Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 120/2021 approving the action plan of the National Strategy for the Sea 2021-2030.

This Resolution of the Council of Ministers approves the action plan of the National Strategy for the Sea 2021-2030. The Council of Ministers Resolution No. 68/2021 of 4 June approved the National Strategy for the Sea 2021-2030 (ENM 2021-2030), which is the main guiding legislation for maritime policies in Portugal. The ENM 2021-2030 aligns its guiding principles with the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development of the United Nations, with the European Ecological Pact, with the Integrated Maritime Policy of the European Union (EU), with the Common Fisheries Policy and with subsidiary policies, namely, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters "Estrela-do-Mar" 2030. Additionally, similarly to the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy, ENM 2021-2030 incorporates all areas and sectors related to sustainable management and the economy of the sea. The action plan of ENM 2021-2030 includes 185 measures, 30 of which are considered emblematic due to their scope and high potential for multiplying effects. Some of these cover the following areas: Combat climate change and environmental pollution and protect ecosystems; Convert national fisheries by 2030 into one of the most sustainable low-impact sectors in the world, stimulating the allocation of subsidies to promote sustainable fisheries and the conservation of the marine environment; Investing sustainable food security; Facilitate access to drinking water; Promote health and well-being, etc.
Its structure and content are outlined in a matrix table, which describes the measures that make up each priority intervention area and the subsets of measures that contribute to the fulfillment of each strategic objective. The simplification of the structure in relation to the action plan of the previous national strategy for the sea, aims to allow interested agents to quickly identify the proposed measures for each priority area, or economic sector, and for each of the strategic objectives. The implementation of ENM 2021-2030 should be subject to regular monitoring and evaluation in order to ascertain whether the strategic objectives and proposed targets are being effectively achieved, namely, if there is a growing mobilization to the sea by the entities public and private sectors, of the interested sectorial agents and of society in general. Monitoring also includes the follow-up of the measures foreseen in the action plan during the respective period of validity.