At the 15th Ministerial Session in Elsinore, Denmark on the 4th of June the Ministers welcomed the decision to set up an Expert Group on Maritime Policy intended to contribute to sustainable growth and employment in the maritime sector, to combine and better coordinate all sea-related activities and tasks, as well as to strike an appropriate balance between economic, social and ecological aspects. In 2018, the Expert Group revised its Terms of Reference and changed its name to Expert Group on Sustainable Maritime Economy (EGSME).
As an intergovernmental group of experts, the EGSME will through knowledge sharing seek to provide politically coordinated support to relevant efforts, concrete initiatives, actions and projects aimed at:
- Improvement of the Baltic Sea Region’s international competitiveness with regard to the development of a sustainable maritime economy
- Positioning of the Baltic Sea Region as a model region for maritime best practice and for a balanced co-existence of a successful sustainable maritime economy taking also into account socio-economic aspects and adequate protection of the vulnerable marine ecosystem
- Performing as an information hub for experience and knowledge exchange, providing a cross-sectoral approach and synergies between key actors in the field of maritime economy in the Baltic Sea Region.