At the CoR plenary Session, Mr Knox, addressed Commissioner for Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP), Mrs Damanaki. He said that EU should maximize understanding of the functioning of European seas and then use that knowledge to develop innovative tools and strategies to rebuild, protect and better manage degraded marine ecosystems. He welcomed the fact that Europe 2020 strategy acknowledges the needs and introduces a number of measures aimed at improving the conditions for R&D. It is necessary that sufficient funding be allocated to the further development of the EU's IMP. This is vital in order to achieve the goals that have been set and not to allow all the progress and investments already made to be in vain.