Circular economy

The FLAG territory includes 52 coastal villages across five islands in the Western group of the Azores archipelago. The Azores is located on the Atlantic Ridge. Its relief is very rugged. The lines of relief run in an east-west direction, matching the fracture lines to which the islands owe their formation.

Laukiem Jūrai FLAG (Partnership for Rural and the sea) are looking for national/international partners from FLAG villages that are involved in implementing the concept of a ‘Smart Village’. They would like to learn from good practice examples and can offer the possibility to see first-hand the implementation of specific smart solution initiatives in Latvian villages.

The Vidourle Camargue FLAG has collaborated with local stakeholders on a pilot scheme for collecting and recycling marine litter. The mix of plastic waste collected by the local fishermen are recycled all together thanks to an innovative industrial process.

To promote the local shellfish activity and its products, a FLAG redevelops an area overlooking the bay where its cockle pickers work and installs a shallow outdoor pool for kids, heated with excess hot water from the nearby leisure centre.

The FLAG territory includes 45km of the Black Sea coast in Varna Province, equating to approximately 13% of the Bulgarian Black Sea coastline. The leading industries in the area are tourism and agriculture. Fisheries in the region are small-scale and important in the local population – roughly 5% of the economically active population are engaged in fisheries.

The fishing organisation of Bustio has become the first in Spain to become self-sufficient in renewable energy for its on land operations. By making an environmental commitment to reduce carbon emissions, it is saving around €10 000 a year on electricity.

On Lower Saxony’s North Sea coast, small-scale fishermen team up with an environmental NGO to collect marine waste and look at ways of disposing and recycling plastic components.

The sixteenth edition of the FARNET magazine explores sustainability, blue growth and the circular economy from a CLLD perspective. What have we learnt in the ten years since a CLLD approach was first introduced in fisheries areas under the EMFF? How can we position fisheries CLLD for the future? Is the circular economy key? These are just some of the questions addressed in this thought-provoking edition.

The FLAG area is situated in the south of the Istrian peninsula. All local self-government units, apart from the Svetvinčenat municipality, are coastal. The area is very rich in historical and cultural heritage which to a large extent is linked with the sea and fisheries. A significant part of the area is under the protection of Natura 2000.

FARNET's 7th transnational seminar took place on 20-22 November 2018 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France. It offered FLAGs an opportunity to better understand what circular economy is and to exchange on different types of initiatives they might support to encourage more sustainable local production and consumption habits: based on reducing waste, re-using products and recycling materials.