"SEA" as one of the pillars of the Greek EU Presidency
Greece has decided to highlight the "SEA" as one of the pillars of its presidency, an incentive arising from the long-standing belief that the maritime and shipping activities constitute an inexhaustible source of growth and prosperity for the whole of Europe. In particular, the "SEA" pillar includes a vast variety of issues such as the maritime transport policy, the Integrated Maritime Policy, Migration by sea, safety at sea and especially insularity.

The High Level Meeting on Insularity
At the meeting, the Minister of Shipping, Maritime Affairs and the Aegean, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, will address the various aspects of the integrated policy pursued by the Ministry in the field of insularity.

The Ministry of Shipping, Maritime Affairs and the Aegean current policy: implementing a comprehensive policy
The Ministry of Shipping, Maritime Affairs and the Aegean, given the eminently insular geography of Greece encompassing hundreds of inhabited islands, have implemented a comprehensive policy. The current policy aims to highlight the multiple dimensions of the issue of insularity and to further integrate it within the related policies, both at a national and a European level.

The conference as a platform to share experiences and enhance comprehensive policy on insularity
Moreover, in order to improve coordination between the different policy areas relating to insularity, both at a national and at a European level, the ministry has invited the Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, representatives of the political leadership of other involved ministries as well as stakeholders of the shipping industry, who will address the multidimensional aspects of the issue of insularity (such as the integrated water management, the ports policy as well as the newly introduced framework for the maritime tourism.