European Commissioner Maria Damanaki visits the USA
The European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki is currently visiting the USA. She will be in Washington DC until 9 September 2011. The aim of her visit is to strengthen co-operation between the USA and the EU on various sectors of maritime and fisheries policy: in particular, a joint statement on the fight against Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing will be signed. Maria Damanaki will also exchange views with US government officials, stakeholders and NGOs on several world maritime and fisheries issues.
On Sept 7 Mrs Damanaki and Mrs Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Director of NOAA (US National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration) will sign a Joint Commission-USA Statement on mutual cooperation in the fight against Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing.
On September 8, Mrs Damanaki will hold a public speech on Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
The EU Commissioner will also meet with Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; Coast Guard Commandment Robert J. Papp; Admiral Thad Allen, former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and National Incident Commander of BP Oil Spill; and Rozen Feinberg from BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Victim Compensation.
The program of her visit also includes roundtables and workshops with environmental NGOs (WWF, Ocean Conservancy, Pew Environment Group, Environmental Defense Fund) and various stakeholders. At the end of the Washington visit, Maria Damanaki will meet Philippe Le Houerou, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia and Larry Band, Director of the California Fisheries Fund.
