This study is the result of a long series of studies that have sought to define and measure the blue economy in the EU. These studies provided some qualitative information, but largely reinforced what was already known from the first study in 2009, namely that national statistical organizations are reluctant or unable to provide more detailed information than that already in the Commission's possession. The Commission thus began to make its own calculations based on publicly available data from these reports - primarily Structural Business Statistics (SBS), input-output tables, tourism statistics, the data collection framework for fisheries and the labor force survey. The study cross-checked these numbers and provided additional details from other sources. The method outlined in the study is still used by the Commission for drafting the Blue Economy Report, an annual publication.
The study was conducted by COGEA in partnership with CETMAR and Poseidon.
The final report is available online.