SwitchMed is launching additional activities under the new Blue Economy component. This new component’s actions will extend the principles of circular economy and sustainability to the traditional blue economy sectors to achieve more sustainable use of marine resources.

As highlighted by the EU in its “EU Blue Economy report 2020”, circular economy models are efficient tools to preserve natural resources and boost economic activities that sustainably impact the world’s aquatic and coastal ecosystems.

In this context, the SwitchMed is commissioned to integrate a sustainable Blue Economy component in its programme thanks to an additional financial contribution of € 4,500,000 from the EU (€ 2,500,000), the Italian Government (€ 1,500,000) and the Catalan Waste Agency (€ 500,000).
The objective of the Blue Economy component is to demonstrate and disseminate best practices to reduce the negative environmental impact on the marine ecosystem, as well as increase efficiency and competitiveness of both established and emerging blue economy sectors. To achieve an environmentally friendly Blue Economy in the Mediterranean region, sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and resource efficiency practices will be applied to key socioeconomic activities.

The SwitchMed sustainable consumption and production programme aims to promote a switch by the Mediterranean economies towards sustainable consumption and production patterns and green economy, including low-emission development, through demonstration and dissemination of methods that improve resource and energy efficiency. It also seeks to minimise the environmental impacts associated with the life cycle of products and services and, where possible, to promote renewable energy.

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