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| Plan Bleu | |
|---|---|
| Name | Plan Bleu |
| Established | 1974 |
| Type | Regional assessment programme |
| Headquarters | Athens |
| Leader title | Director |
| Parent organization | United Nations Environment Programme |
| Region served | Mediterranean Sea |
Plan Bleu Plan Bleu is a regional assessment programme focused on the Mediterranean Sea and adjoining territories. It operates within the framework of the Barcelona Convention and the United Nations Environment Programme regional activities, producing scientific analyses and policy guidance for Mediterranean states. Plan Bleu synthesizes data from national institutions such as Institut Méditerranéen de l'Eau, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and regional bodies including the European Environment Agency and the Union for the Mediterranean.
Plan Bleu functions as a specialised centre for environmental and socio-economic assessment in the Mediterranean basin, interacting with entities like the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, the European Commission, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Its outputs inform negotiations under the Barcelona Convention protocols and contribute to reports used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations Development Programme. Plan Bleu collaborates with research networks such as the Mediterranean Science Commission and universities including Aix-Marseille University and Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II.
Plan Bleu was established in the context of Mediterranean environmental diplomacy during the 1970s, alongside instruments like the Barcelona Convention and initiatives such as the Mediterranean Action Plan. Early collaborations involved the United Nations Environment Programme and national agencies from France, Italy, and Spain. Over successive decades Plan Bleu produced landmark assessments that paralleled work by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and regional studies by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank. Institutional development saw partnerships with research centres including the Mediterranean Institute for Biodiversity and Conservation, the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, and the Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development.
Plan Bleu’s objectives encompass assessment, monitoring, and policy support, aligning with instruments such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Activities include compiling indicators for coastal vulnerability, urbanisation trends, and demographic change, drawing on data from the Statistical Office of the European Communities and national statistical institutes like Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques and Istituto Nazionale di Statistica. Plan Bleu undertakes modelling of scenarios informed by studies from the International Panel on Climate Change synthesis, regional climate projections from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and maritime assessments used by the International Maritime Organization. It produces assessments on sectors such as fisheries referencing work by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and agriculture analyses related to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Plan Bleu issues comprehensive reports that synthesise environmental, social, and economic indicators for the Mediterranean region, comparable in scope to reports by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and the European Environment Agency. These assessments address coastal erosion, referencing coastal studies from the Joint Research Centre, marine pollution data aligned with the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, and biodiversity trends connected to the Convention on Migratory Species. Reports integrate demographic forecasts from the United Nations Population Division and tourism impact studies paralleling work by the World Tourism Organization. Plan Bleu’s assessments have been used to inform regional strategies on topics addressed by the Union for the Mediterranean and the World Bank Mediterranean programmes.
Plan Bleu contributes to policy dialogues under the auspices of the Barcelona Convention Contracting Parties and collaborates with institutions such as the European Commission Directorate-General for Environment, the Council of Europe, and the Mediterranean Action Plan. Its analyses support decision-making for ministries of environment and marine affairs in countries including France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Morocco, and Algeria. Plan Bleu fosters cooperation with non-governmental organisations like BirdLife International and Greenpeace as well as intergovernmental research consortia including the European Marine Board and the Mediterranean Biodiversity and Climate Change Institute.
Plan Bleu receives funding and in-kind support from the United Nations Environment Programme and contributions from Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, bilateral donors such as France and multilateral funders including the European Union. Its organisational structure integrates scientific advisory panels composed of experts from institutions like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and universities across the Mediterranean basin. Operational partnerships include collaboration agreements with the Regional Activity Centres network and research laboratories such as the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography.
Critiques of Plan Bleu echo broader debates raised in forums involving the World Bank and the European Investment Bank regarding the translation of assessment outputs into national policy, and concerns voiced by civil society groups like Friends of the Earth about stakeholder inclusion. Challenges include data heterogeneity across national systems exemplified by discrepancies between statistics from Eurostat and national statistical offices, funding variability tied to donor cycles such as those of the European Commission and the United Nations Development Programme, and the need to integrate emerging issues highlighted by bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.