(I) No citizen of the European Union lives more than
700 km away from the coast. (II) The seas and oceans
are at the centre of a large number of interactions, and
to optimize political decision-making, we must clearly
understand these interactions. (III) The European Union
is surrounded by four seas and two oceans, and has
89,000 km of coastline. (IV) The maritime areas under
the jurisdiction of the member states of the European
Union are larger than the land masses. (V) The obvious
conclusion is the need for rational management of the
seas and oceans.