project will provide the information needed by maritime administrations to understand other national qualifications.

Main project outcomes

Two main outcomes of the TCC-SCV initiative are: the Online Comparison Tool and the Common Core Curriculum. The Online Comparison Tool showed that today 80 to 90% of the 7 analysed qualifications are identical. It means that differences are far less than commonalities and that generally speaking the various qualifications are already very similar. This tool brings the much needed transparency and details about the content of each qualification, making it easy to understand what additional training or competences would be required when working for another Member State’s flag.

The Common Core Curriculum was designed based on the current common base. Based on the identified differences among Member States, the additional knowledge and competences would be proposed as modules. This way, each skipper can personalise his training needs according to the common core and the necessary additional modules requested by individual Member States. Therefore, the additional compensation measures would be limited to the truly different competences required by the destination Member States.

For more about the project, take a look at the TCC-SCV project website.

Even though the project has officially ended now, the research and work are being carried out to extend the project findings to other EU Member States to get an even better picture at the problem in the entire EU and find the right solutions. EBI is advoacting for easier mutual recognition of skipper licenses that would facilitate the mobility of skippers, as well as suppor the nautical tourism sector.

Boater’s qualifications

Boat licensing is regulated at national level with 25 out of 30 European countries requiring some form of boat license to navigate in their waters. However, the requirements for each country vary greatly with regard to the area of navigation, the distance from shore or a shelter, the means of propulsion (sailing or motor boats), the boat’s length and the engine’s power.

Today, 18 European countries (15 of which are EU Member States) apply the UNECE Resolution 40 introducing the International Certificate of Competence (ICC). The ICC applies to operators of recreational craft bound for or on the inland and coastal waters of foreign countries and specifically includes bareboat charter vessels. The certificate acts as a form of documentary assurance from one country to another that the holder meets the level of competence laid down in Resolution 40. It is, however, only valid in those countries where Resolution 40 has been adopted and the ICC is recognised and remains the only international evidence of competence that exists for recreational boaters in Europe. Today, the varied national rules and limited uptake of Resolution 40 and the ICC can be confusing for boaters but also professionals. It can also limit boating tourism in Europe.

EU smart borders

There are several pieces of legislation at EU level that regulate the Schengen border crossings. This is of interest to the boating industry as the measures included have an effect on the leisure navigation and include obligations for boaters. More information can be found here.

A wide body of EU environmental legislation applies to the boating industry and its users. From industrial emissions to the protection of biodiversity, recycling, waste disposal, restrictions on chemicals used in the building process and water quality, all environmental legislation needs to be assessed to determine the appropriate measures to be taken during the manufacturing process, navigation and eventual disposal of boats at their end-of-life.

While recreational boating has a high visibility on lakes and coastal areas, it is not a major source of pollution to the marine environment. Boating accounts for less than 1% of overall pollution affecting the marine environment (compared to almost 80% originating from land-based activities). Boating is dependent on a good marine environmental for users, which is crucual for the boating industry itself. Many national boating industry associations, as well as individual companies, have adopted voluntary programmes with practical measures to prevent pollution and protect the environment.

To find out more about the environmental impact of boating, take a look at the European Confederation of Nautical Industries’ 2009 study, ‘Nautical Activities: What impact on the environment?’.

Our main areas of work include:

• Fresh water & marine environment
• Marine protected areas & the Natura 2000 network
• European Green Deal

Fresh water & marine environment

Adopted in 2000, the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC establishes an integrated, ecosystem-based approach to the protection of water. It applies to all water bodies, including rivers, estuaries, coastal waters, canals and docks. The original target for achieving good status was 2015, but further deadlines are set for 2021 and 2027.

In a similar vein, the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC aims to achieve good environmental status of marine waters in Europe by 2020, whilst also trying to maximise the economic potential of the seas and oceans. The Directive was adopted in 2008 and the areas of interest for the boating industry include marine litter, underwater noise, non-indigenous species introduced by human activities, biodiversity, and human-induced eutrophication.

European Boating Industry is a member of PIANC’s Navigation Task Group on Water Framework Directive & Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The Navigation Task Group is a thematic cluster of 14 organisations representing a wide variety of commercial and recreational, maritime and inland navigation interests.

To find out more, please visit the PIANC website.

Marine protected areas & the Natura 2000 network

Natura 2000 is a network of nature protected areas, which lies at the heart of the Habitats and Birds Directives. Natura 2000 sites are designated to ensure the survival of Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats and currently cover approximately 20% of Europe’s land area and surrounding seas. Whilst human activities are not completely excluded from Natura 2000 sites, activities are limited to ensure the sustainable use of the area and to safeguard biodiversity. Natura 2000 also covers the marine environment. The development of the Natura 2000 network and its marine component is of interest to the boating industry due to the potential impact on water based recreational activities and navigation.

European Green Deal

The European Green Deal is the strategy of the European Commission with the overarching aim of making Europe climate neutral by 2050. It will impact across policy areas, including biodiversity, sustainable industry, sustainable mobility, eliminating pollution and climate action. Given its cross-sectoral approach, the Europea Green Deal will also impact the recreational boating industry. One of the cornerstones of the European Green Deal, will be the development of a "sustainable blue economy". More information can be found here.