MedCities was responsible for the development of the policy recommendations aiming at facilitating the integration and implementation of Circular Economy principles in Mediterranean fisheries and aquaculture, as well as funds allocation for business investment in R&I in these sectors. The policy recommendations address specific needs linked to 12 key identified issues, namely:

1. Funding
2. Governance
3. Review and harmonisation of legislation
4. Sea waste collection
5. Innovation to turn waste into profit
6. Qualification and quantification of waste
7. Collective organisation and action
8. Eco-labelling and certification schemes
9. Technology transfer
10. Knowledge dissemination
11. Generational turnover
12. Gender equality

Seven public institutions (pan-Mediterranean, regional and local) invited by MedCities have endorsed these policy recommendations and committed to a policy shift to promote sustainability and a circular economy. These institutions are:

• The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe and its Intermediterranean Commission (CPMR)
• Eurorégion Pyrénées Méditerranée (EUROREGIO)
• Adriatic Ionian Euroregion (AIE)
• Direcció General de Política Marítima i Pesca Sostenible (Generalitat de Catalunya)
• Conselleria d’Agricultura, Desenvolupament Rural, Emergència Climàtica i Transició Ecològica de la Generalitat Valenciana.
• Agència de Desenvolupament Econòmic de l’Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (Metròpolis Barcelona)
• Barcelona Activa (Ajuntament de Barcelona)

In addition, two cooperation agreements were signed with Xarxa Marítima de Catalunya (BlueNetCat) and Gremi de Peixaters de Catalunya to carry on collaborating in the Blue Circular Economy community to foster the creation of synergies, the exchange of good practices, and the dissemination of Blue Circular Economy practices.

BLUEfasma’s overall objective was to empower the innovation capacity of SMEs, maritime clusters/networks, Public Authorities to boost Blue Circular Economy growth in insular, island, and coastal areas. The project started in November 2019 and ended in June 2022 gathering actors representing the academia, public authorities, the private sector, and the general public/NGOs/associations from 9 Mediterranean countries: Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro.

For more information about the project results, please consult the BLUEfasma final booklet, summarising the tools developed, the results of BLUEfasma Living Labs in Barcelona, the project’s policy recommendations and white paper, and the final project’s video.