COMMISSION LAUNCHES EVALUATION OF THE COMMON FISHERIES POLICY
On June 20th, the European Commission launched a consultation to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the common fisheries policy (CFP). This consultation constitutes the first part of a thorough evaluation that will look at how the CFP has achieved its objectives since 2013, including: the long-term sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture, the contribution to the protection of the marine environment, the availability of food supplies, and a fair standard of living for fisheries and aquaculture communities.
You can now send your feedback on the common fisheries policy call for evidence
THE EU IS READY TO RATIFY THE HIGH SEAS TREATY
The Commission welcomes the adoption today by the Council of a decision to conclude the United Nations agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the ‘High Seas Treaty’. With today’s decision, the EU is now ready to formally deposit the ratification instrument, which the EU and its Member States are committed to doing before the next UN Ocean conference in June 2025. It will enter into force once it receives 60 ratifications. Currently, seven countries have ratified the treaty and 89 have signed it
Presentation of the WES Project activities in Algeria
Recently at the Digital Ocean Forum (DOF) 2024, European Commission unveiled the first pre-operational platform of the European Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO). The DTO is a key deliverable of the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters. Its purpose is to provide ocean communities with actionable knowledge and to support them in their daily decisions and planning, to ensure a healthy and sustainable ocean
UFM REGIONAL PLATFORM ON INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION MEETS TO DISCUSS FUTURE SYNERGIES
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Regional Platform on Industrial Cooperation convened online on 25 June 2024. The meeting was co-chaired by the European Union (EU) and Jordanian UfM Co-presidencies and hosted by the UfM Secretariat
PROTECTING AND RESTORING EUROPE’S BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEMS
From icy Norwegian fjords to the subtropical waters of the Canary Islands, the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, and overseas territories including the Caribbean and beyond, Europe’s marine habitats play a key role in the global carbon cycle. The new Projects Info Pack from CORDIS explores how Horizon-funded projects contribute to advancing the scientific understanding of these environments and the challenges they face, and support the EU in meeting its biodiversity and climate objectives under the European Green Deal
Europe’s bathing waters remain safe
From 17 to 19 June 2024, Zagreb hosted the first face-to-face meeting of the Interreg Euro Med NaTour4CChange project. The project aims to promote sustainable tourism governance and strengthen the resilience of coastal tourism destinations to climate change. The three-day meeting brought together 30 on-site participants and 8 online participants, representing various institutions.
Discussions focused on the progress of the project, in particular the part linked to the development of methodologies for designing the action plan on climate change, one of the Blue Plan’s responsibilities. An action plan was drawn up for the next stages, including reporting, communication and key activities up to the end of September.
The next meeting will take place in November in Almeria during the Sun&Blue Congress to further develop climate strategies and strengthen regional capacities.
For more information, visit Natour4CChange
Launch of the first MED Innovation Day
The first MED Innovation Day was held on 18 and 19 June 2024 in Marseille, marking the launch meeting of the Interreg EURO-MED programme’s Sustainable Economic Innovation Community (ISE Community).
The event took place at the World Trade Center and the MUCEM, bringing together 155 Euro-Mediterranean organisations, including representatives of the Interreg EURO-MED programme, MedWaves, as well as various competitiveness clusters and regions. Samson Bellières, Project Manager for Green and Blue Transition at Plan Bleu, spoke as a representative of the Community for Sustainable Tourism (C4T).
The event provided an opportunity to identify thematic synergies between the two communities, through their respective thematic projects. The aim of the event was to meet, exchange ideas and connect with the various thematic project leaders (14 thematic projects) from the Innovative Sustainable Economy (ISE) community. The 14 thematic projects of the ISE community have been grouped into four clusters: Maritime resources, Agri-food systems, Industrial transition and Resource enhancement. In each project, the main objectives are to propose innovative economic tools to encourage sustainable economic growth, while enhancing the value of vulnerable sectors, geographical areas and players, in a Mediterranean context of increasing climate change
opportunities
