Actualités Archives

Webinaire Webinaire au Maroc « Innovative blue skills et renforcement des capacités de la société civile

23 juin 2025/dans Actualités /par Egbert Hoogstad

Le 20 juin 2025, dans le cadre de la semaine bleue, l’AESVT Maroc (Association des Enseignants des Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre) et l’AMCDD (Alliance Marocaine pour le Climat et le Développement Durable) ont coorganisé un webinaire sur le thème « Innovative blue skills et renforcement des capacités de la société civile » avec l’initiative WestMED.

Plus de 40 personnes issues de différents secteurs apparentés à l’Economie Bleue, de la société civile, du secteur privé et de départements ministériels ont participé à ce webinaire.

Matteo Bocci (Chef adjoint du Mécanisme d’assistance de l’UE pour les stratégies de bassin maritime de l’UE) et Leonardo Manzari (WestMED’s National Hub Italy) ont fourni des informations précieuses sur l’initiative WestMED, les clusters maritimes, les possibilités de financement et les choses à faire et à ne pas faire dans les propositions de financement. Hassan Agouzoul (WestMED’s National Hub Morocco) a fourni des informations sur l’économie bleue marocaine et a modéré le webinaire.

Ce webinaire s’est appuyé sur un webinaire précédent, daté du 10 juin 2025, (« Ports verts, points d’ancrage pour l’économie bleue et clusters maritimes régionaux : Expériences du bassin méditerranéen et défis pour le Maroc« ), en mettant l’accent sur les chaînes de valeur et les écosystèmes d’innovation dans les clusters maritimes. Cet événement s’est concentré sur les compétences bleues clés pour l’innovation : techniques, scientifiques et soft.

Compétences bleues / Blue Skills
Après les remarques d’ouverture de M. Agouzoul, M. Janati (AMCDD) et Mme Sayeh (AESVT) ont abordé le concept de « compétences bleues » et les différents types de compétences : Les compétences techniques « dures » et les compétences « douces », qui se rapportent aux traits de caractère et aux compétences interpersonnelles qui permettent à une personne d’interagir efficacement avec les autres. Ces compétences non techniques sont intersectorielles et cruciales pour garantir l’innovation, définie succinctement comme la réponse aux défis par le développement d’idées et de structures qui permettent en fin de compte d’améliorer les conditions de vie des personnes.

Clusters Maritimes
Cette discussion a été suivie d’un débat sur les clusters maritimes et leurs différentes typologies : clusters localisés pour créer des synergies économiques, clusters stratégiques pour développer des politiques et des stratégies, et clusters hybrides combinant ces deux caractéristiques, qui peuvent être locaux, régionaux ou sectoriels.

M. Agouzoul a aidé à situer ces trois types de clusters au niveau marocain :

la CIDEB – Commission Interministérielle de Développement de l’Economie Bleue sous la présidence du chef du Gouvernement appuyée par un comité technique de spécialistes institutionnels et du secteur privé, agit en tant que Cluster national pour le dialogue, l’orientation stratégique et à la prise de décision dans le développement de la stratégie marocaine d’Economie Bleue ;
des clusters régionaux qui se penchent plus sur le développement de propositions concrètes et la mise en place d’une pipeline de projets bleus au niveau régional ;
des clusters sectoriels comme ceux de l’hydrogène vert ou de l’industrie du transport naval.

Ces différents niveaux de clusters devront interagir et la société civile doit notamment s’assurer à également être représentée au niveau de la CIDEB/ Comité technique et des clusters régionaux.

Développement de projets
La logique de préparation de montage technique et de consortium des projets/partenariat nord-sud a été largement présentée et discutée. Un certain nombre de vérifications par rapport à la pertinence du projet au niveau local et sectoriel, à l’outil de financement visé, à la cohérence interne du projet, aux impacts du projet et aux synergies possibles, à l’évaluation et l’atténuation des risques sont essentielles pour concevoir un projet ayant une bonne chance d’être financé.

Puis a été abordé l’importance de mettre en place un consortium et de construire un partenariat solide avant de passer en revu une partie des nombreux appels à projets existant – 14 possibilités de financement différentes ont été présentées ne serait-ce que pour l’Union européenne. L’initiative WestMED a insisté également sur l’aide qu’elle pouvait apporter à travers ses différents groupes de travail techniques et notamment le groupe « blue skills » actuellement en création, l’alliance des clusters maritimes ou encore le recours au WestMED Hub National Maroc pour appui.

Télécharger l’agenda | Annonce originale de l’événement

Vous trouverez ici l’enregistrement du webinaire (en langue française)

Presentations (pdf)
Opportunités de partenariatet de financement: Partie 0. Do’s and dont’s | Partie 1. Contenu et logique d’intervention | Partie 2. Constitution du consortium

Plus d’informations
Pour plus d’informations, contactez le centre national de WestMED au Maroc (Hassan Agouzoul) : morocco@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu

blue.skills event announcement poster with teenage girl overlooking the sea from a ship

WestMED Workshop at UNOC 3 Spotlights Blue Skills and Ocean Literacy as Pillars for a Sustainable Blue Economy

23 juin 2025/dans Actualités /par Communication team

Nice, France – 11 June 2025

The WestMED Initiative took centre stage at the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) with a dedicated workshop on Blue Skills and Ocean Literacy.

Hosted at the Mediterranean Pavilion in the Green Zone, the event brought together high-level representatives from the European Commission, Mediterranean governments, international organisations, and regional stakeholders to reflect on how education, training, and awareness can drive a more resilient and inclusive blue economy.

The workshop, moderated by Matteo Bocci and Javier Fernández from the EU Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism, featured opening remarks from DG MARE, the WestMED Co-Presidencies (Portugal and Tunisia), and panel contributions from the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), INTERREG NEXT MED, IOC-UNESCO, and the Atlantic Strategy Pillar II Coordinator.

A Political and Cultural Commitment to Blue Skills and Ocean Literacy
Kicking off the session, Ms Delilah Al Khudhairy, Director at DG MARE, framed the conversation around the EU Ocean Pact and the upcoming ‘New Pact for the Mediterranean’, both of which place a strong emphasis on empowering people as key enablers of ocean sustainability.

Speaking on behalf of the Portuguese Co-Presidency, Marisa Lameiras da Silva, Director-General for Maritime Policy, reminded participants of the deeper significance of blue literacy: “Ocean literacy is more than understanding the ways of the sea. It’s about transforming the way we think and act—building a new, inclusive maritime culture in which everyone plays a role.”

She emphasized that blue skills are not only about preparing for future jobs, but also about upskilling today’s workforce in areas such as digitalisation, marine renewable energy, green shipping, and sustainable tourism. “We must innovate technically, scientifically, and socially—ensuring that workers can adapt and lead change.”

Portugal also showcased how the WestMED Initiative is already delivering results, from thematic groups on Aquaculture (AquaWest) and Green Shipping and Ports to the Blue Skills Hackathon session held during last year’s annual WestMED event in Algarve, Portugal. That event led to new project ideas focused on cross-border recognition of qualifications, worker mobility, and the promotion of maritime careers.

Tunisia Calls for Practical Action and Shared Responsibility
From the southern shore, Mr Zied Bouzouita, Director of Cooperation at Tunisia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided concrete policy directions. Tunisia is actively investing in the development of blue skills through curriculum reform, practical training, and the creation of a regional observatory for maritime professions. “We need to align our training with tomorrow’s specializations—digital, ecological, and entrepreneurial. And we need mobility and public-private alliances to close the gap between the north and the south,” he said.

Tunisia’s presentation highlighted national efforts through EU-funded projects like YEP MED, MedSkippers, and CMES WestMED, which are already providing youth, women, and professionals with real-world maritime training, from port logistics to nautical tourism.

UfM: Addressing Youth Unemployment and Brain Drain
With over 60% of the Mediterranean population under 30, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) underscored the urgency of scaling up opportunities. “Closing the skills gap, creating quality jobs, and improving the attractiveness of maritime careers are not just economic needs—they are strategic priorities,” stated Adriana Salazar, UfM’s Blue Economy Expert.

UfM welcomed the WestMED feedback report on Blue Skills and encouraged continued alignment with existing frameworks such as the 2021 UfM Ministerial Declaration on Sustainable Blue Economy, INTERREG, and EMFAF programmes.

On the latter, one of the most relevant INTERREG Programmes, the NEXT MED Programme took the floor. Aldo Puleo emphasized its commitment to equipping young students and entrepreneurs with specialised skills in blue economy sectors and supporting their integration into the labour market.

The programme is also driving action to involve local communities, economic operators, and stakeholders in the protection of coastal environments from climate-related risks and in the preservation of marine biodiversity.

In addition, INTERREG NEXT MED fosters enhanced cooperation among local authorities to develop governance models that support the socio-economic and environmental sustainability of blue economy actions—especially in ports, fisheries, and tourism—ensuring these efforts have lasting territorial impact.

Connecting Sea Basins: A Cross-Regional Priority
A standout contribution came from IOC-UNESCO, a global leader in promoting ocean literacy. “Building a deeper understanding of our ocean is essential for a sustainable and resilient future,” explained Francesca Santoro, Senior Programme Officer at IOC-UNESCO. Within the EU4Ocean coalition, IOC-UNESCO organises summer schools for master’s and PhD students from across Europe and neighbouring sea basins. These immersive programmes combine scientific lectures, fieldwork, and hands-on workshops in areas such as marine conservation, coastal planning, ocean technology, and sustainable fisheries.

Beyond technical skills, the summer schools cultivate leadership, creativity, and international collaboration—empowering youth to become proactive ocean stewards.

“By investing in youth and promoting ocean literacy, we are building a society that values, understands, and protects our ocean for generations to come,” Santoro added.

Representing the Atlantic Strategy, Céline Liret stressed the need to break down silos between sectors and regions. “Whether we’re talking about renewable energy, shipbuilding, or coastal tourism, the future of the blue economy depends on our ability to share skills, knowledge, and solutions,” she said. The Atlantic Action Plan’s Pillar II, focused on Blue Skills and Ocean Literacy, mirrors WestMED priorities and supports cross-border cooperation to strengthen blue talent pipelines.

Key Takeaways and Next Steps
The session concluded with a forward-looking reflection from the WestMED Co-Presidencies and DG MARE, who agreed on the importance of establishing a dedicated WestMED Technical Group on Blue Skills, enhancing cross-basin cooperation, and making blue careers more accessible across the Mediterranean.

Key messages included:

The need for inclusive training that reaches youth, women, and underserved communities;

The importance of practical learning environments, such as ship-based internships, simulators, and blue entrepreneurship programs;

The value of shared governance and mobility schemes, to harmonise training and employment across shores.

Javier Fernández (EU Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism)

Felix Leinemann (DG MARE)

Marisa Lameiras da Silva and Zied Bouzouita (WestMED co-presidencies from Portugal and Tunisia)

Adriana Salazar (UfM) and Aldo Puleo (Interreg NEXT MED)

Francesca Santoro (IOC-Unesco) and Céline Liret (Atlantic Strategy Pillar II)

Matteo Bocci (EU Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism)

Workshop on Aligning Aquaculture and Fisheries for Sustainable Investment in Libya

21 juin 2025/dans Actualités /par Communication team

Tunis, June 18 – 21, 2025

Under the supervision of the Libyan Maritime Cluster and organized by the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), a National Consultative Workshop was held in Tunis from 18 to 21 June 2025. The workshop was titled:

“National Consultative Workshop for Validation of the Consultancy for Alignment of National Fisheries and Aquaculture Strategies and the National Agricultural Investment Plans to the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS) and Climate-Change Adaptation, Including Formulation of Recommendations for Domestication of Relevant Global Instruments for the State of Libya.”

This important event aimed to support Libya’s efforts in developing sustainable policies and strategies for fisheries and aquaculture. The focus was on aligning national frameworks with the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS) to promote the responsible use of marine and aquatic resources, strengthen climate change adaptation, and attract sustainable, long-term investments.

Over four days, participants discussed and validated a comprehensive national report prepared by Dr. Masauda Abuarosha, Libya’s National Hub for WestMED. The report consisted of three key components:

Presentation of the main results of the consultation report on aligning national fisheries and aquaculture policies with the PFRS. (Download the pdf)
Presentation of the consultancy report providing specific recommendations for the domestication of global instruments. (Download the pdf)
Presentation of the consultation report results on aligning national agricultural investment plans with the PFRS and climate change adaptation measures. (Download the pdf)

The workshop was honored by the participation of Eng. Ali Al-Shagruni, President of the Libyan Maritime Cluster and Libya’s National Coordinator for WestMED, alongside Dr. Masauda Abuarosha.

Key Libyan officials, including representatives from the Ministry of Marine Wealth, the National Project of Aquaculture, the Higher Institute of Marine Science, as well as national and international experts, NGO representatives, and regional organizations, contributed to the discussions. They addressed the major challenges facing Libya’s fisheries and aquaculture sector and explored opportunities to enhance governance, policy coherence, and investment readiness.

The workshop provided a strategic platform for sharing expertise, strengthening collaboration, and formulating actionable recommendations to advance Libya’s blue economy in alignment with regional, continental, and global frameworks.

The report will be available on this page once it is fully validated and approved.

For more information
Contact the WestMED National Hub Libya (Masauda Abuarosha): libya@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu

Webinaire Ports verts, lieux d’ancrage de l’économie bleue et des clusters maritimes régionaux

10 juin 2025/dans Actualités /par National Hub Morocco

Le 10 juin 2025, dans le cadre de la semaine bleue organisée annuellement au Maroc par l’AESVT Maroc (Association des Enseignants des Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre) et l’AMCDD (Alliance Marocaine pour le Climat et le Développement Durable), un webinaire sur le thème « Ports verts, lieux d’ancrage de l’économie bleue et des clusters maritimes régionaux : Expériences du bassin méditerranéen et enjeux pour le Maroc » a été coorganisé avec l’initiative WestMED.

Une trentaine de personnes ont assistées dont plus de 25 représentants issus de la société civile, du monde universitaire et des autorités locales.

Les mots d’ouverture du Hub Marocain de l’Initiative WestMED, M. Hassan Agouzoul, et de M. Abdelaziz Janati (Coordinateur national de l’AMCDD) et M. Abderrahim Ksiri (Président de l’AESVT) ont mis l’accent sur l’importance de l’économie bleue pour le développement économique et social équitable des populations au Maroc et dans le monde et ont rappelé notamment qu’actuellement se déroule, à Nice, la troisième conférence mondiale des Nations Unies sur l’Océan – UNOC 3 – ayant pour thème principal «Accélérer l’action et mobiliser tous les acteurs pour conserver et utiliser durablement l’océan». Dans ce cadre, un 1^er sommet « L’Afrique pour l’Océan » a été co-présidée par le Maroc et la France, pendant lequel SM le Roi Mohammed VI a adressé un message clair sur l’urgence d’accélérer la mise en place d’une stratégie nationale de l’économie bleue au Maroc et sur l’importance de la coopération sud-sud et l’intégration régionale autour des espaces océaniques.

Après une présentation introductive portant sur l’état des lieux de l’économie bleue au Maroc faite par M. Hassan Agouzoul (Hub National Maroc de l’initiative WestMed), M. Leonardo Manzari (Hub national Italie de l’Initiative WestMED) et M. Matteo Bocci (Chef adjoint du mécanisme d’assistance de l’UE pour les bassins maritimes) ont déroulé leur présentation, puis une discussion très intéressante s’est engagée autour de la nécessité de mobiliser la société civile marocaine et de lui donner les compétences et les méthodes nécessaires pour contribuer de manière effective et structurée au développement de l’économie bleue au Maroc au niveau national et régional.

Voici quelques recommandations/informations issues du débat :

Importance pour la société civile marocaine, mais aussi l’Association des Régions du Maroc, d’adhérer à l’alliance des clusters maritimes ou encore aux groupes thématiques techniques WestMED les concernant (green shipping ; aquaculture ; tourisme durable ; blue skills ; etc).
Pour rendre ces partenariats effectifs entre l’initiative Westmed et la société civile nationale, il est primordial que l’AESVT Maroc et l’AMCDD désigne officiellement ses représentants au sein des différents Groupes thématiques de l’initiative Westmed (2 ou 3 personnes) et d’envoyer leurs demandes notifiées par mail au Hub National Maroc afin de mettre en place un processus institutionnel de collaboration.
Les groupes thématiques de l’initiative WestMED existent depuis 2020, et leur succès et intérêt particulier pour leurs membres viennent principalement du fait que les membres de ces groupes mettent à la une les thématiques importantes qui les concernent et qui sont en général partagées par les différents pays représentés. Le Maroc est p.ex. très actif dans le groupe transport durable.
La société civile et le monde universitaire devrait activement s’engager dans la préparation des feuilles de route relatives à la mise en place des clusters pilotes des régions de Tanger-Tétouan-El Hoceima et Souss-Massa, mais il est également important de préparer la création de clusters maritimes dans les 7 autres régions côtières du Royaume du Maroc, p.ex. Marrakech-Safi.
Les ports sont actuellement développés surtout en tant que pôles économiques et technologiques ; il est pourtant aussi primordial de développer également leurs dimensions culturelle et sociale. La stratégie économie bleue en développement actuellement au Maroc en tiendra compte et donnera notamment les impulsions nécessaires pour aligner le portefeuille des investissements nécessaires avec celui des programmes éducatifs (ex. création de nouvelles compétences en matière de pêche, aquaculture, biotechnologies, dessalement, éco-tourisme, énergies renouvelables).
Une collaboration entre la société civile et le monde scolaire et universitaire doit être mise en place pour préparer les ressources humaines nécessaires pour développer l’économie bleue. Pour entamer développer cette collaboration, il serait utile de prendre contact avec la cellule économie bleue du ministère délégué au Budget pour participer à la préparation de la stratégie nationale d’économie bleue, qui sera lancée durant les prochains mois.
Des ressources techniques existent au niveau de WestMED : le groupe technique Blue Skills & Ocean Literacy, le programme de développement des compétences bleues, le panorama méditerranéen des blue skills, la formation sur le cluster management. Il faudra aussi tenir compte des recommandations de l’UNOC 3 sur les blue skills.

Télécharger l’agenda | Annonce originale de l’événement

Vous trouverez ici l’enregistrement du webinaire (en langue française) ainsi que les présentations déroulées. A noter que la présentation sur les ports est en langue anglaise.

Presentations (pdf)
Etat des lieux de léconomie bleue au Maroc | Port Districts as Hubs for Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Skills | WestMED overview

Prochain webinaire
Un prochain webinaire prévu le 20 juin à 10h marocaines plongera plus dans le détail des blue skills innovants et déroulera également une formation pour renforcer les capacités de la société civile en montage de projets « Economie bleue » bancables. Plus d’informations/ enregistrement

meeting with people seated at table against a United Nations Ocean Conference backdrop

UNOC3 Summit ‘For a More Connected Mediterranean’

9 juin 2025/dans Actualités /par Communication team

On 9 June 2025, the Heads of State and Government and high representatives of Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia and the EU on the invitation of the President of the French Republic, gathered at the summit “For a More Connected Mediterranean”, on the sidelines of the third United Nations Ocean Conference.

The meeting also brought together representatives of international organisations, development banks and large companies.

In view of common challenges in the Mediterranean, the Heads of State and Government decided to strengthen their cooperation and work towards shared and sustainable prosperity through a greater maritime, land and digital connectivity between Europe, the Mediterranean and the Gulf.

The Mediterranean Sea accounts for 25% of global maritime traffic and is at the heart of commercial, energy and digital exchanges. In this intense traffic area, States have raised the level of protection of the sea through regulation of transport in the Gulf of Lion a well as the creation of a low-sulphur emission zone, known as SECA zone, which encompasses the entire Mediterranean Sea. The latter was established on 1 May 2025 following the approval of the International Maritime Organisation.

The European Commission recalled that, as part of the Global Gateway strategy in the Middle East and North Africa, the European Union’s support reached €5.9 billion, which is expected to mobilise up to €27.2 billion in private and public investments. Commissioner Šuica also presented the objectives of the upcoming New Pact for the Mediterranean, which aims to strengthen partnerships between the European Union and the countries in the Mediterranean region, based on mutual interests.

Extensive bilateral and regional partnerships were announced for the development of new land and sea connections, the decarbonisation of ports and the deployment of new submarine cables. The participants discussed common objectives to ensure:

1) Decarbonisation of the maritime sector and major Mediterranean ports.

As part of a joint statement, the Mediterranean ports of Algesiras, Beirut and Marseille, announced the creation of a working group contributing to the reduction of shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions by providing ships with onshore power connections in ports while developing infrastructure for supply of alternative fuels and fostering rail or river onward transport towards the hinterland, as well as studying opportunities for new green corridors in the Mediterranean. All Mediterranean ports will be welcome to join the coalition before the COP24 of the Barcelona Convention (Cairo, December 2025). Croatia also announced the launch of its new Rijeka Gateway, green and fully automated, within the port of Rijeka, the most important Croatian port situated on three EU corridors.

2) Strengthening of maritime and land routes for transport of goods and green energy.

France and the European Commission, within the framework of the Global Gateway strategy and the New Pact for the Mediterranean, reiterated their support for the implementation of the India Middle East Europe Corridor (IMEC), including the mobilisation of Global Gateway funding to launch feasibilitystudies for this corridor. France reiterated its support for Egypt’s accession to IMEC, which aims to strengthen connectivity between East and West.

On 30 May 2025, France organised the first IMEC Sherpa meeting since the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding in September 2023. During this meeting, the participants reaffirmed their strong support for the project, as well as the need to consolidate IMEC’s governance while mobilising companies in the strategic sectors concerned. This same group has been invited by the European Commission to meet again, on the sidelines of the Global Gateway Forum to be held in Brussels on 9 and 10 October.

On energy connectivity between Europe and the Gulf, ACWA Power reaffirmed its commitment to convene a private-sector working group alongside leading European energy companies (including partners from France, Germany, Italy and Greece) to explore and develop joint projects in green hydrogen, renewable energy exports and related infrastructure, such as electrical interconnections. This collaborative framework will pave the way for clearer energy flows and the necessary investments under the IMEC corridor.

The Commission also stated the importance of advancing clean energy connectivity with North Africa, notably through the emerging T-MED Initiative, which supports renewable energy investment and infrastructure development across the Mediterranean.

In the Eastern Mediterranean, Greece and Cyprus recalled the implementation of large renewable energy interconnection projects, such as the “GREGY” project, a 950-kilometre submarine cable with a capacity of 3 GW which aims to interconnect Egypt and Greece, or the “Great Sea Interconnector” (GSI), bridging Europe and Middle East with clean energy.

3) Increased digital connections between the Mediterranean and the Gulf.

The participants presented EU’s flagship “Medusa/GEANT” Submarine Cable System initiative, which will not only link the two shores of the Mediterranean, but also Southern Mediterranean countries among themselves, by manufacturing and deploying a submarine cable system based on the most recent technological advancements in fibre optics communications, fully based on European leading-edge technology. It will also contribute addressing the digital divide with partner countries. The network is led by the company AFR-IX telecom, with the support of the Orange Group and the European Union, while Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) and Elettra Tlc are responsible for its deployment.

Other major initiatives are already currently contributing to the digital influence of the region, such as the Aqaba Digital Hub, which was inaugurated in 2023 and is one of the largest technological centres in the Near East.

Source: https://www.elysee.fr/en/emmanuel-macron/2025/06/09/joint-press-release-summit-for-a-more-connected-mediterranean

Ocean Pact announcement poster with text and

The European Commission adopts the Ocean Pact to strengthen the sustainable blue economy

6 juin 2025/dans Actualités /par Communication team

The European Ocean Pact was adopted on 5 June 2025, by the European Commission, just ahead of World Oceans Day on June 8.

The European Ocean Pact is a comprehensive strategy adopted by the European Commission to protect marine life, strengthen the blue economy, and support coastal communities. It brings together various EU ocean policies under a single, coordinated framework, focusing on six priority areas:

Restoring Ocean Health: Strengthening efforts to restore marine and coastal ecosystems, expand marine protected areas, and improve ocean resilience.
Boosting the Blue Economy: Supporting sustainable fisheries, promoting innovation in maritime industries, and launching a Blue Generational Renewal Strategy to attract young professionals.
Supporting Coastal and Island Communities: Developing tailored strategies to enhance the resilience and economic sustainability of coastal regions.
Enhancing Maritime Security: Strengthening coast guard cooperation, improving maritime surveillance, and reinforcing border security.
Advancing Ocean Research and Innovation: Establishing an EU Ocean Observation Initiative to improve data collection and knowledge-sharing.
Strengthening Ocean Diplomacy: Expanding EU efforts in international ocean governance and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

Areas of action

To support Member States restore degraded coastal and marine habitats, the European Ocean Pact proposes to:

Evaluate and revise the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive
Encourage Member States to establish and manage marine protected areas
Create European blue carbon reserves

What’s next

This Ocean Pact will be complemented by an Ocean Act to be presented by 2027, ensuring the implementation of its priorities. The Commission will also set up a high-level Ocean Board, bringing together representatives from various ocean-related sectors, and launch an EU Ocean Pact dashboard, providing a public, transparent and centralised platform to track progress towards its objectives.

For more information visit the European Commission website: Full press release | Ocean Pact webpage

EU Sea Basin Strategies at the 2025 European Maritime Day (EMD) in Cork, Ireland

5 juin 2025/dans Actualités /par Communication team

EU Sea Basin Strategies at the 2025 European Maritime Day (EMD) in Cork, Ireland

The 2025 edition of European Maritime Day (EMD) — the flagship annual gathering for blue economy stakeholders across Europe — took place this year in Cork, Ireland.

The event brought together about 1.200 participants, including policymakers, experts, and practitioners from key maritime sectors, to strengthen collaboration and advance the EU’s blue economy agenda.

For the third year in a row, the EU Sea Basin Strategies was featured prominently at EMD and showcased essential frameworks for fostering regional cooperation and supporting the implementation of EU blue economy policy goals. As on previous occasions this was done with a high level panel and a technical workshop.

High level panel on Synergies between Sea Basin Strategies

Workshop Maximising Support to Blue Skills and Ocean Literacy

High level panel on Synergies between Sea Basin Strategies

The 2025 EMD in Cork hosted the second edition of the High-Level Panel on Synergies between Sea Basin Strategies, bringing together representatives from four sea basin strategies:

Philip Nugent, Director-General for Maritime Affairs at Department of the Environment Climate and Communications in Ireland, representing the Atlantic Strategy (and EMD co-host);
Pedro Gonçalves, Director for Strategy at the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs in Portugal, representing the WestMed Initiative;
Hryhorii Mozolevych, Director General at the Science Development Directorate of Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, representing the Black Sea Common Maritime Agenda;
Elsa Tudal, Project Director for European and International affairs at the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forestry and Fisheries in France, representing the Greater North Sea Basin Initiative.

The panel was moderated by Seamus Kearney, director of Seamus Kearny Media

Kestutis Sadauskas, Deputy Director-General at DG MARE, opened the panel by stating that “cooperation and coordination lie at the heart of sea basin strategies” and considered them central in tackling the very diverse maritime challenges Europe faces today, while extending the approach to EU neighbouring countries. He also stressed how EU Sea Basin Strategies can act as essential place-based initiatives to further implement the European Ocean Pact across the EU.

Tackling shared challenges through successful cooperation across sea basins

Building on the discussions from the first edition of the High-Level Panel at EMD 2024 in Svendborg, Denmark, this year’s panel reviewed progress made in implementing the sea basin strategies’ political priorities and showcased success stories of mutual cooperation, both at the political and technical levels.

Phillip Nugent highlighted how Ireland’s involvement in the Atlantic and GNSBI strategies has been “hugely beneficial to give us a sense of how other Member States are tackling challenges that we have faced ourselves”. Successful technical cooperation examples, such as dedicated expert groups across key maritime sectors, and the articulation and cross-fertilisation across sea basins were highlighted both by the Portuguese Co-Presidency of the WestMED Initiative (Pedro Gonçalves) and Hryhorii Mozolevych (Ukraine) representing the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea. In particular, Mozolevych emphasized that cross-sea basin cooperation in the context of sea basin strategies “is not just symbolic, but has real operational value”. As a relatively new established initiative, the French Co-presidency of the GNSBI (represented by Elsa Tudal) described the initiative as a “test lab” for transfer of knowledge and experience from existing initiatives, building a more integrated and holistic approach for the blue economy in the region.

Driving innovation, connectivity and sustainable energy

Panellists also underlined the importance of maritime regional cooperation in driving innovation, connectivity, and sustainable energy across Europe and beyond.

Portugal highlighted how the WestMED initiative is acting as a “platform for innovation” and delivering on the EU Green Deal objectives, particularly on decarbonisation, green ports and blue energy. Hackathons were exemplified as drivers for new blue innovations and competitiveness, bringing together young researchers and entrepreneurs in the region.

Ukraine focused on how the CMA is contributing towards a circular economy, digital transformation and ecosystem restoration in the Black Sea. As an example, the CMA is promoting low impact aquaculture farming techniques. The Ukrainian coordination announced that strategies to tackle war-related environmental damage will constitute a major priority during their term.

Ireland described sea basins as examples of the -currently threatened- multilateralist cooperation approach, and as constituting “sandboxes of implementation (in a shared basis) of EU policy”. In fact, great potential for increased cross-sea basin synergies exists when it comes to the expansion of marine renewable energies, taking into account regional specificities and needs.

France reaffirmed that a viable blue economy today or in the future “cannot exist without regional cooperation”. It is therefore the vision of the GNSBI to ensure coordination across traditional and emerging sectors. The importance of maritime spatial planning was stressed for this purpose.

Moreover, the discussion provided insights on the role of the four Sea Basin Strategies in delivering on the objectives of future EU initiatives, such as the European Ocean Pact. And the common commitment for promoting greater synergies across EU Sea Basins in relevant economic sector and policy activities.

Ireland underlined how SBS can deepen cooperation to achieve greater integrated approaches to maritime governance guided by science. Similarly, Portugal sees the SBS as well positioned to become an “operational arm of the new Ocean Pact”, as natural platforms to translate the Pact’s ambitions into action. France pointed out the need for greater cooperation and integration of maritime policies, and called for greater investment support. Finally, Ukraine stressed the particularly important role of regional cooperation driven by SBS in a politically sensitive region such as the Black sea, contributing to increased maritime safety and security.

Moreover, all panellists agreed on the critical role of sea basin level cooperation in addressing climate change challenges whereby coastal communities are at the forefront.

“The Ocean Pact is a place-based policy making approach that needs to be brought to real life – our sea basin strategies are the perfect vehicle for testing these ideas »

Kestutis Sadauskas

Workshop Maximising Support to Blue Skills and Ocean Literacy

As a follow-up to the High Level Panel, an operational workshop was held to examine how the EU Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism can strengthen blue skills development in pivotal innovation areas while promoting greater ocean literacy across coastal communities engaged in the blue economy across the EU and its neighbouring countries. These are in fact two essential areas where sea basin presidencies and coordinators have expressed growing interest, towards a deeper policy and technical collaboration within and across each sea basin.

The workshop brought together the following speakers:

Matteo Bocci, EU Sea Basins AM, providing some policy feedback as emerging from the experience of EU Sea Basins and acting as moderator;
Alessandro Pititto, COGEA, presenting the recent study by CINEA;
Olga Mashkina, EU4Ocean, illustrating lessons learned from the actions promoted particularly in the area of ocean literacy;
Paul Hegarty, Marine Ireland Industry Network, offering some reflections from the grassroots level in relation to key innovation skill-sets

The session highlighted the current state of initiatives within the sea basin regions and identified further opportunities to leverage existing efforts.

The ‘EU Sea Basin Policy Feedback’ presented some patterns in promotion of projects related to blue skills and ocean literacy, with greater focus on innovative sectors (e.g. biotechnologies and renewable energy) emerging in the Atlantic region, a more transversal approach addressing ecosystem challenges adopted in the Black Sea and an in-between positioning of the western Mediterranean.

COGEA presented the main results of the study on Blue Skills and its proposed Competence Framework to be soon launched as a result of the study commissioned by DG MARE and CINEA.

EU4Ocean’s contributions stressed the relevance of ocean education and literacy, including towards young professionals, as well as private sectors and blue economy businesses, with a dedicated new group to be launched in this area as well as a dedicated campaign and a blue cities network acting in this area.

Finally, an overview of innovation and related skill-sets required by local practices was offered by the Marine Ireland Industry Network, with an interesting balance between transversal technical skills and the need for place and sector-based competences to adapt emerging innovations (digital, greening, etc.).

The workshop marked a step forward in aligning regional strategies with broader EU goals for sustainable ocean use and economic growth in maritime sectors. It also pointed out the relevance of sea basin specific data analysis to be collected and offered across the EU, as to compare trends, challenges and opportunities that characterise each EU region and foster greater cross sea basin cooperation and exchange of lessons learned as well as success stories.

Follow up
The EU Sea Basin Assistance Mechanism will build upon the outcomes of the session, as a way to further follow-up on the outcomes of the AMD High Level Panel and to foster greater cooperation and exchanges amongst the EU sea basins as well as EU macro regions – including as part of the upcoming EU Macro Regions and Sea Basins Days (planned for September 2025).

More information: EMD 2025 news article on the website of CINEA

3 people sitting at elevated desk chairing the conference presenting

Mediterranean MSP project MEDIGREEN, releases its opening conference report

1 juin 2025/dans Actualités /par Communication team

On 28 January 2025, EC funded project MEDIGREEN, in collaboration with the Horizon MPA Europe project, held its opening conference in Madrid with more that 120 participans in attendance (both in person and online).

MEDIGREEN, is a Mediterranean initiative advancing the European Green Deal through Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP).

The objective of this conference was to present the project to the stakeholders from its 4 designated key sectors and taking a first step to engage them in discussions regarding two main project research questions:

How can MSP help integrate the European Green Deal (EGD) objectives in these sectors? and
What are the main challenges and limitations at a Mediterranean regional scale?

MEDIGREEN released its conference report providing an overview of the presentations and outcomes of the day.

Download the report
Download background and agenda

About MEDIGREEN
Medigreen is a MSP project that specifically focuses on 4 key sectors: offshore renewable energy, fisheries, aquaculture, and nature protection, aiming to promote a sustainable blue economy.

Through these four sectors (work packages), MEDIGREEN investigates the impact of MSP on the European Green Deal, develops national actions for sectoral responses, and explores a Mediterranean pathway toward sustainability.

By fostering transnational cooperation, the project helps EU (France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Malta) and non-EU countries (Algeria and Tunisia) align their MSP strategies with environmental goals, ensuring a balanced approach to marine resource management.

Medigreen is an EC funded (EMFAF) project that runs from November 2024 to April 2027.

WestMED connection
The project is a leading contributor to the Mediterranean MSP Community of Practice (MED-MSP-CoP), with a team that coordinates both projects.

MEDIGREEN also plans several thematic workshops aimed at stakeholders in all WestED countries in 2025 and 2026. Because of its relevance for the WestMED Initiative, it receives active support from several WestMED team members who act in dual roles, such as Samir Bachouche (WestMED Algeria/ CNRDPA), Thanos Smanis (WestMED central team/ Climazul) and Marta Pascual (WestMED Spain/ EU MSP Platform), who all three attended this conference as well.

More information
Visit the Medigreen website

Photo copyright: MPA Europe

group of students showing their certificates

Major milestone for youth and the blue economy in Tunisia with a certified training program in naval welding – A Tunisian-Italian partnership

29 mai 2025/dans Actualités /par Egbert Hoogstad

The Tunisian Maritime Cluster is proud to celebrate a major milestone for youth and the blue economy in Tunisia!

On May 19, 2025, an official ceremony was held to award certificates to 20 young « naval welders, » the first beneficiaries of the « Building the Future » project — a pioneering and innovative cooperation initiative between Tunisia and Italy.

For the first time in Tunisia, a certified training program in naval welding has been implemented, paving the way for new employment opportunities in a rapidly growing sector: shipbuilding.

This ambitious project is the result of a strategic partnership between Fincantieri, Elis, Orianta, and several public and private stakeholders from both Tunisia and Italy, such as Team Academy – a vocational training center specializing in maritime and environmental fields – and the Tunisian Confederation of Citizen Enterprises (CONECT).

This is a structuring initiative aimed at strengthening local skills, promoting youth employability, and contributing to the sustainable development of the blue economy in Tunisia.

A big congratulations to the 20 dedicated young welders for their determination and inspiring journey!

Colin Ruel and frederick Herpers moderating the workshop on EU funding in room filled with people

French stakeholder info session on the new Horizon Europe blue funding calls

28 mai 2025/dans Actualités /par National Hub France

On 23 May 2025, WestMED’s National Hub France, together with Pole Mer Mediterranée, organised a national stakeholder event in Mottpellier, to inform and discuss EC funding opportunities. Thirtyfive people joined in-person and online for this event that mirrored a previously organised similar national event for the Atlantic Strategy on May 13 in Brest.

This event in Montpellier was primarily dedicated to the funding call related to Horizon Europe cluster 6 on Fisheries, Aquaculture and Blue Biotechnologies. However, cluster 1: Health, was also briefly discussed.

On behalf of the the French ministry in charge of research with its national Horizon Europe focus (Ministere de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche), Fatiha Fort presented the open, ongoing Horizon Europe calls. She also pointed to the existence of specific hubs, serving as as accelerators, such as the EIC that supports start-ups and SMEs to develop and scale-up innovations. This was followed by a presentation by Salomé La Ragione, from Pôle Mer Méditerranée, who provided an overview of the countries eligible for the Horizon Europe calls.

Frédérick Herpers and Colin Ruel from WestMED’s French National Hub showcased the added value of the WestMED initiative with its Assistance Mechanism, offering different forms of support to national stakeholders; not only through WestMED’s French national hub but also through the Atlantic Strategy’s French National Hub, as France borders both sea basins.

The support offered by these hubs is twofold. On the one hand, it allows helping organisations with projects or project-ideas that strengthen the sustainable blue economy, find relevant project funding and/or suitable project-partners to form (often required) international consortia while also helping in the funding application process. On the other hand, the national hubs support the alignment of sustainable blue economy policy frameworks at local, national and regional (Western Mediterranean) level. This also includes exploring synergies with the other sea basins strategies such as the Atlantic, the Black Sea and the emerging North Sea (the Greater North Sea Basin Initiative) – thus allowing for an extensive network that can be tapped.

Clémence Le Corff, from Pôle Mer Méditerranée highlighted the strong link between the WestMED National Hub France and Pole Mer Mediterranée, showcasing the robustness and wide range of support available for project development, capitalizing on its strong experience in supporting organisations with EU funded projects.

Frédérick Herpers, French National Hub for the WestMED and the Atlantic and Philippe Dubois from Innofluence gave an example of how Expertise France also supports projects with capacity building on the Southern shore of the Western Mediterranean. The (EU supported) Blue Economy Program for Algeria allowed for the specific training of Algerian researchers related to EU project submission (for funding) and using the National Hub’s networks for helping to find project partners. It underscored the point that challenges are common for all countries bordering the Mediterranean sea basin and that cooperation and sharing practices across both shores are pivotal.

In this respect the event was also an opportunity to present the different WestMED National Hubs with networks that directly cover 10 countries in total. Some Tunisian, Morrocan and Algerian stakeholders attended online, underlining the importance and involvement of southern shore countries.

This event’s objectives to inform and discuss funding opportunities under Horizon 2025 were met thanks to the presentations and exchanges with the audience while demonstrating the existence and the readiness of the Assistance Mechanism (National Hub) to support.

Views and experiences were shared related to project submission, and participants were invited to consider project leadership and/ or partnership to apply for the new batch of funding opportunities under Horizon Europe.

The location of the event in Montpellier (Cité des métiers de demain) was strategic in order to engage stakeholder from Occitanie and regional authorities.

Visit the event announcement page (incl. agenda)