Lisbon, 28 February 2002,

Your Excellency, Minister of Science and Technology,
Monsieur l'Ambassadeur de France,
Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Colleagues,

We are here today to launch the European Information Centre on Marine Science and Technology that we have agreed to designate as EurOcean. As a matter of fact, we are present today to celebrate the European marine sciences. The Ocean European policy does not exist yet, as it exists in other fields.

If we consider the major research driving issues in marine sciences, we find the four main axes which have been identified by the Marine Board of the ESF:
•	the ocean discoveries and the understanding of its dynamic functioning,
•	the exploitation of marine living resources,
•	the environmental issues on a global or national scale,
•	the issues related to the usages of the sea.

Three of these axes are closely linked with major society problems.
Each society needs to acquire new knowledge and tools in the field of marine sciences.
Europe should feel particularly concerned with marine sciences since it possesses an EEZ larger than its continents.
France and Portugal share a special responsibility in this respect due to the large extension of their EEZ.

Because of the complexity of the questions raised, I mean the scientific questions resulting from the society topics above-mentioned, marine science issues cannot be resolved on a small scale. They require tools which are being constantly improved by evolving technologies and heavy infrastructures such as calculation centres, satellites, experimentation basins, monitoring networks, …
It is necessary to implement varied and complementary competencies.

The European area, as part of a worldwide partnership, is the only "structure" capable of carrying out such objectives. The challenge of the European Research Area, which I consider as crucial as the common currency, is a fascinating challenge for all the research sectors and a necessary step for marine sciences.

This objective does not only concern researchers in their laboratories and governments or the European commission. It must also involve research agencies and institutes.
They must establish a better organisation in order to cooperate together, extend their programmes at the scale of this European area, invest in tools and infrastructures and manage them together, encourage their staff's mobility… in the aim of making better and faster achievements.

It is quite difficult to realise this European echelon for all marine sciences since we have inherited of an entirely fragmented system. Each country manages several marine science research bodies. France and Portugal are not an exception to the rule.
Therefore, our involvement in this joint construction process requires a dynamic implementation, especially sharing information in order to enhance such exchanges. This logic underlined the initiative of the Minister Mariano Gago and the recommendations of the working group on this subject, which has been submitted to the Council of European research ministers of 15 June 2000.

In France, Ifremer has agreed, a year ago, with the support of the Ministry of Research and its representative here present, Agnès Jacquesy, and the Minister Gago, to materialize this procedure by the creation of the European Information Centre on Marine Science and Technology, which is the subject of a convention between Ifremer and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.

This structure must enlarge its partnerships, as already being realised with Ireland and the European commission. The international recognition has already started through the agreement which is expected to be signed with the IOC and which will make of EurOcean its European information gateway.

Ifremer, through its technical support, has agreed to contribute to the realisation of the internet site. It will provide information on the oceanographic fleet and on major questions of European importance such as networks of excellence, the GMES in oceanography.

EurOcean is a tool, an evidence of the creation of the marine European area. This tool must be solid so that our joint structure becomes useful.
Ifremer commits itself in this view.