Claudette Abela Baldacchino (S&D), in writing. - This directive will seek to improve management of the European maritime area to ensure sustainable development of the maritime economy and ecosystems in the EU. More than 200 million EU citizens live in coastal regions and 88 million are working there, generating more than 40[nbsp ]% of the EUʼs GDP. In all, 5.4 million of them are employed in marine and maritime sectors whose gross value added amounts to almost EUR[nbsp ]500 billion. Today 90[nbsp ]% of the EUʼs foreign trade is carried by sea. This indicates the importance of the marine and coastal areas and of the maritime economy for the EU. However, there will be a further increase in human and economic activities within these regions and sectors in the future. The EUʼs maritime economy is crucial to achieving the Europe 2020 goals and has huge potential to ensure Europeʼs competitiveness in a globalised world. The EU should play a leading role in strengthening marine and maritime research and innovation and fostering growth of the maritime sectors.