What role for the North Sea in EU marine policy? Lords to quiz experts

The Committee will hear evidence from 11am on Wednesday 5 November in Committee Room 2 of the House of Lords. Giving evidence will be:

• Darius Campbell, Executive Secretary, OSPAR
• Kate Clarke, Executive Secretary, North Sea Commission
• Matt Nichols, Project Development and Communication Officer, North Sea Regional Programme, North Sea Commission.

 The session will cover a range of areas including the purpose and effectiveness of co-operation between North Sea States, what examples exist of good practice in co-operation including with non-EU states and the extent to which incoherence in EU policies on the marine environment make inter-state co-operation and work between industries more difficult.

On Thursday 6 November the Committee will take evidence at 11:30am via videolink from Trine Christiansen, Head of Marine Environment Group, European Environment Agency.

This session will focus on the European Environment Agency's role in protecting the European marine environment and how tensions between protecting the marine environment and boosting economic growth from the seas can be overcome.

The sessions will be webcast at www.parliamentlive.tv and are also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.