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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.

Group of people discussion in Mahon Menorca during WestMED national event on 17 april 2024

WestMED España organiza una interesante jornada participativa para abordar ideas concretas de prototipos para la descarbonización de puertos, buques pesqueros y recreativos en Mahón, Menorca

3 May 2024/in News /by National Hub Spain

English version

El pasado 17 de Abril de 2024 se celebró de 10.00 a 14.00 horas en Mahón el evento ‘Prototipos para la descarbonización de Puertos, Buques pesqueros y Recreativos. ’ (ver agenda)

Este evento Nacional que el Mecanismo de Asistencia de la Iniciativa WestMED ha organizado en España a través de su brazo ejecutor en el país y en colaboración con el Clúster Marítimo y Logístico de las Illes Balears.

El evento, que se celebró en la Sala Claustre del Carme en la ciudad de Mahón, contó con una destacadísima participación de expertos nacionales e internacionales en ámbitos de la descarbonización de puertos, buques pesqueros y buques recreativos.

El workshop participativo congregó a un total de 46 personas, representantes de puertos, organismos y sector pesquero, clústeres, GALPs, asociaciones, sector recreativo marino, puertos deportivos, puertos pesqueros, proveedores tecnológicos, desarrolladores de infraestructuras portuarias, investigadores, sector energético, astilleros, y otras empresas e instituciones (ver listado de asistentes) dedicadas a los sectores de puertos, pesca y náutica de recreo.

La jornada se dirigió a todos los actores mediterráneos y/o atlánticos de habla hispana de los sectores de puertos, pesca y náutica de recreo, pero también a representantes de la Administración nacional y regional. El evento fue además seleccionado por la Comisión Europea como un evento ‘EMD in My Country’, dentro de los eventos en torno al Día Marítimo Europeo de 2024.

Contexto
Al igual que con otras actividades económicas en la UE, existe una necesidad creciente de que nuestras flotas marítimas hagan la transición y se alejen lo antes posible de los combustibles fósiles. Esto no es solo una contribución a los objetivos del Pacto Verde Europeo, incluida la reducción de las emisiones de GEI, sino también a la rentabilidad, la sostenibilidad y la resiliencia del sector (Comisión de la UE, 2023). Los retos a los que se enfrentan las flotas para acometer una transición energética van desde los regulatorios hasta los tecnológicos.

El presente workshop participativo tuvo como objetivo debatir sobre los retos que la descarbonización plantea para los puertos y embarcaciones recreativas y pesqueras. El workshop participativo aportó la perspectiva de los participantes sobre las embarcaciones de pesca, embarcaciones de la industria de la náutica de recreo, así como de sus puertos e instalaciones (pesqueros y recreativos).

Los participantes debatieron en 3 mesas de trabajo sobre posibles prototipos, fuentes de energía, soluciones tecnológicas, marcos regulatorios y oportunidades y desafíos generales para avanzar hacia los esfuerzos de descarbonización. Se utilizó el método de “design thinking”.

Preparar el escenario
Varios destacados expertos y responsables políticos prepararon el escenario, esbozando el contexto y compartiendo los últimos avances.

En la inauguración de la jornada, el Sr. Héctor Pons Riudavets, alcalde de Mahon, comentó: “necesitamos prototipos y tecnologías público-privadas adaptadas a la realidad actual para alcanzar nuestros objetivos de descarbonización”.

A continuación, el Sr. Antonio Ginard López, director general de la Autoridad Portuaria de las Islas Baleares, destacó que las islas Baleares ya están abordando el reto de descarbonizar sus puertos con varias actividades y ejes de trabajo.

La Sra Iolanda Piedra, presidenta del Cluster Marítimo Marítimo y Logístico de las Illes Balears, destacó que España quiere y tiene que ser un referente europeo y global en la descarbonización marina.

El Sr. Omar Collado, coordinador nacional de la Iniciativa WestMED por parte del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, indicó que: “Todos los sectores marítimos necesitan colaborar para lograr una Economía Azul sostenible. Necesitamos proyectos y tecnologías concretas, realistas y realmente sostenibles para avanzar hacia la transición energética que necesita la UE”. Para finalizar, el Sr. Francisco Manuel Fernández, del Ministerio de Agricultura Pesca y Alimentación, destacó que las ideas que se desarrollarán a través del workshop participativo son esenciales para avanzar en la descarbonización del sector pesquero. Hizo hincapié en que la mayoría de las pesquerías del Mediterráneo en España son flotas artesanales y que proporcionar soluciones de descarbonización a estas flotas es un reto que tenemos que abordar.

Mesas redondas
Tras una pausa para el café, a las 11.30, comenzó el workshop participativo en 3 mesas de trabajo con el objetivo de intercambiar ideas, prácticas y experiencias entre los/las participantes:

MESA 1: Prototipos de descarbonización en puertos pesqueros y recreativos
MESA 2: Prototipos de descarbonización de buques pesqueros
MESA 3: Prototipos de descarbonización de buques recreativos

En todas las mesas se abordaron los siguientes pasos:

Identificación de retos/barreras/fortalezas
Priorización de retos (escoger top 3)
Identificación de hoja de ruta para los 3 retos priorizados

Resultados
Un breve resumen:

Mesa 1: Propuestas para que los puertos se conviertan en generadores de energía
Se seleccionaron tres propuestas: una plataforma móvil que permite generar energía (ecocubierta), un parque de turbinas que aprovecha la fuerza de las olas para generar electricidad y un proyecto para generar hidrógeno verde en los puertos basado en el ejemplo del puerto de Vigo.

Mesa 2: Proyectos para la descarbonización del sector pesquero
Se propusieron prototipos para la digitalización y el análisis de las necesidades energéticas de cada tipo de arte de pesca (plataforma de datos). También se propuso un proyecto para probar una solución híbrida (eléctrica y diésel) en un buque de 10 metros.

Mesa 3: Nuevos modelos de buques impulsados con energías verdes
Se seleccionaron distintos proyectos, como la adaptación de catamaranes a un modelo híbrido (biodiésel y electricidad), el desarrollo de una aplicación para controlar la autonomía de los barcos, la electrificación de buques de pasaje o la construcción de un barco propulsado por biodiésel e hidrógeno.

A continuación, cada mesa compartió y debatió sus conclusiones con el grupo completo de participantes.

La jornada concluyó con un resumen de los puntos más importantes y un esbozo de los próximos pasos.

Próximos pasos
Los resultados de prototipos por Mesas de Trabajo se recopilaron en un documento titulado “National Event from WestMED Initiative in Spain: Prototypes for the decarbonization of Ports, Fishing and Recreational Vessels” el cual se entregará al EU Energy Transition Partnership y podrá ser solicitarlo, por quien lo desee, a través del Hub Nacional Spain mediante el envío de un correo electrónico.

Este documento puede solicitarse gratuitamente poniéndose en contacto con el WestMED National Hub España.

Cobertura de prensa

Este acto fue ampliamente cubierto por la prensa: en televisión (IB3/ Noticies) y en medios de comunicación en línea.

Prensa en línea
Pressreader Spain
Menorca.info
Xunta de Galicia 1 | Xunta de Galicia 2
Galicia Press
CostaOeste
NoticiasVigo
Govclipping
La Voz de Galicia
Cluster Marítimo Español

Decarbonizing ports, fishing and recreational vessels. Expert proposals at participative WestMED Spain workshop in Mahón, Menorca

1 May 2024/in News /by National Hub Spain

Haga clic aquí para el español

On April 17, 2024, the workshop ‘Prototypes for the decarbonization of Ports, Fishing and Recreational Vessels‘ took place in Mahon, Menorca (see agenda).

This Spanish National Event was organized by the Spanish National Hub of the WestMED Initiative Assistance Mechanism of the in collaboration with the Maritime and Logistics Cluster of the Balearic Islands. It was attended by 46 national and international experts on the decarbonization of ports, fishing vessels and recreational vessels.

The event targeted all Spanish-speaking Mediterranean and/or Atlantic stakeholders in the port, fishing and yachting sectors, as well as representatives from national and regional administrations. People came from a wide range of organisations including clusters, GALPs, associations, marine recreation, marinas, fishing ports, technology providers, port infrastructure developers, researchers, energy sector, shipyards (see list of attendees).

This workshop was selected by the European Commission as an official ‘EMD in My Country‘ event, as part of a larger EU-wide campaign consisting of many other events across the Union, designed to raise awareness about the importance of the oceans and seas.

Background
As with other economic activities in the EU, there is a growing need for our maritime fleets to transition and move away from fossil fuels as soon as possible. This is not only a contribution to the objectives of the European Green Deal, including the reduction of GHG emissions, but also to the profitability, sustainability and resilience of the sector (EU Commission, 2023). The challenges faced by fleets in undertaking an energy transition range from regulatory to technological.

The objective of this workshop was to discuss the challenges that decarbonization poses for recreational and fishing ports and vessels. It provided an opportunity to harnass the participants’ perspectives on fishing vessels and recreational vessels as well as their ports and facilities focused on this challenge.

By using the principles of ‘design thinking,’ participants identified and discussed possible prototypes, energy sources, technological solutions, regulatory frameworks, general opportunities and challenges to move towards decarbonization.

Setting the stage
The stage was set by several leading experts and policy makers, outlining the context and sharing the latest developments.

Mr. Héctor Pons Riudavets, Mayor of Mahon, opened the event and stated that “we need prototypes and public-private technologies adapted to the current reality to achieve our decarbonization goals”. Next, Mr. Antonio Ginard Lopez, Director General of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, highlighted that the Balearic Islands are already addressing the challenge of decarbonizing their ports with several activities and work axes.

Ms. Iolanda Piedra, president of the Maritime Maritime and Logistics Cluster of the Balearic Islands, stressed that Spain wants and needs to be a European and global reference in marine decarbonization.

Mr. Omar Collado, national coordinator of the WestMED Initiative on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, indicated: “All maritime sectors need to collaborate to achieve a sustainable Blue Economy. We need concrete, realistic and truly sustainable projects and technologies to move towards the energy transition that the EU needs”.

Mr. Francisco Manuel Fernández, from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, stressed that the ideas that will be developed through the participatory workshop are essential to advance the decarbonization of the fisheries sector. He emphasized that most Mediterranean fisheries in Spain are artisanal fleets and that providing decarbonization solutions to these fleets is a challenge we need to address.

Roundtables
After a short break, participants were split and divided over three thematic roundtables according to predifined preferences.

TABLE 1: Decarbonization prototypes for fishing and recreational ports
TABLE 2: Decarbonization prototypes for fishing vessels
TABLE 3: Decarbonization Prototypesfor recreational vessels

Each table was then asked to:
1: Identify of challenges/barriers/strengths
2: Prioritise the top 3 challenges
3: Identify a roadmap for these 3 prioritized challenges

Results
A brief summary:

Table 1: Proposals for ports to become energy generators
Three proposals were selected: a mobile platform that allows energy generation (eco-deck), a turbine farm that harnesses the power of waves to generate electricity and a project to generate green hydrogen in ports based on the example of the port of Vigo.

Table 2: Projects for the decarbonization of the fishing vessels
Prototypes were proposed for the digitalization and analysis of the energy needs of each type of fishing gear (data platform). A project for testing a hybrid solution (electric and diesel) on a 10-meter vessel was also proposed.

Table 3: New models of green energy powered vessels
Different projects were selected, such as the adaptation of catamarans to a hybrid model (biodiesel and electricity), the development of an application to monitor the autonomy of ships, the electrification of passenger ships or the construction of a ship powered by biodiesel and hydrogen.

Each table then shared and discussed their findings with the full group of participants.

The day was concluded by summarising key take-home points and outlining next steps.

Next Steps
The full results will be compiled in a document entitled “National Event from WestMED Initiative in Spain: Prototypes for the decarbonization of Ports, Fishing and Recreational Vessels” which will be delivered to the EU Energy Transition Partnership so that they can take them into account when developing their roadmap for 2024.

This document can be requested, free of charge, by contacting the WestMED National Hub Spain.

Media coverage
This event was widely covered by the press: on television (IB3/ Noticies) and in online media

Online articles
Pressreader Spain
Menorca.info
Xunta de Galicia 1 | Xunta de Galicia 2
Galicia Press
CostaOeste
NoticiasVigo
Govclipping
La Voz de Galicia
Cluster Marítimo Español

Poster announcing EU sea basins strategies presence at EMD 2024

EU Sea Basins Strategies featured at the European Maritime Day 2024

23 April 2024/in News /by Communication team

Go straight to EMD 2024 registration | Register before 15 May

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Svendborg, Denmark, this annual event, hosted at the International Maritime Academy (SIMAC), promises to be enlighting for the maritime world.

On May 30-31, EMD 2024 will attract Ocean Leaders from across Europe to converge, deliberate, and establish collaborations focused on addressing pressing challenges and promising opportunities within the blue economy and marine ecosystem.

Kickstarting the festivities on May 30, the High-Level event on the main stage will feature prominent policymakers, including Charlina Vitcheva, Director General at DG MARE, along with representatives from Denmark, France, Portugal, and Moldova. This session, scheduled from 10:30 to 11:45, will spotlight the remarkable success of the EU Sea Basin Strategies as pivotal drivers of the Blue Economy, offering valuable insights into fostering sustainable maritime growth.

Later that day, from 15:00 to 16:15, a workshop led by the Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism (that includes the WestMED, Atlantic and Black Sea) will disclose synergies amongst EU “blue” initiatives. Expert speakers from EU4OCEAN, Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, and the Energy Transition Partnership for EU fisheries and aquaculture will shed light on collaborative pathways for sustainable marine development.

EMD 2024 serves as an interactive in-person conference and exhibition. A place where businesses, governments, NGOs, academia, and EU citizens connect and discover. Through engaging discussions, workshops, and pitch sessions, stakeholders actively help shape the maritime agenda, tackle current challenges, and chart a course for future opportunities.

EU Sea Basin Synergies Workshop info and registration (Registration for the conference required)

EMD2024 info and registration

Leonardo Manzari and Irene Alonso at UfM Stakeholder Conference 2024

WestMED goes full Mediterranean at the UfM stakeholder conference 2024

28 February 2024/in News /by Communication team

The WestMED Initiative actively participated in the 2nd UfM Blue Economy Stakeholder Conference, which took place in Athens on February 19 and 20, 2024.

Background
The WestMED Initiative follows up on the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Declaration on the Blue Economy endorsed by the Union for Mediterranean (UfM) which took place on the 17 November 2015, inviting the participating countries to explore the added value and feasibility of appropriate maritime strategies at sub-regional level, and build on the experience of the 5+5 Dialogue.

In October 2016, Foreign Affairs Ministers from Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia encouraged further work on an initiative for the sustainable development of the blue economy, alongside the UfM Secretariat.

In the UfM Ministerial Declaration on Sustainable Blue Economy (2021), Ministers “welcome the successful completion of the launch of the ‘Initiative for the sustainable development of the blue economy in the western Mediterranean’ (WestMED)”, and “recognise both the WestMED initiative as successful examples of cooperation, focused on clear goals, priorities and measurable targets and as a catalyst for the development of sustainable blue economy projects in the region”.

The endorsing countries pursue the same priorities under the UfM Working Group and the WestMED Steering Committee: fostering the promotion of the blue economy, achieving a safer maritime space and improving the maritime governance.

Conference involvement
On the occasion of the 2^nd UfM Blue Economy Stakeholder Conference, the WestMED Initiative assisted the UfM both in terms of organization and participation.

At institutional level, the new WestMED Portuguese Co-Presidency represented by Ms. Marisa Lameiras da Silva, Director General for Maritime Policy in Portugal participated as one of the key speakers in the session of marine renewable energy, providing the success case of Portugal developing offshore energy and its potential replicability in the Mediterranean.

From the Commission side, Ms. Delilah Al Khudhairy, Director for Maritime Policy and Blue Economy, Mr. Christos Economou, Head of Unit for Maritime Regional Cooperation and Mr. Manuel Pleguezuelo, policy officer and WestMED coordinator from DG MARE, participated in numerous sessions showing a strong commitment to the sustainable blue economy in the Mediterranean. The same for Ms. Anja Detant (CINEA), as project manager of the WestMED Assistance Mechanism contract, who highlighted the WestMED Initiative and the award winning projects during the ‘Spotlights on Projects’ session.

At operational level, the WestMED Assistance Mechanism participated in different workshops as experts, moderators and rapporteurs, providing technical expertise. They also supported the UfM Secretariat behind-the-scenes in the development of the Conference.

The conference served as a crucial milestone to assess progress, discuss challenges, and engage the entire Mediterranean Sustainable Blue Economy Community in shaping further deliberations at political and practical level.

A concrete example of succesful cooperation beyond the western Mediterranean was the MoU signed during the conference among the Tunisian and Greek Maritime Clusters (with groundwork through the WestMED Cluster Alliance) to further boost the blue economy between the western and eastern Mediterranean.

Download the Conference report with main messages and outcomes

Photos: copyright UfM secretariat

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European Blue Announcement with 2 cover pages of eu blue forum position papares 2024

The European Blue Forum Stakeholder Position Papers are out!

16 February 2024/in News /by Communication team

The European Blue Forum consisting of stakeholders from all 5 EU sea basins has published its first 2 Position papers related to key issues concerning the European Seas

Paper 1: What do we need from European Seas by 2030, and are we asking too much?
Paper 2: What does a fossil fuel free sustainable blue economy look like? How can we as a community support this transition?

These 2 papers, crafted collaboratively by European Blue Forum members through insightful discussions over the past 10 months are now accessible.

The documents are set to serve as a significant statement on maritime and coastal stakeholders’ common issues, challenges and future expectations for our European Seas. They gather the needs of the European Blue Forum members and provides the main axes of action for the years to come.

The papers will be presented during a public meeting of the inter-parliamentary group SEARICA in Brussels on 7th March 2024.

Download the papers

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