COAST DAY is coming…
Mark your calendars: Coast Day, the annual celebration of the Mediterranean coast. returns on 25 September,
It is a call to our collective responsibility: by bringing together institutions, experts, communities, and citizens, Coast Day inspires solutions, raises awareness, and promotes lasting action for coastal resilience throughout the year.
Coast Day is an initiative of the UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention system and is coordinated by PAP/RAC, the Regional Activity Centre for Coastal Management.
The central focus of this year’s edition is on institutions, which are essential to driving meaningful change across the Mediterranean. From policy development and implementation of protection measures to scientific research and knowledge sharing, these organizations play a vital role in building a sustainable coastal future.
Regional Cooperation for Climate Adaptation in the Mediterranean
On July 8–9, a Regional Meeting on Climate Change Adaptation was held in Istanbul, supported by UNEP/MAP, the Ministry of Environment of Türkiye, and the Regional Activity Centre for Climate Change (CC/RAC).
The meeting focused on reviewing the updated version of UNEP/MAP’s 2016 Regional Climate Change Adaptation Framework (RCCAF). The revised Framework will be submitted to the MAP Focal Points for validation and clearance at their meeting from 16 to 19 September, and is expected to be formally adopted at COP 24, scheduled to take place from 2 to 5 December in Cairo.
Big Data for Environmental Protection
The third meeting, “Towards a Big Data Revolution for the Planet: From Uncertainty to Opportunity,” concluded on July 10. It was the Third Meeting of the High-Level Expert Group on Big Data, co-hosted by ISPRA, the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, and ESA, the European Space Agency. The meeting concluded with the identification of 15 principles on which to base the Global Environmental Data Strategy of the UN Environment Programme.
The event built upon the work of the Second Expert Group on Big Data, held in Vienna in September 2023, and organized by the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment and the Data for the Environment Alliance (DEAL).
MedWaves: Low Plastic Zone Expands to Tunisia and Lebanon
Following the success achieved in the Adriatic Sea, MedWaves is expanding the Low Plastic Zone (LPZ) initiative across the Mediterranean, with new launches in Djerba, Tunisia and Beirut, Lebanon.
The Low Plastic Zone is an initiative that involves hotels, restaurants, and cafés. Its aim is to reduce the use of single-use plastic products, such as toiletries, straws, bags, and cups.
In Tunisia and Lebanon, five businesses will be selected to participate in a mentorship program throughout 2025. The program will begin with an assessment of the use of single-use products – not limited to plastic – acknowledging that disposable items, regardless of material, often have a high environmental impact.
Over 1,000 initiatives to protect and restore marine
The numbers speak clearly: it is a real success for the EU Mission Ocean and Waters. Since its launch in 2022, over 1000 actions for the ocean have been carried out. In total, these actions coming from individuals and organisations have mobilised more than €8 billion. This result marks a growing commitment across Europe to safeguard marine and freshwater ecosystems.
Launched in September 2021, the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’ aims to protect and restore the health of our ocean and waters by 2030 through research and innovation, citizen engagement and investments in the sustainable blue economy.
It is the moment of “Society4Med” Award
BlueMissionMed launches the Second Edition of “Society4Med”, the Award organized in the framework of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”. The initiative celebrates and promotes impactful projects that actively involve citizens in actions to protect our ocean and waters. NGOs, private companies, research institutes, schools, associations, and foundations can participate in the initiative.
Mediterranean countries slow down deep-sea trawling ban
While recognising the minimal socio-economic impact that extending the trawling ban in the Mediterranean from 1,000 to 800 metres would have on the deep-sea fishing sector, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) did not express a clear opinion in favour of such a ban. This was the outcome of a meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) held from 24-27 in Rome, after Mediterranean countries presented the results of pilot projects carried out in 2024.
For Nicolas Fournier, Campaign director for marine protection at Oceana in Europe “Oceana regrets that the GFCM Scientific Advisory Committee has failed to recommend an extension of the current bottom trawling ban in the Mediterranean Sea to below 800 metres depth, given the solid socio-economic evidence that trawling activity there is negligible.”
Temperature Record in the Mediterranean Sea
On June 22nd, the Copernicus Marine Service recorded sea surface temperature anomalies. Observing the Copernicus map, one can see that the dark red areas indicate temperatures more than 5°C above the seasonal average. The most intense warming was observed in the western Mediterranean basin, including the Balearic Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea.
This is a marine heatwave linked to the effects of climate change, known as a Marine Heatwave (MHW).
National Focal Points Meetings for MAP Components
In 2025, the Mediterranean Regional Activity Centres (RACs) under the UNEP/MAP–Barcelona Convention have convened their National Focal Points (NFPs) meetings, setting the stage for the upcoming MAP Focal Points Meeting and the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP 24), scheduled for December in Egypt.
These biennial meetings provide a key platform for representatives from Mediterranean countries to review progress, align regional priorities, and contribute to the formulation of the Programme of Work for the next biennium.
Swim in good water….EEA confirms the high quality of European water
A large majority of Europe’s waters are safe to swim in: this is explained in the latest European bathing water assessment for the 2024 bathing season, published on 20 June 2025 and jointly prepared by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Commission.
An interactive map was developed by the EEA, helping users locate well-managed bathing sites across Europe.
The assessment is based on the monitoring of bathing sites across Europe that were reported to the EEA for the 2024 season. This includes sites in all EU Member States, as well as in Albania and Switzerland.
MedWaves: a publication for the textile sector
Developed by MedWaves, the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production (formerly SCP/RAC), in collaboration with Innovation House, S.L., and funded by the European Union’s Switch Asia Programme under Grant Contract ACA/2021/428-471, the manual “Guide to Best Available Practices in Circular Economy for the Textile Sector” aims to equip companies with the tools and knowledge necessary to effectively implement sustainable and circular improvement strategies.
By providing comprehensive guidance and insights into the most effective techniques and practices, the guide empowers businesses to adopt environmentally responsible and economically viable approaches throughout their operations.
ARTEMIS: how to restore Posidonia meadows
Discovering Posidonia in an insightful article about Posidonia meadows, true underwater forests of the Mediterranean. Posidonia is vitally important: it captures carbon, protects coastlines, and is a reservoir of biodiversity. Despite this, its survival is at risk — in some areas, it is disappearing under the pressure of human activities.
Plan Bleu, lead partner of the ARTEMIS Interreg Euro-MED project, along with 9 partners (from Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, and Greece), is implementing the ARTEMIS project, which combines technical innovations at four pilot sites, financial solutions, and political integration. These four sites are: Crete in Greece, Menorca in the Balearic Islands of Spain, Sardinia, and Monfalcone in Italy.
