A conceptualised policy process (Figure 1) is proposed to guide policymakers. This process is designed as a circular framework that can be iteratively refined to enhance the effectiveness of EA plans over time. It consists of five main steps, preceded by a preparation phase.
1. Preparation Phase
The preparation phase is critical for structuring the subsequent stages of the policy process. Its purpose is to establish an organisational foundation that includes setting clear targets for EA policy, creating an initial work plan, and forming a stakeholder group to provide support and ensure active participation. This phase is intended to align stakeholders, clarify the scope of the process, and build the necessary basis for collaboration and planning.
Once there is sufficient stakeholder engagement and agreement on the scope, the EA policy process can commence. Importantly, a lack of complete data or information should not prevent or delay the process. In such cases, the precautionary approach, which emphasises taking preventive measures to avoid harm even in the face of scientific uncertainty, can be employed instead.
A. Allocate a Dedicated EA Team
The team should be established through a promoting organisation closely linked to the Blue Bioeconomy sectors; this can be a government agency but also a blue economy cluster, aquaculture network, or regional North Sea/Baltic Sea-focused organisation.
To address the complexity of EA effectively, a combination of expertise, knowledge, and skills is required:
- Expertise in ecology and sustainability, encompassing both environmental and socio-economic dimensions.
- Knowledge of policy and legal frameworks to navigate governance systems and regulatory landscapes.
- Skills in communication and stakeholder management to foster collaboration and resolve potential stakeholder conflicts.
To ensure successful EA implementation and minimise any risks of conflict, the team should prioritise fair representation of all stakeholder groups, maintain a clear two-way communication and establish a transparent and fair decision-making environment.
B. Develop a Start-up Work Plan
The start-up work plan establishes the foundation for the EA policy process and outlines the strategic direction for achieving its goals. Within this plan, the following aspects need to be identified:
- EA policy scope: determine if the focus will be at the regional or national level, which specific sectors are targeted, etc.
- Alignment with national or regional sustainable development plans, providing a baseline for developing and refining a policy framework.
- Potential strategies for rolling out EA, considering how best to integrate the approach within existing governance structures and sectoral priorities.
- Relevant stakeholders to consult in the policy creation process.
- Allocation of responsibilities within the EA team for clarity of roles and accountability for specific tasks.
- Budget required for the policy process, potential support mechanisms for business in EA implementation, and potential funding opportunities to sustain these efforts.
- Timeline for the preparation phase and first iteration of the policy process specifies when the EA policy is expected to be in place.
C. Establish a Stakeholder Group or Community of Practice
Support from stakeholders can be a decisive element for the success or failure of an EA. To ensure robust stakeholder engagement, representatives from Blue Bioeconomy sectors should be included. Additionally, other sectors that interact with or influence the Blue Bioeconomy or stand to benefit from synergies with Blue Bioeconomy activities should be engaged (e.g. agriculture, land management, environmental and water agencies, energy, tourism, transport, etc.). The size of the stakeholder group should be determined by balancing the need for sufficient representation with a manageable number of participants. Priority should be given to representatives of blue bio businesses, government officers at various levels, NGOs, research groups, and inspection agencies.
Among all stakeholders, government agencies play an essential role in ensuring coordination and cooperation. Blue Bioeconomy institutions and government bodies at all levels need to be informed and involved from the outset to harmonise policies and objectives across governance levels. Their involvement provides institutional support, facilitates collaboration among ministries and departments, and ensures synergies are developed. Early and consistent governmental engagement ensures that complementary goals and overlapping issues can be addressed collaboratively, sharing resources where possible. A review of the existing legal basis for EA can also be conducted with government cooperation to identify supportive or conflicting policies. Ideally, the process should operate within a legislative or policy mandate, although the absence of such should not delay the start of EA efforts.
To streamline decision-making and maintain focus, a subgroup consisting of key stakeholders can be established. This group ensures active participation and representation, empowering and handing proportional accountability to community members. Its roles include fostering dialogue, identifying problems and opportunities in stakeholder engagement, assisting in decision-making, and disseminating information.
The process of engaging stakeholders begins with the formal introduction of EA, which can be effectively implemented through Communities of Practice (CoP). Building relationships and raising awareness are essential initial steps. Activities such as courtesy calls, formal meetings, and public awareness campaigns lay the groundwork for collaboration. These efforts should focus on presenting the EA framework, answering questions, fostering rapport, organising training sessions, collecting baseline data, and obtaining necessary approvals from local leaders and government officials. This approach not only familiarises stakeholders with the EA process but also builds a cooperative foundation for its successful implementation.
D. Develop Strategic Policies and Incentives
To advance EA within a region, strategic policies and incentives must be developed to create opportunities, establish frameworks, and encourage participation from businesses and other stakeholders. This begins by identifying opportunities for EA implementation for the region and sectors within the scope identified in step A, emphasising areas or sectors where its application could yield significant benefits.
Guidelines should be developed for government agencies at various levels to ensure cooperation. These guidelines can help achieve efficient coordination between sectors and provide actionable advice for implementing EA in other contexts. Additionally, this guidance can be shared with other regions interested in implementing an EA. Guidelines should also be provided for businesses to clarify how they can align their operations with EA principles.
Establishing an EA framework is essential to formalising engagement with businesses and monitoring the approach’s effectiveness. This framework should outline measurable goals, provide tools for assessing implementation, and encourage businesses to adopt EA principles. A crucial component of the framework is the incorporation of economic incentives for businesses. Coupling financial motivators with the EA framework ensures both accountability and interest in participation.
Finally, a support programme should be developed for EA pilot projects. Pilot projects play an important role in demonstrating EA’s potential benefits. However, early adoption of EA can be risky. A support programme offers financial and technical assistance to reduce these risks. Targeted pilot initiatives should aim to showcase the immediate economic advantages of EA implementation while emphasising long-term sustainability outcomes. Through tangible successes, pilot projects can build trust among stakeholders and inspire market leaders to pioneer EA implementation, leading to a more widespread adoption of EA.
E. Evaluation
The final step of the preparation phase consists of an evaluation step to ensure that the proposed strategy and process align with environmental, societal, and economic goals. This step serves as a checkpoint to confirm that the envisioned policies will yield beneficial effects while minimising potential adverse impacts. Key questions to guide this evaluation include:
- Are adverse environmental impacts mitigated, and does the strategy avoid introducing new negative effects?
- Are beneficial environmental impacts identified, enhanced, and valorised effectively?
- Does the policy provide clear economic incentives for Blue Bioeconomy companies?
- Are economic returns for other sectors safeguarded and not compromised by the proposed strategy?
- Are social aspects, such as employment opportunities, sufficiently considered? If potential threats exist, are they adequately addressed?
If these criteria are not met, the strategy or planning process must be revisited and adjusted to fulfil these requirements. Ensuring this alignment from the outset is crucial for the long-term success of the policy process.
The choice of evaluation methods depends on available budgets, tools, and resources. Various approaches can be employed, including:
- Future Projections: Scenario-building to anticipate potential outcomes of the policy.
- Modelling: Utilising computational tools to simulate the effects of policy on the environment, economy, and society.
- Expert Validation: Consulting with a group of experts to assess the feasibility and alignment of the strategy with overarching goals.
- Policy Process
Building on the preparation phase, the policy process itself comprises five iterative steps. This process focuses on the actual implementation of policies and the continual improvement of plans and strategies.
2.1 Evaluate EA team (optional)
This step should only be undertaken if there is a recognised need to assess and potentially update the composition or capabilities of the EA team. The goal is to ensure that the team possesses the necessary expertise, knowledge, and skills to implement and guide EA policies effectively.
Regularly revisiting the composition and competencies of the EA team ensures that it is well-equipped to address emerging challenges and capitalise on new opportunities within the Blue Bioeconomy.
2.2 Develop or Improve the Implementation Plan
This step involves creating or refining an EA implementation plan to align with evolving conditions, objectives, and available resources. Building on the findings of the previous evaluation step, adjustments may be necessary to various elements of the start-up work plan or the existing implementation plan. This includes redefining the scope, such as refining geographic or sectoral coverage or incorporating newly identified challenges. It also entails ensuring alignment with updated national and regional development plans to reflect any recent changes in these frameworks.
Additional aspects for this step include:
- Identifying and prioritising the threats, issues, and opportunities relevant to the Blue Bioeconomy. Based on these insights, clear and achievable goals for the EA implementation plan are established.
- Identifying and developing robust Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and benchmarks for monitoring and evaluation to track progress and ensure accountability. These metrics provide a mechanism for assessing the effectiveness of EA strategies and ensuring that objectives are met.
- Developing a finance plan. This involves reassessing the budget to ensure it meets the needs of both the policy process and associated EA projects. Identifying additional funding opportunities may also be necessary to secure the resources required for sustainable implementation.
- Reviewing and updating the timeline for the policy process and EA projects, taking into account any adjustments made to the scope, goals, or available resources. This ensures a realistic and actionable roadmap for achieving sustainability objectives.
2.3 Engage Stakeholders
The stakeholder engagement step ensures effective collaboration, alignment, and feedback on the EA implementation plan. This process begins by evaluating whether any key stakeholders are missing from the existing group, particularly focusing on new or underrepresented actors that might play a critical role in the implementation of the policy.
Once the stakeholder group is confirmed, the specific needs of each stakeholder are identified. This involves understanding their priorities, concerns, and perceptions of their roles within the EA framework. This information helps ensure that the implementation plan aligns with the interests and capacities of all stakeholders involved.
Following this evaluation, the implementation plan should be communicated to stakeholders to solicit their feedback. This can be done through workshops, public consultations, or direct meetings, which provide a platform for stakeholders to voice their perspectives and offer suggestions. Feedback from these sessions can lead to further refinements of the implementation plan to enhance its effectiveness and alignment with stakeholder expectations.
Finally, coordination with relevant agencies and government levels is essential. Established cooperation in the preparation phase should be continued and intensified to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of various agencies at different levels are clearly defined and that there is consistent communication and collaboration across all involved parties.
2.4 Apply Strategic Policies and Incentives
In this step, we focus on applying strategic policies and incentives to support the implementation of the EA framework and ensure the successful adoption of EA practices.
The main action here is to activate or update the EA framework, which serves as the foundation for creating awareness about EA principles and practices. This involves disseminating information about EA’s benefits, methodologies, and importance across relevant sectors and stakeholders, raising awareness about how EA can lead to sustainable development in the Blue Bioeconomy.
Two programmes should be activated that can be linked to the EA framework: (1) an incentive program and (2) a support programme developed in the preparation phase.
The incentive programme identifies and allocates financial incentives or regulatory support that encourage businesses and sectors to adopt EA practices. By linking these incentives to the EA framework, businesses are motivated to engage in the process and align with sustainability goals. These incentives might be in the form of credits, grants, tax breaks, or access to resources like funding for research and development.
The support programme provides both financial support and technical assistance to businesses and stakeholders involved in the EA process. The support program should offer guidance on best practices and progressive insights into EA, helping businesses navigate the complexities of its implementation. Offering technical assistance, such as workshops, training, and access to expert advice, will enhance the capacity of stakeholders to adopt EA effectively.
Finally, launching EA pilot projects is essential to demonstrate the real-world benefits and feasibility of EA. These projects showcase how EA can be integrated into Blue Bioeconomy activities, providing insights into its effectiveness. Pilot projects should be designed to tackle real-world challenges, build capacity, and refine the EA framework based on hands-on experience.
2.5 Audit and Evaluate Plans and Strategies
The final step involves auditing and evaluating the implementation of the policies and strategies established during the previous stages of the EA process. The goal is to assess whether the implemented strategies have been effective in achieving the set objectives and whether they are contributing to the desired environmental, societal, and economic outcomes.
The evaluation should address the same critical questions as in the preparation phase:
- Are the adverse environmental impacts mitigated, and are no new negative impacts introduced?
- Are the beneficial impacts of the EA process enhanced and adequately valorised?
- Do economic incentives remain effective for Blue Bioeconomy companies?
- Are the economic returns for other sectors safeguarded?
- Have social aspects like employment and local community well-being been considered, and are potential threats to these aspects sufficiently addressed?
Additionally, an internal audit is carried out, which includes a gap assessment to identify any shortcomings in implementing and monitoring the EA framework. The audit evaluates the effectiveness of the policies, tracks the progress of KPIs, and evaluates the success of the pilot projects. Based on this evaluation, areas where adjustments or improvements are needed for the next cycle of the policy process are identified.
In the later stages, the audit process can evolve into an external audit if a formal auditing process is put in place. This external review could bring in additional perspectives and expertise to assess the policy’s impact more comprehensively and provide an independent evaluation of the process.
The audit results, combined with the evaluation of pilot projects, offer valuable insights for refining the implementation plan and stakeholder engagement strategies for the next iteration of the policy process. This continuous feedback loop ensures that the EA process remains dynamic, adaptable, and responsive to evolving conditions, leading to improved outcomes in future cycles.
