Dr Irene McMaster, Senior Research Fellow in EPRC, has been appointed as a specialist advisor to the House of Lords EU Environment and Agriculture Sub-Committee's Inquiry into EU Regional Marine Cooperation. The context for the Committee's Inquiry is that 'this is an important juncture in the development of governance structures to support the marine environment'. The "Healthy Oceans - Productive Ecosystems" European conference for the marine environment in March 2014 recognised that Europe's seas and oceans are under significant pressure and must be safeguarded for their intrinsic value and to ensure the health of their ecosystems including for human benefit.
Moving forward, the need to collaborate and to achieve greater coordination within and between marine regions was particularly stressed. The inquiry is seeking to identify the advantages and disadvantages of a regional marine co-operation approach and will consider what inspiration can be drawn from existing mechanisms. Dr McMaster's appointment reflects her extensive experience of research and policy advice on European Territorial Cooperation, especially in north-west Europe, including studies of the EU-funded Northern Periphery Programme and North Sea Programme, research on strategic development of the Arctic, and expert advisory roles for the OECD on their research in the North Atlantic. Chaired by Baroness Ros Scott, the Inquiry will hear evidence between October and December 2014, with a report expected to be published in March 2015.