madam president with the accession of bulgaria and romania the black sea region became an eu neighbouring region
it is a strategic bridge connecting europe with the caspian sea and central asia
its geopolitical and economic importance for the eu is constantly increasing in terms of security stability and energy
the union should therefore step up its presence develop active policies and find lasting solutions to the existing problems in the region
it is not only the littoral countries that show a big interest in multilateral regional cooperation which is crucial for solving urgent issues of regional and european importance such as frozen conflicts trafficking and other security-related issues
what is currently needed is a focus on several issues of concern that are of pragmatic interest to all the littoral states
one such issue is maritime security
in recent years there has been an increase in accidents involving loss of human life and environmental damage in the black sea
the eu should reduce the risk of civil accidents by providing assistance to search-and-rescue operations within the framework of the european integrated maritime policy
we expect to vote soon on the report by our colleague iliana malinova iotova which deals for the first time with eu fisheries policy in the black sea
this could also offer a good basis for multilateral cooperation in the region
eu support is also desirable for ongoing projects like the black sea ring highway pan-european transport corridors eight and nine and the transport connections between the black sea ports
i would like to thank the rapporteur for supporting my amendments and for his excellent oral contribution
