News Archives - WestMED

WestMED Steering Committee meeting in Brussels with representatives sitting at a round table on June 26 2024

Members and observers of the WestMED Steering Committee gather in Brussels to discuss latest developments

12 July 2024/in News, Uncategorized /by Communication team

The primary objective of this WestMED Steering Committee meeting that took place on June 26 in Brussels, was to assemble the representatives of the 10 WestMED countries and observers in-person to provide them with an overview of the latest advancements on the implementation of the WestMED Initiative, the latest funding opportunities, and to approve the establishment of the new Technical Group on Sustainable Tourism.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Portuguese and Mauritanian Co-Presidencies, with the support from DG MARE and the UfM (Union for the Mediterranean).

Significant visibility of the Initiative
In recent months, the WestMED Initiative has achieved significant visibility and dissemination, as highlighted by Iglika Yakova (DG MARE). The WestMED Initiative has actively participated in various events, including the UfM Stakeholders Conference (19-20 February), the WestMED side event at the Our Ocean Conference (15-17 April), Deportibus (11 May) the European Maritime Day (30-31 May), Posidonia (7 June), the Macro-Region and Sea Basins Strategies Days (12-13 June).

National events, such as the national Dialogue in Morocco, the involvement of Libyan representatives in various Technical Groups (TGs), and the consolidation of the Mauritanian maritime cluster, further underscore the Initiative’s visiblity and success.

Another significant step to establish synergies was the participation of WestMED as Observers in the MedLab Annual event organized by Interact, held back-to-back with the WestMED Steering Committee meeting. The MedLab Annual event focused on the Post-2027 debate and regional cooperation.

Establishment of a new WestMED Technical Group on Tourism
Tourism in the Mediterranean region is expanding, making the industry a crucial employment sector. The WestMED Initiative aims to enhance the coastal tourism sector’s competitiveness and sustainability while protecting the environment through eco-tourism, digitalization, and cross-border cooperation.

The establishment of a new Technical Group (TG) by the WestMED Assistance Mechanism addresses a priority identified by the WestMED Initiative and will serve as an informal forum for discussing sustainable tourism needs, focusing on green transition, digitalization, governance, and skills. The TG will comprise a core group, an advisory body, and a technical group. The Steering Committee is currently in the process of approving the Terms of Reference for this new Technical Group

Overview of Funding opportunities
Several funding opportunities were highlighted:

EU Mission Ocean, Seas, and Waters: The Work Programme 2024 includes two call topics. Call 1 covers thematic topics aligned with Mission objectives such as restoration and a sustainable blue economy, while Call 2 targets support for actor communities like waterfront cities and islands. The overview also includes several Horizon calls within these Mission calls, focusing on topics like Blue Parks and MPAs, reducing fisheries’ impact in EU sea basins, and community-led ocean and water restoration. Additionally, it highlights opportunities for third parties to join ongoing projects, particularly Calls for Associated Regions, aiming to enhance capacity for implementing innovative solutions in neighboring regions.
Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership: Four priority areas have been identified for the transnational call launched in February 2024: regional sea-use management, multi-use marine infrastructures, blue bioresources, and regional-scale Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTOs). To enhance global visibility and foster new collaborations, the call is co-branded by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, coordinated by UNESCO. All Mediterranean countries are eligible for EU contributions, whether they are EU Member States, Associated countries, or low-to-medium-income countries.
Interreg NEXTMED: The first call for proposals, closed in May 2024, was divided into nine Specific Objectives. Among 631 proposals, most projects targeted “Growth and competitiveness of SMEs,” “Education and training,” and “Climate Change adaptation.” Projects were categorized into three clusters: Thematic, Youth-oriented, and Governance, with 90% falling under the Thematic cluster. Most participating organizations were from Italy, Greece, and Spain within the EU, and from Turkey and Tunisia outside the EU. Participants included public legal bodies (30%), NGOs (27%), private companies (13%), and regional/local public administrations (10%). A second call for proposals, focusing on Green Transition, is set to launch in November 2024.
Interreg EURO-MED: The 1st and 3rd calls focused on Governance projects, selecting 8 projects that began in January 2023. The 2nd call targeted Thematic projects, resulting in 56 projects that started in January 2024. The 4th call, which closed in June 2024, will see 20 Thematic projects begin in spring 2025, addressing the four main thematic areas: sustainable economy, environmental protection, green living, and sustainable tourism. The upcoming 5th call will focus on Thematic Strategic Territorial projects for rural, mountain areas, and islands, emphasizing innovative solutions for waste reduction and water scarcity. The presentation concludes with an overview of the 1st call’s Governance projects in the field of the Sustainable Blue Economy.

Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Regional Platform meeting on Blue Economy
Back-to-back to the WestMED Steering committee this UfM Regional Platform Meeting on Blue Economy took place on June 27, with many of the key players from the day before.

The UfM Secretariat introduced the most recent advancements on the update of the Blue Economy Roadmap and the activation of the SBE (Sustainable Blue Economy) Monitoring, Reporting, and Evaluation Mechanism; highlighted progress on the multi-partner and multi-donor investment fund ‘Blue Mediterranean Partnership’; and recalled the series of two webinars held during the first semester of 2024 on blue food and sustainable tourism, as well as the third webinar (July 1 2024) on MRE (Marine Renewable Energy)/licensing/MSP (Maritime Spatial Planning).

The UfM shared an update on the harmonization exercise of UfM Regional Platforms. The UfM operates under a consolidated action-driven methodology creating links between political mandate, multi-stakeholder dialogue, and tangible projects and initiatives. This methodology comprises three pillars: Policies, Platforms, and Projects – the so-called ‘3 Ps’. As part of the ongoing UfM reform efforts to enhance efficiency and in an effort to harmonize the relevant terminology, the ‘UfM Working Group on Blue Economy’ is henceforth renamed as the ‘UfM Regional Platform on Sustainable Blue Economy’.

Visit the UfM website for more information on the UfM Regional Platform on Blue Economy

Next meeting
The 16th meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Sustainable Blue Economy will take place in Algarve, Portugal, in October 2024, back-to-back with the next WestMED Steering Committee and the 3rd WestMED Hackathon.

e-FishMed engaged in the Blue Economy and the fight against IUU fishing

11 July 2024/in News /by Communication team

The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) supports and implements the project “Mediterranean virtual regional training academy on fisheries control and inspection (e-FishMed)”, initiated by the European Commission and financed by the European Union under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).

This project was launched in 2022 and is a follow-up to the “FIUUFRA” project which was supported by the WestMED Assistance Mechanism

Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia are beneficiary countries of the project, and the initiative is supported by France, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain.

The virtual academy is pivotal to harmonise fisheries control and inspection activities and foster cooperation and exchange of best practices between northern and southern Mediterranean countries.

Since February 2022, EFCA and the participating countries worked hard together to make the project successful.

Common Curriculum
As a first tangible result, a common training curriculum for fisheries inspectors and Fisheries Monitoring Centres (FMCs) operators was defined by EFCA and agreed by participants countries. The goal is to improve monitoring, control, and surveillance activities in the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic through a better common understanding of the rules to be applied to fisheries control and inspection activities.

E-learning platform
In parallel, to achieve the second result, EFCA designed an e-learning platform, targeted to officials involved in fisheries control and inspection from e-FishMed beneficiary countries. The platform hosts e-learning modules and other training materials such as video tutorials, manuals, and international, regional, and national legislation. Through this tool, fisheries inspectors and FMC operators can train themselves anytime from anywhere! Currently, 159 officials from beneficiary countries are already using the platform and the ambition is to continue to grow.

In-person training
Starting from September 2023, the project complemented the online learning experience with presential training sessions. A regional “train-the-trainers” course was organised by EFCA, with the support of Malta and France. The course aimed to reinforce capacities, skills and competences of fishery inspectors involved in training activities for their peers.

Two national training sessions on risk management methodology were also organised: one in Morocco jointly with the Moroccan Maritime Fisheries Department and another one in Tunisia together with the General Directorate of Fishery and Aquaculture. This latter counted with France support.

In July 2024 another regional training for FMC operators took place in EFCA premises in Vigo. During this training, participants had the opportunity to share experiences and best practices and to visit the EFCA Coordination Centre.

Exchange programme for fisheries officials
As a third result, the project achieved to set up an exchange programme for fisheries officials, sharing of expertise, and networking between northern and southern Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic countries. A first edition of the exchange programme, counting with Spain support, took place in Madrid and Malaga in April 2024 and the second edition, supported by France, will take place in Etel and Lorient in September 2024.

Regardless of the outcomes required and achieved by the project, the added value of the e-FishMed project lies in its capacity to further promote stronger cooperation on fisheries control in the Mediterranean Sea basin, creating networks, reinforcing trust, and being a forum for the exchange of experiences and best practices.

The added value of e-FishMed was also recently recognised in the WestMed Ministerial Declaration dated 23 June 2023 that welcomed the share of expertise and best practices within the e-FishMed project.

Furthermore, until its end, foreseen in January 2025, the project will continue to deliver and achieve results contributing to a sustainable blue economy and the fight against IUU fishing.

For more information you can contact efishmed@efca.europa.eu

e-FishMed regional train-the-trainer workshop in Malta | 26-28 September 2023

e-FishMed national training in Morocco | 12-14 December 2023

e-FishMed exchange programme in Spain | 15-19 April 2024

e-FishMed national training in Tunisia | 7-9 May 2024

Matteo Bocci moderating discussion panel on synergies at macro-regional and sea basin strategies days 2024

Synergies between the 7 EU regional cooperation strategies highlighted during joint DG Regio and DG Mare event

2 July 2024/in News /by Communication team

There are four macro-regional strategies in the EU, fostering cooperation in approx 75% of all EU member states. In addition, there are three EU sea basin strategies, which are cooperation structures for protecting the sea basins. These strategies come from different origins but share similar goals and the view that some challenges cannot be solved on the national level alone.

From 12-14 June 2024, all seven EU territorial strategies came together for the first time, to exchange information, thoughts and ideas on regional cooperation in Europe under the slogan ‘Strategies4Cooperation.’

Five parallel interactive workshops were organised to discuss the following themes: Enlargement, Climate Change, Clusters and Innovation, Embedding and Civil Societies engagement.

Amongst the many events, a panel discussion was organised by the EU Sea Basin Assistance Mechanism titled ‘Synergies amongst the strategies; taking stock and looking ahead’ .

This panel was moderated by Matteo Bocci (EU Assistance Mechanism) and consisted of Ms Andra Kuzmina (Latvian Presidency for the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region), Ms Mathilde Konstantopoulou (Greek Presidency for the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region), Mr Markku Markkula (Vice Presidente of the Committee of the Regions) and Ms Isabelle Perret (French Presidency of the EU Sea Basin Strategy for the Atlantic)

Some key conclusions from this sessions:

There are many shared commonalities and specificities amongst the strategies as relevant enablers of cooperation (e.g. same targeted stakeholders, different governance models and levels)
There are clear ways to foster more synergies between the strategies (e.g. observer roles in each other’s governance structures)
Shared actions should be explored across key topics/sectors (e.g. skills, pollution, decarbonisation & Marine Renewable Energies, smaller islands)
Stakeholder cooperation could be promoted more across mutual events
Information could be shared and duplication avoided through a better exchange beween the strategies (e.g. build on best practices and good examples)
Good to maximise use of (limited) financial resources – e.g. by making them more impact-oriented

You can find a complete summary of all 29 conclusions in this pdf

The 5th Macro-Regional and Sea Basin Strategies Days 2024, was co-organised by DG REGIO and DG MARE.

For more information on the Macro-regional & Sea Basin Strategies Days 2024 including speeches and outcomes, visit the the event page.

Photo-exhibition
During this event, a photo-exhibition was organised showcasing the two most relevant projects per strategy.

For the WestMED Initiative, photos were displayed from award winners Starfish 4.0/ NEMO (winner 2021) and ‘We are Blue Schools‘ (winner 2023)

We Are Blue Schools | Ocean literacy | Group of children displaying their ocean related artwork on the Balearic Islands | Photo (c) We are blue schools

StarFish 2.0 | Small Scale Fisheries | The Nemo tracking and monitoring device by CLS being tested by local fishermen | Photo (c) George Galanos

Overview of the photo-exhibition with examples of projects from the seven EU cooperation strategies

screenshot from the explainer video on EU sea basin strategies with a geograhical map showing the logos of all three initiatives

Explainer video Sea Basins Strategies and the Assistance Mechanism

15 June 2024/in News /by Communication team

This video showcases how the European Commission is propelling the blue economy forward through targeted Sea Basin Strategies in the Atlantic, Black Sea, and Western Mediterranean.

Witness how these strategies foster innovation, competitiveness, and inclusivity within the sector, supported by essential enablers like blue skills and sustainable investments.

EMD 2024 workshop maximising synergies with moderator Matteo Bocci and panellists posing

EU Sea Basin Asistance Mechanism explores synergies between cross-cutting EU Blue Initiatives at EMD 2024

13 June 2024/in News /by Communication team

This workshop that took place on May 30, 2024 during the European Maritime Day in Svendborg Denmark, was aimed at exploring how the EU Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism can further enhance effective cooperation with strategic blue economy initiatives promoted by the EU in the ‘cross-cutting’ areas of research and innovation, ocean literacy and green energy transition.

Moderation was done by Matteo Bocci, from the Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism and contributions were made by:

Margherita Zorgno, Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership
Olga Mashkina, EU4Ocean Coalition
Ana Peralta, EU Energy Transition Partnership
Gaetan Coatanroch, Mission Oceans and Waters Implementation Platform

The workshop allowed the different initiatives to share the main activities and results achieved so far in their areas of intervention, and then look ahead to identify concrete actions for further cooperation– also by building upon the results of the High-Level Panel 1 held on the same day.

Key Highlights and Outcomes of the workshop:

As concrete outcomes of this workshop, the different initiatives involved agreed to establish concrete roadmaps for cooperation in the year ahead, particularly in the area of Ocean literacy and blue skills, which emerged as a cross-cutting topic of interest to all the initiatives involved.

The Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism (with a concrete Pillar on the Atlantic sea basin focused on this topic) is exploring the possibility of creating a cross-sea basin working group on blue skills and ocean literacy. In this sense, it is encouraging other “blue” initiatives to feed it with practices and relevant experiences.
From the R&I point of view, SBEP incorporates blue skills as a cross-cutting theme within its scope of work, and has supported projects focused on, e.g., “upskilling” in the tourism sector. Moreover, the foreseen Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) on marine/water is expected to have a focus on education and skills.
From the angle of energy transition and decarbonisation in different maritime sectors, as highlighted by the Energy Transition Partnership, the development of a new set of “blue skills” is crucial. The blue economy is challenged by an ageing workforce (this is particularly true for the fisheries sector), and a lack of workers for many related economic activities, including in more “emerging” sectors (i.e. blue biotechnologies, marine renewable energies, etc.) In this sense, the initiative ‘Fishers of the Future’ was launched as a EU-wide participatory project to examine the future role of fishers in society up to 2050.
The issue of ocean literacy is the main axis of activity for the EU4OCEAN coalition, and particularly when it comes to involving the younger generations and “training the trainers”. As such, this initiative is supporting integrated outreach actions with the aim to attract and engage such groups to the vast opportunities of the Blue Economy job market. In this sense, the project “Blue Generation” has the goal to inspire and engage young people between 15 and 29 years to pursue a sustainable career in a Blue Economy sector.

In conclusion, the workshop highlighted the vital role of collaborative efforts in advancing the EU’s blue economy initiatives, particularly through focused areas such as ocean literacy and blue skills development. As a key result, the different initiatives committed to continue working together to further operationalise future joint actions.

WestMED Malta presents three blue skills project ideas at the scientific SEA-EU conference in Malta

11 June 2024/in News /by National Hub Malta

On 10 June 2024, the multidisciplinary scientific SEA-EU conference was held at the University of Malta in Valletta.

The Observatory for Sustainable Blue Economy (OSBE) within the SEA-EU invited the Maltese National Hub to present an overview of the WestMED initiative as part of their conference

The WestMED National hub Malta, represented by Stephanie Vella, explained the main objectives of the WestMED and highlighted the synergies which exist in terms of the research areas discussed by members of OSBE and the priority areas of the WestMED

The National Hub also presented three specific project ideas related to Blue Skills. These emanated from the WestMED hackathon held in Malta and are relevant for SEA-EU, highlighting the importance of identifying skills shortages, the role of educational institutions, as well as the importance of knowledge transfer across the Mediterranean.

The OSBE seeks to create a framework for longitudinal research projects across partners, countries and industries related to the transition of the blue economy. The platform includes environment and human related data research and technology transfer, education, blue jobs, industry related information and the identification of best practices and case studies which are extremely relevant to Westmed stakeholders.

For more information about this presentation and the project ideas, contact Stephanie Vella from the WestMED national hub Malta: malta@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu

Key outcomes high-level panel discussion on EU Sea Basin Strategies at EMD 2024

11 June 2024/in News /by Communication team

On 30 May 2024, The European Maritime Day in Svendborg Denmark kicked off with a High-Level Panel focused on the EU Sea Basin strategies and its progress made since the adoption of the EU Sustainable Blue Economy (SBE) Communication three years ago.

The panel discussed the role of the Sea Basin Strategies in implementing the SBE policy framework, the challenges faced and areas to be explored for future policy cooperation.

The session was led by Director General Charlina Vitcheva (DG MARE) and contributions were made by representatives from the chairmanships/presidencies of the respective Sea Basins:

Eric Banel, General Director for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries, and Aquaculture (Atlantic and Greater North Sea Initiative, France);
Marisa Lameiras, Director General for Maritime Policy (WestMED, Portugal);
Grigore Stratulat, State Secretary, Ministry for Environment (Black Sea Common Maritime Agenda, Moldova)
Andreas Nordseth, Director General of the Danish Maritime Authority (Greater North Sea initiative).

Key Highlights and Outcomes of the panel:

The panel showcased the significant role that Sea Basin Strategies play as enablers of the Sustainable Blue Economy approach, as outlined in the 2021 EC Communication. Concrete examples of achievements in sectors such as maritime cluster development, aquaculture, green shipping, blue skills, marine spatial planning, and coastal and maritime tourism were presented. For more information on the work done by the Sea Basin Strategies, check out the recently published video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8XTiHx1bl4&t=72s , which was launched during the event
Discussions emphasized the need for greater synergies and coordination among EU sea basins. Future priorities for the next five years were outlined, highlighting the importance of international cooperation and the need to build bridges between different sea basin strategies. The panel also served as an opportunity to reflect on integrating lessons learned from the other strategies’ implementation into the newly created North Sea Basin Strategy.
Establishment of High-Level Group: A high-level group meeting of the chairs of the Sea Basin Strategies was announced to be held at each EMD, led by DG Charlina Vitcheva. This group will serve as an informal reflection group at the highest level to guide the future direction of the Sea Basin Strategies.

Concrete opportunities for future cooperation and synergies:

Cross-sea basin thematic cooperation across key topics, particularly around the area of blue skills and ocean literacy, which is a priority for all the sea basins involved. Cooperation among existing “technical groups” will continue to be strengthened, focusing on Aquaculture in the WestMED & Black Sea; and on Green Ports/Shipping in WestMED and Atlantic.
Strengthening political cooperation among National Coordinators of the initiatives, inter alia by promoting the participation of representatives of sea basin strategies member countries in each other’s Steering Committee/Group meetings.
Promoting stakeholder cooperation across sea basins in upcoming regional conferences and events, such as the “Assises de l’économie de la mer” to be held on 19-20 November 2024 in Bordeaux (France), or the upcoming WestMED “Hackathon” to take place in Algarve in October.

The results of this discussion served as input for the workshop that was organised the same day : ‘Maximising synergies amongst EU “blue” initiatives’

Watch the full recording of this discussion on WestMED’s YouTube channel

Marisa Lameiras da Silva (WestMED’s Portuguese co-presidency 2024): “Coordination, collaboration and cooperation in each sea basin and between the sea basins need to be a mantra – to follow the same goals”

announcement of the brochure with an mock image of the report

WestMED brochure – 6 years on…

10 June 2024/in News /by Communication team

After 6 years, The WestMED initiative has a lot to show for.

115 sustainable blue economy projects were supported by the WestMED Assistance Mechanism, with 45 projects having been awarded funding by different EU and non-EU institutions and programmes.

All these projects combined stand for a substantial 78.1 Million euro being invested in a stronger sustainable blue economy while at the same time fostering cross border relationships

In the meantime, the reach of the Initiative has spread well beyond the WestMED member countries.

Organisations from 31 different countries benefitted from the work done – basically by joining consortia that were quite often the result from the networking activities by the different WestMED National Hubs.

While the focus of the projects is still on Western Mediterranean, its effects therefore extend to the full Mediterranean region – and more.

Also at a governance level, the wheels have been turning with a new Ministerial Declaration in 2023, streamlining the priorities and a recommitment by all 10 member countries to the Initiative.

In 2022 the WestMED Initiative joined forces with two other EU Sea Basin Strategies: the Atlantic Action Plan and the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea. Many of the challenges and opportunities are similar in the different basins. Actively fostering synergies will help all parties involved find quicker and better solutions.

Download the brochure to get a recap of all these major developments, results and key statistics – including an overview of all the WestMED supported projects that have been awarded funding to see the light of day.

Download the WestMED Brochure - 6 years on...

people sitting at tables listeing to a speaker during the WestMED national blue economy dialogue event on june 5 2024 in Morocco

National stakeholder dialogue in Morocco paves the way towards a national sustainable blue economy strategy

7 June 2024/in News /by National Hub Morocco

In the framework of the WestMED Initiative, the Moroccan focal point and the national hub organized the first High-level national dialogue on “The challenges of integrated governance and the roadmap for implementing blue economy in Morocco” in Rabat, June 5, 2024.

Chaired by the Department of Maritime Fisheries, focal point for the WestMED Initiative, the event drew over 50 participants from the main national institutions with a focus on the maritime sector or an interest in blue economy.

Mr. Matteo Bocci (representative of the WestMed Initiative’s Assistance Mechanism) and Mr. Leonardo Manzari (WestMED National Hub Italy) were also present and provided valuable insights into WestMED Initiative and the Blue Mediterranean Partnership in general, and in particular concerning maritime clusters, green-shipping and the newly created technical group for sustainable tourism that will be launched at the Sun&Blue Congress in November 2024 (in Almería, Spain)

In its opening address, the Department of Maritime Fisheries underlined Morocco’s commitment to the sustainable development of its maritime resources as well as its wish to play a leading role in preserving and enhancing marine ecosystems, and thanked WestMED for making the event possible and allowing the discussion of key issues for the future of blue economy in Morocco, ranging from integrated institutional governance, the Energy-Saltwater-Green Hydrogen-Biodiversity Nexus, the climate resilience of the national coastline and the fight against marine pollution, to approaches for a national blue tourism strategy.

One of the speakers was Paul Henri-Presset, Head of the Trade Section of the European Union Delegation in Rabat, who provided an overview of EU relevant policy in the support of a sustainable blue economy across EU seabasins

The results of the day’s discussions will be used contribute to strategic guidelines allowing the development of a coherent and ambitious national strategy.

The opening words also outlined the Moroccan potential for the blue economy and the importance of collaboration was stressed to maximize the impacts in favor of a prosperous and sustainable blue economy.

Four sessions were organized with a focus on integrated institutional governance:

Energy, Seawater Desalination
Green Hydrogen and Biodiversity Nexus
the need for climate resilience of the national coastline and the fight against marine pollution
approaches for a national blue tourism strategy in Morocco

Each session was followed by very constructive discussions

Conclusions and Recommendations:

Blue economy governance in Morocco should be supported by a robust national mechanism responsible for co-designing and monitoring the implementation of the national blue economy strategy. This mechanism should be supported at territorial level by the deployment of regional coastal maritime clusters. The deployment of two pilot maritime clusters in the regions of Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima and Souss-Massa should contribute to this objective.
The alliance of Mediterranean clusters is an opportunity for Morocco’s coastal regions to share their experiences and create networking and knowledge-sharing connections between peers.
It is proposed to organize a second high-level event dedicated to regional maritime clusters with the Association of Moroccan Regions which could be scheduled for October 2024.
Participants stressed the need to build capacities of institutional and private stakeholders in the various areas of blue economy. They also wished for their enhanced representation in the thematic WGs of the WestMED initiative, in particular concerning Green shipping, maritime spatial planning, and sustainable tourism.
The Ministry of the Economy and Finance stressed the need to map existing blue financing and its eligibility criteria, to be shared with public and private institutions and local authorities in Morocco.
Finally, in terms of research and innovation, the participants proposed the creation of a national cross-cutting cluster on the issues and challenges of scientific knowledge of maritime and marine capital and new green technologies linked to blue economy.

Download the agenda

Contact the National Hub Morocco for more information: morocco@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu

Leonardo Manzari from WestMED Italy at Departibus 2024 on the main stage presenting results of Green Shipping technical group

WestMED at DEPORTIBUS 2024: the first European port festival

22 May 2024/in News /by Communication team

WestMED was highlighted at DEPORTIBUS 2024 ; the first European festival with 3 days celebrating port-related themes, including maritime exploration, sustainability, smart cities, and more.

Activities ranged from technical summits, guided tours and concerts to author meet-ups, regattas, and film screenings. The festival engaged at various locations across La Spezia-Italy, making it a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the city’s maritime spirit.

This first edition took place from 12-15 May 2024 and attracted more than 3000 participants, including representatives from more than 50 insitutions, more than 80 speakers and more than 10 port authorites from different parts of the world

On Saturday 11 May 2024, Leonardo Manzari from WestMED Italy and WestMED’s Green Shipping Technical Group, presented the Initiative and its activities on the main festival stage in La Spezia, Italy. It was a unique opportuniy to present the Initiative and its activities to other professionals and the public.

The DEPORTIBUS Festival is a dynamic event that travels to different cities each year, celebrating the global connections of ports. It’s like a maritime adventure that unfolds in various locations, Keep an eye out for announcements about next year’s host city—it could be anywhere from bustling coastal hubs to hidden gems!

Visit the DEPORTIBUS website

Contact Leonardo Manzari (WestMED National Hub Italy)