Actualités Archives

Announcement poster EMD in my country 2024

Join the European ‘EMD in my country’ campaign with your blue event!

6 décembre 2024/dans Actualités /par Communication team

You are invited to participate in the European Maritime Day In My Country 2025 campaign by hosting an event that champions our blue planet and promotes ocean literacy, sustainable ocean practices and sustainable blue economy.

Whether you are organizing a dedicated seminar, workshop, beach clean-up, educational tour, exhibition, or seafood fair, every event contributes to the making waves for the ocean, from land to sea.

As a token of appreciation for your dedication, you will receive promotional materials to share with your event participants and you can label your event as part of this EU-wide inititive. Thus giving it more weight and exposure. All events will also be proudly featured on the dedicated website for extra promotion.

Seize this opportunity to bring EMD In My Country 2025 to your country! Complete the application form by 10 March 2025, and join us in this inspiring campaign. Don’t forget to indicate the number of expected participants in your application, you will receive the promotional material according to this information.

Will the new European Commissioner for Fisheries and Ocean visit your event?
Exciting news! This year the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Ocean, Costas Kadis, may attend a number of selected ‘EMD In My Country’ events, as part of his dialogue with stakeholders and coastal communities. Will your event be among the chosen ones?

For more information visit the EMD in my country webpage

Register your event here!

More about the European Maritime Day 2025 in Cork, Ireland

Call for workshops for the European Maritime Days 2025

2 décembre 2024/dans Actualités /par Communication team

The Call for workshops for the EMD 2025 in Cork, Ireland, is now open!

The European Maritime Day (EMD) is the annual two-day event during which Europe’s maritime community meet to network, discuss and outline joint action on maritime affairs and sustainable blue economy.

Stakeholders – businesses, science, government, NGOs – are involved in the EMD in many ways. Thematic workshops organised by maritime stakeholders are at the core of the conference. Workshop organisers design, organise and manage their own sessions. Each workshop lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Workshop organisers design and manage their own workshop.

At the EMD 2025 (21-23 May), up to 20 high-quality workshops will be selected (with several workshops running in parallel) under the following themes:

Coastal communities (challenges and opportunities)
Maritime security and surveillance.
Blue energy (marine renewable energy, alternative fuels, energy transition, decarbonisation, desalination, port adaptation etc.)
Enablers (marine research, innovation, technology, observation, blue skills, MSP, digitalisation, investment etc.)
Maritime cooperation (regional, sea-basins, Civil Society, stakeholder relations etc.)
Food security (blue biotechnology, aquaculture, fisheries, algae, biodiversity etc.)

All that is necessary is to fill in this form and submit your online application before 30 December 2023 at 17:00 CET.

The EMD is the place where ‘Ocean Leaders Meet’. It provides an engaging and completely interactive experience to catch up on the current state of play on a broad range of issues concerning the blue economy and the marine environment and to discuss ways of moving forward. It features a large number of inspirational speakers, thematic sessions, stakeholder workshops and pitch sessions organised by stakeholders and the European Commission. The EMD targets professionals from businesses, governments, public institutions, NGOs and academia as well as EU citizens interested in the sea.

European Maritime Day 2024 will take place in Cork, Ireland on 30 and 31 May 2024.

For more information, visit the EMD event website

Joint WestMED Maltese-Italian event on sustainable maritime development with BlueMissionMed and the Malta Maritime Forum

2 décembre 2024/dans Actualités /par Communication team

On 15 November 2024, WestMED’s National Hubs from Italy and Malta, together with BlueMissionMed-National Hub Malta and the Malta Maritime Forum (MMF) organised a joint Maltese-Italian event titled: ‘Navigating the Future: Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Maritime Development in the Mediterranean.’ The event was hosted by Xjenza Malta and took place in Villa Bighi, Kalkara, Malta. This was the 2nd joint event between Italy and Malta after its first edition in 2023 that took place in Catania, Italy.

Objective
The objective of the event was to foster collaboration among stakeholders in the maritime sector, including policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers, to drive innovation, decarbonisation, and sustainability. It aimed to explore practical solutions, enhance governance, and promote public-private partnerships to address challenges being faced by the Mediterranean maritime industry to ensure resilience and competitiveness. For the second year in a row, Malta and Italy, collaborated forces towards the delivery of a joint event but also ensured that the event applied a more inclusive way towards the countries of the Southern shore through invitation of Southern shore panelists. Next to participants from Italy and Malta, the event also welcomed stakeholders from Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.

Decarbonization
A central theme of the event was the urgent need to decarbonize the maritime industry. This can be achieved through the adoption of alternative fuels, improving vessel efficiency, and leveraging digital technologies. Participants emphasised the importance of aligning efforts across stakeholders, with policy makers focusing on policy required to develop the market and private sector playing a leading role in operational advancements and the adoption of new technologies.

Public-private partnerships
One important outcome was the recognition of public-private partnerships as essential for driving innovation in the maritime sector. Collaborative hubs that bring together governments, private companies, and academia were highlighted as critical tools to address challenges such as decarbonization and digitalization. To sustain private sector engagement, attendees stressed the need for harmonized policies and financial incentives to encourage investment in sustainable technologies and operational improvements.

Authorities and research institutes
The discussions also explored the evolving roles of authorities and research institutes in overcoming knowledge gaps and aligning strategies to address sustainability challenges. Authorities were called upon to create an enabling environment through streamlined policies and targeted support for innovation. Research institutes were urged to focus on real-world challenges, ensuring their findings are actionable and well-integrated into policy-making and industry practices.

Maritime clusters
Maritime clusters were identified as vital enablers of innovation, providing platforms for collaboration among government bodies, private enterprises, academic institutions, and local communities. Clusters were indicated as ideal to address challenges like resource allocation, governance, and the adoption of new technologies. By fostering collaboration, clusters help stakeholders achieve shared goals such as sustainability, digital transformation, and competitiveness.

Regional cooperation
The event also highlighted the importance of regional cooperation among Mediterranean nations to tackle common challenges. Enhanced collaboration between regulatory authorities and research institutes was seen as essential to avoid duplicating efforts, optimize resources, and deliver impactful solutions. Engaging youth and promoting gender equality in maritime research were also highlighted as vital steps to bring fresh ideas and inclusive perspectives to the sector.

Moving forward
The event provided a valuable platform for networking, bringing together stakeholders from diverse sectors to foster collaboration, share innovative ideas, and align efforts toward sustainable maritime development and decarbonisation in the Mediterranean It also served to highlight the synergies across initiatives such as the Westmed and the BlueMissionMed. It also showcased funding opportunities available through Xjenza Malta.

Therefore, moving forward, the next step is to engage interested stakeholders by disseminating relevant information, facilitating access to resources, and supporting collaborative project proposals to drive actionable outcomes.

Group photo during launch of WestMED's Technical Group on Sustainable Touriusm

WestMED makes its mark at the International Sun&Blue Congress 2024 in Almería, Spain

2 décembre 2024/dans Actualités /par Communication team

The Sun&Blue Congress, held on November 20, 21 and 22 in Almería, has established itself as an international benchmark in the field of Sustainable Tourism and the Blue Economy, attracting participants and projects from all over Europe and the Mediterranean. This event brought together high-impact side events ranging from launching working groups, internal meetings, capacity sessions and hackathons.

The WestMED Asistance Mechanism not only empowered quite a few of these sessions, but a promotional stand was also set up right in front of the main auditorium, welcoming a continuous stream of interested visitors.

An international showcase of sustainable initiatives
Within the framework of the congress, several meetings highlighted the European and Mediterranean commitment to sustainable tourism and the ecological and digital transition:

An Internal meeting CPMR-Intermediterranean Commission Task Force on Culture and Sustainable Tourism was organized by CPMR-IMC with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Andalusia Exterior (Junta de Andalucía), through its public enterprise Turismo Andaluz.
The second joint Annual Forum of the Interreg Euro-MED Sustainable Tourism Mission with the title ‘Climate Adaptation in Tourism – Building capacity and policy integration,’ was organized by the Sustainable Tourism Mission of the Interreg Euro-MED Program. Stephanie Vella (WestMED Malta), participated in the expert panel whereby the main conclusion was that the Tourism sector should place more efforts towards its Climate change adaptation as there are many topics that may affect or are already affecting its development.
The Official launch of the Western Mediterranean Sustainable Tourism Technical Group was organized by WestMED Initiative in a full room with more than 50 people. It also included the participation of Vincent Fravel (DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission), Yasmin Schinas-Romeu (Head of Regional Cooperation and Maritime Safety of the European Commission), as well as members of Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), World Ocean Council (WOC), Ascame, CRPM and Interreg Office. ASCAME, CPRM and WOC are actively involved in this new Technical Group as they are part of the Group’s Advisory Committee. The WOC also took the opportunity to present their upcoming ‘Community of Leadership on Sustainable Tourism within the Mediterranean’ and explored potential synergies with the WestMED Technical Group. This event was moderated by the WestMED National Hubs from Spain (Marta Pascual) and Malta (Stephanie Vella).
The first hackathon by WestMED’s newly formed Technical Group on Sustainable Tourism attracted great interest from stakeholders to become involved in project proposal developments and be part of a consortium in order to apply for project funding. Two proposals were further advanced towards the EMFAF 2024 funding call at this WestMED Hackathon Session. Two other NEW proposals were also mentioned. The WestMED Assistance Mechanism offered their assistance to further help develop these proposals.
The Dialogue “Alliance for the Sea” organized by AGAPA (Agency for the management of agriculture and fisheries of Andalusia) was moderated by Marta Pascual (WestMED Spain). It consisted of a dialogue between Gunter Pauli (creator of the ‘blue economy’ concept) and José Manuel Martínez, the DG of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Junta de Andalucía. During this session, ways were explored in which fisheries can benefit from and be part of Blue Economy developments. The main conclusion was that the Fisheries sector has many opportunities to explore under the Blue Economy Paradigm and were encouraged to do so – whereby the WestMED Assistance Mechanism can help.
The final dissemination event of the ECO-CRUISING FU_TOUR project was organized by X23-The Innovation Bakery in collaboration with ASCAME (Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce) Celia Murcia (Coordinator of the westMED Assistance Mechanism) participated as panel member of the roundtable where the discussion focused on engaging younger generations, digital tools and sustainable tourism. ECO-CRUISING FU-TOUR is one of the projects supported at the proposal stage by the WestMED Assistance Mechanism. This session provided a platform to consolidate lessons learned from the project and explore the transformations necessary to meet evolving demands in the sector. Central to this transformation is a strong policy commitment to adopting and financing sustainable alternatives. However, the shift cannot rest on policymakers alone; the industry itself must actively embrace change, alongside enhancing the current offerings within the sector. Equally vital is investment in skills development, particularly for younger generations. Training programs must address the growing need for expertise in sustainability, digitalization, and marine conservation. These competencies are essential to building a cruising industry that harmonizes economic growth with environmental stewardship. The participants to this session had the opportunity to experience virtual reality through the technology developed in the project and explore the future options of sustainable cruising.
An internal event by the NaTour4CChange Project was organized by Interreg Euro MED with the support of IUCN and Junta de Andalucía
An ’employment opportunities’ session was organized by blue-jobs (represented by Celia Murcia) during which job opportunities like Regenerative Tourism Manager, Pesca-tourism Guide, and Marine Environmental Educators were explored, challenges in coastal tourism jobs, including seasonality and sustainability skills gaps were discussed, and strategies were shared for aligning coastal tourism with marine conservation goals.

Financing sustainable blue projects
A final session on the main stage was specifically focused on financing blue projects. This session consisted of three different panel discussions. Marta Pascual (WestMED Spain) kicked off this session by highlighting that there are many financing opportunities to develop sustainable blue project ideas, that project owners could and should benefit from.

The first panel discussion focused on ‘Blue financing opportunities’ and was moderated by Yasmin Schinasi (Policy Officer for Regional Cooperation and Maritime Security at the European Commission and WestMED project manager on behalf of DG MARE), while Thanos Smanis (WestMED’s central team) took part in the expert panel on ‘Examples and Best Practices in Blue-Financed Projects’ where he explained that with the existing funding opportunities some projects presented during this congress have been able to prosper (such as EU WeMED_Natour, Eco-cruising Fu_tour, PESCATOBAL Association projects). He explained that these projects had received direct support, as an example of how the WestMED Assistance Mechanism helps projects find funding and/ or project partners.

In the final session, Marta Pascual moderated the expert panel on ‘Financing the future.’

Awards
As part of this congress, on the 2nd day, the « Red Nacional de Turismo Marinero« , an initiative supported by WestMED’s Spanish National Hub, received the Sun&Blue Award for the « Best Tourism Cooperation’ initiative 2024.

The Living Ports project (also supported by the Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism ), managed by the Port Authority of Vigo, received the Sun&Blue Award in the category ‘Best Port Decarbonization.’

With this extensive involvement throughout the event, the Sun&Blue congress edition proved to be an excellent platform to promote the WestMED Initiative and practical support offered by the WestMED Assistance Mechanism.

(majority of the photos, courtesy of Sun&Blue Congress 2024)

Launch of S3 Thematic partnership “Shipbuilding Propulsion Systems Alliance” with 30 partners from 3 EU sea basins

30 novembre 2024/dans Actualités /par Communication team

Maritime transport and Ports probably represent the core sector, to win the challenge of sustainability of the Blue Economy, considering its impact in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA) and jobs creation across the EU and its neighbouriung regions.

Greening the EU maritime transport is therefore pivotal to ‘green’ the EU blue economy at large (including tourism, aquaculture, biotechs, marine renewable energy).

But a green transition for the EU maritime transport sectors requires a common vision to equip ports and fleets in a coherent way, within a network capable to ensure their operativity.

Therefore, within the work of the WestMED Technical Group on Green Shipping,the strong need emerged to re-configurate the shipbuilding supply chain and create the production capacity to equip the fleets with propulsion systems, using alternative fuels.

Shipbuilding Propulsion Systems Alliance
For this reason the WestMED Technical Group on Green Shipping, the EU Seabasin Assistance Mechanism, promoted by CINEA and DG Mare, have supported a dedicated Smart Specialisation (S3) Thematic Partnership in this area, encountering the interest of the impacted territories where shipbuilding operations are mostly located, and involving different stakeholders – authorities, research and innovation centres, businesses and investors.

The newly launched S3 Thematic partnership “Shipbuilding Propulsion Systems Alliance”, led by Region Liguria, Região capital de Portugal, Region Attica, brings together 30 partners – including Regional Bodies, Businesses, Cluster Organisations, Research & Innovation Centres and Civil Society Organisations – from 5 EU Member states and 4 non EU partner countries spread across 3 EU Sea basins (Mediterranean Atlantic, Black Sea).

The initiative, more specifically, aims at:

Speeding up the modernisation and renewal of the supply chains related to the production/refitting of propulsion systems, as well as to the delivery of the fuel, for each type of alternative fuel.
Accelerating the replacement/refitting of traditionally propelled fleets to diversify, renew, revitalise the sector across Europe and its neighbourhoods;
Fostering the adoption of innovative fiscal and financial schemes, to allow shipowners, shipbuilders and related stakeholders to achieve greater impact and sustainability for their investments.

Contact the secreatiat for more information (contact details to follow shortly). In the meantime, contact Leonardo Manzari (WestMED National Hub Italy/ WestMED Green Shipping Technical Group)

Salem Miladi presenting at WestMED national event in Tunis on November 4, 2024

WestMED, RebootMED et BlueMissionMED se réunissent à Tunis pour stimuler les efforts des parties prenantes en faveur d’une économie bleue durable

9 novembre 2024/dans Actualités /par Communication team

Le 4 novembre 2024, l’événement national WestMED en Tunisie sur l’économie bleue a été organisé en partenariat avec le projet REBOOTMED et le projet BlueMissionMed. L’objectif était de renforcer les synergies entre trois projets européens majeurs qui se concentrent sur le renforcement de l’économie bleue durable dans la région et de discuter des développements majeurs liés à des domaines spécifiques : le transport maritime grec, la pêche et l’aquaculture et le tourisme.

Cet événement a également été organisé en étroite collaboration avec le coordinateur national tunisien de l’initiative WestMED, le secrétariat général des affaires maritimes, le ministère du transport et le ministère de l’agriculture et de la pêche.

L’événement a réuni plus de 130 invités, dont la délégation de l’UE à Tunis, des responsables sectoriels impliqués dans les différents thèmes, des autorités nationales, des chercheurs, des universités et la société civile.

En ce qui concerne le transport maritime vert, la présentation de WestMED s’est concentrée sur les progrès de la Tunisie dans la mise en œuvre de la transition énergétique dans la flotte maritime tunisienne et l’adaptation de l’infrastructure portuaire à cette transition. Les discussions de l’atelier de l’après-midi ont mis en évidence la nécessité d’élaborer une feuille de route pour adapter les navires et les infrastructures portuaires aux nouvelles exigences réglementaires de l’OMI et de l’Union européenne.

Les participants ont insisté sur l’urgence de développer cette feuille de route, si l’on veut respecter les délais imposés par ces réglementations. La multitude de carburants alternatifs disponibles nécessite la collaboration des acteurs du transport et des ports maritimes pour faire de cette transition un succès avec un minimum d’effets négatifs.

Le deuxième thème abordé était le développement d’une aquaculture et d’une pêche durables et la nécessité d’utiliser de nouvelles technologies dans ce domaine, tout en préservant l’environnement et les écosystèmes. L’atelier a travaillé en quatre sous-groupes pour déterminer comment le secteur de la pêche et de l’aquaculture contribue à la réalisation de tous les objectifs de développement durable (ODD), ainsi que les mesures à prendre pour surmonter les difficultés et les défis qui entravent la réalisation des ODD dans ce secteur. (aperçu des résultats)

Le troisième thème était le tourisme durable. Le ministère du tourisme a présenté sa vision du tourisme 2035 (voir l’article de presse), ainsi que de nouvelles initiatives pour développer le tourisme durable, en particulier les itinéraires thématiques et l’organisation de gestion des destinations (DMO). Par ailleurs, le ministère de l’Environnement a présenté sa feuille de route pour l’économie bleue, détaillant les actions prioritaires à mettre en œuvre pour assurer un tourisme bleu durable. L’Observatoire du Sahel et du Sahara a également souligné la contribution de la comptabilité écosystémique du capital naturel. En clôture de la session sur le tourisme, l’Agence du Tourisme de Corse a présenté les bonnes pratiques adoptées par la région pour encourager la transition vers un tourisme durable et responsable.

Voici quelques-unes des principales recommandations issues de la discussion qui a suivi :

UE : Allouer un financement spécifique au tourisme durable et donner la priorité aux pratiques vertes.
Programmes et initiatives, y compris le nouveau groupe technique WestMED sur le tourisme durable : Améliorer la coordination des projets et des programmes, promouvoir le tourisme de nature tout au long de l’année et développer des cadres juridiques pour le pescatourisme.
Implication régionale : Donner aux régions les moyens de définir et de mettre en œuvre des stratégies de tourisme durable.
Partenariats public-privé : Renforcer les partenariats pour favoriser l’innovation, la résilience et l’adaptation au changement climatique.

Les participants représentant les secteurs public et privé, y compris l’Office national du tourisme tunisien, le ministère du tourisme mauritanien, la région sicilienne et la Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de CAP BON (TN), ont partagé leurs idées sur la façon dont ces recommandations s’intègrent dans leurs stratégies, en mettant l’accent sur la diversification des produits, le renforcement des capacités locales et la promotion du tourisme hors saison.

L’événement a souligné la nécessité d’une collaboration continue pour intégrer ces recommandations à travers la Méditerranée et un bon exemple de la façon dont trois initiatives de l’UE bleue peuvent regrouper leurs efforts collectifs pour aider à atteindre cet objectif.

Protocole d’accord entre l’incubateur algérien « Leancubator » et le Cluster Maritime Tunisien

20 octobre 2024/dans Actualités /par Communication team

Dans le cadre de la Conférence sur Economie Bleue tenue le 15 octobre à Alger, un accord a été signé par Mr Harizi Directeur Général de l’Incubateur « Leancubator » Algérien et Mr Ezzedune Kacem président du Cluster Maritime Tunisien. Cette signature a été effectuée en présence du Ministre de l’Economie de la Connaissance, des Start-Up et des Microentreprises, et l’Inspecteur Général du Ministère de la Pêche et des Productions Halieutiques.

Selon Mr Harizi, cet accord prévoit « la création d’opportunités pour les acteurs algériens dans le domaine de l’économie bleue, à travers la coopération internationale, l’échange d’expertises entre les deux pays et le soutien à l’innovation entre eux, avec des projets conjoints à venir dans les prochains mois.

De son côté Mr Kacem a affirmé que ces accords visent à créer des clusters maritimes dans tous les pays d’Afrique du nord, pour ensuite établir une organisation regroupant tous les clusters de la région. Il a insisté sur la nécessité de la collaboration entre le cluster tunisien et son homologue algérien en cours de constitution.

Pour plus d’informations, contactez Salem Miladi (WestMED Hub National Tunisie) : tunisia@westmed-inititiative.ec.europa.eu

people sitting on stage during callmeblue event in Tunisia on 14 October 2024

WestMED Tunisia presents maritime cluster actions during CallmeBlue event

15 octobre 2024/dans Actualités /par Egbert Hoogstad

On 14 October 2024, WestMED’s National Hub Tunisia particpated in a workshop organised by the Cluster Maritime Tunisien, titled ‘Maritime clusters, catalysts for the development of the blue economy’.

This workshop was part of the European CallmeBlue project, which aims to strengthen synergies between maritime clusters in the North and South and to promote regional maritime dynamics.

The event brought together players from the maritime sector to strengthen opportunities for collaboration, identify innovative projects, encourage collaboration between public companies and institutions and private companies, and involve environmental protection institutions and civil society in the debate on the blue economy.

The National Hub presented the objectives and priorities of the Westmed project and outlined the results of the work of the technical and discussion groups, emphasising the cluster’s role in developing relations between the various players in the maritime world in order to create synergies and development opportunities.

The Secretary General for Maritime Affairs presented the objectives and priorities of the national strategy for the blue economy and emphasised the role of the maritime cluster as a catalyst for the development of the blue professions.

Le cluster maritime libyen créé avec le soutien du cluster maritime tunisien

8 octobre 2024/dans Actualités /par National Hub Tunisia

Dans le cadre de la création du Cluster Maritime Maghrébin, Mr Ezzedine Kacem, président du cluster maritime tunisien a participé à l’adoption des statuts définitifs du Cluster Maritime Libyen par son assemblée constituante le 18/09/2024.

La déclaration officielle de cette création a été annoncée le 29 septembre 2024 à l’Université Omar El Mokhtar El Baida (Lybie) réunissant 14 membres fondateurs spécialistes des différents secteurs maritimes en Lybie. Le Président fondateur est Mr Ali Shagrouni et la Présidente du conseil d’administration Dr Masauda Abuarosha, tous deux Coordinateur et Hub National libyens du projet Westmed.

Cette réalisation des parties prenantes Libyennes est de nature à promouvoir l’économie bleue en Lybie et marque une étape significative dans la concrétisation de la stratégie du Cluster Maritime Tunisien (CMT) pour la création du Cluster Maritime Maghrébin et renforce la coopération entre les opérateurs de l’économie bleue dans les deux pays.

Plus d’informations sur l’annonce du Cluster maritime libyen

WestMED Steering Committee members sitting around a larfge conference table in Portugal, October 1, 2024

WestMED Stakeholders gather in Portugal for a 3-day agenda on the Blue Economy

6 octobre 2024/dans Actualités /par Communication team

Three full days have been dedicated to enhancing synergies among key actors in the Mediterranean basin: The WestMED Steering Comittee (SC) on October 1, The UfM Regional Platform on the Blue Economy on October 2, and the WestMED Hackathon on October 3, 2024.

WestMED Steering Committee
The WestMED Steering Committee (SC) was hosted by the Region of Algarve and the Portuguese Co-Presidency.

The meeting gathered representatives from the WestMED countries, as well as the Observers, DG MARE, CINEA, UfM and the team of the Assistance Mechanism.

A key milestone was presented at the SC meeting in terms of cooperation and clustering within the Mediterranean region. On 29 September 2024, the first maritime cluster has been officially established in Libya with the support of the WestMED Initiative. This maritime cluster will be rolled out in the coming months. (see article on this announcement).

Updates on the WestMED Technical Groups (TGs) were presented by the Assistance Mechanism, in particular to the recently approved TG on Sustainable Tourism. There has been a call for Tourism experts to join, and there has already been a stakeholder group meeting on September 6 and an advisory group meeting on September 18 to prepare for the official launch at the Sun&Blue Conference on November 21.

The WestMED countries are fully committed towards a more sustainable and resilience tourism section in the Mediterranean. Some countries are working to promote more environmental-friendly tourism alternatives such as pesca-tourism and sustainable scuba diving at artificial reefs.

In view of the willingness of the WestMED Initiative towards enhancing more synergies and cooperative dialogue with the African countries, DG MARE presented the Strategic Dialogue on the Africa-Europe Ocean Economy. A scoping report has been produced outlining way to strengthen cooperation between Africa and Europe on ocean governance and blue economy, from which to forge a mutually beneficial roadmap for the two continents in line with the 2030 UN Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

UfM Regional Platform on Sustainable Blue Economy

Back-to-back to the WestMED Steering Committee, the UfM Regional Platform took place on 2 October 2024

The UfM Secretariat introduced the most recent advancements on the update of the Roadmap for the implementation of the 2021 UfM Ministerial Declaration on Sustainable Blue Economy. On the monitoring, reporting and evaluation mechanism, an exhaustive exercise is being done based on 657 actions, activities and projects of regional cooperation in the Mediterranean.

The UfM is going to shortly launch the new edition of the UfM Sustainable Blue Economy Publication, which provides an update on the status of the key blue economy sectors in the Mediterranean, including transversal aspects such as blue skills, marine research and funding frameworks. The previous edition of this 2021 publication can be found here.

On this occasion, the UfM Regional Plan for Transport was presented by Francesc Carbonell. Further synergies are being sought between the WestMED Technical Group on Green Shipping and Ports and the UfM Regional Plan for Transport, to address the common challenges of the sector in the Mediterranean.

Further updates were presented in terms of the Community of Practice on MSP (Smart Specialization Strategies – S3, Mission Restore Our Oceans by 2030 and BlueMissionMed, Interreg Euro-Med and strategy dialogue on the Africa-Europe Ocean Economy.

On the funding opportunities, updates were presented in the Blue Mediterranean Partnership, Interreg Next-MED and the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership.

WestMED Hackaton 2024

On 3 October 2024, 85 stakeholders from more than 20 countries met in Vilamoura, Portugal to discuss project ideas and possible funding sources. This was already the 3rd hackathon after previous sessions in Palermo (2019) and Malta (2022).

Read the full article

Download the agenda

Watch all WestMED Hackathon ’24 presentations: dedicated playlist on WestMED’s YouTube channel

Marisa Lameiras da Silva (Portugal) and Demba Diawara (Mauritania) co-chairing the WestMED Steering Committee | Copyright photos: DGPM