European Policies

The activity of the Aixola Training Centre reinforces 4 of the 11 thematic objectives of the European Union to achieve a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth: (3) improving the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), in the agricultural sector (EAFRD) and in the fishing and aquaculture sector (EMFF); (8) promoting employment and fostering labour mobility; (9) promoting social inclusion and combating poverty; (10) investing in education, skills and steady learning:

It is directly part of three of the Union’s priorities for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (Article 6):

1. Promoting environmentally sustainable, resource–efficient, innovative, competitive and knowledge–based fisheries by pursuing the following specific objectives:

   (f) the development of professional training, new professional skills and lifelong learning

2. Fostering environmentally sustainable, resource-efficient, innovative, competitive and knowledge-based aquaculture by pursuing the following specific objectives:

   (e) the development of professional training, new professional skills and lifelong learning.

3. Increasing employment and territorial cohesion by pursuing the following specific objective: the promotion of economic growth, social inclusion and job creation, and providing support to employability and labour mobility in coastal and inland communities which depend on fishing and aquaculture, including the diversification of activities within fisheries and into other sectors of maritime economy.

The EMFF, Operational Programme for Spain 2014 – 2020, includes the development of vocational training, new skills and steady learning in its strategy to promote environmentally sustainable, resource-efficient, innovative, competitive and knowledge-based fisheries (Priority 1): among other measures to boost the competitiveness of the extractive sector, strengthening the training and upgrade of seafarers’ skills facilitating in this way their integration in activities complementary to extractive fishing (Thematic Objective 8 associated to Article 29).

The Centre’s activity also pursues 2 of the specific objectives of the European Social Fund: to train the citizens and help them to find employment and to promote social inclusion.