This week, from 2 to 6 March 2026, ocean stakeholders from across Europe met in Brussels (Belgium) and online for a week of dynamic and interconnected discussions in the framework of the third edition of the European Ocean Days. Inspired by the European Ocean Pact, the event brought together industry leaders, startups, investors, policymakers, scientists, SMEs, fisheries and aquaculture representatives, coastal communities, the Mission Ocean and Waters community and civil society, including youth voices. Participants engaged in consultations, panel discussions, workshops, and community events to exchange ideas, discuss upcoming challenges, scale up innovative solutions, and jointly pave the way for concrete actions supporting the implementation of the European Ocean Pact. Many events were organised in parallel covering a very wide range of topics. The European Atlas of the Seas’ team attended several events. Some important keywords from the events we attended were: ocean health, ocean observation, marine data, marine biodiversity, resilience, nature-based solutions, connectivity, coastal communities, cooperation, blue economy, blue skills, training, education, strategies and funding. Here’s the story!
First, let’s step back for some background information. Adopted on 5 June 2025, the European Ocean Pact aims to better coordinate EU ocean policies under a single framework, promoting sustainable ocean management, marine protection, and collaboration across Member States and stakeholders. It is built around six priorities:
- Protecting and restoring ocean health
- Boosting the competitiveness of the EU sustainable blue economy
- Supporting coastal and island communities, and outermost regions
- Advancing ocean research, knowledge, skills and innovation
- Enhancing maritime security and defence
- Strengthening EU ocean diplomacy and international ocean governance
EU Missions are large-scale initiatives under the Research and Innovation funding programme Horizon Europe setting clear, time-bound goals that drive focused efforts towards some of our greatest challenges such as climate change, cancer, ocean restoration, soil health, and the development of climate-neutral and smart cities. By bringing together researchers, policymakers, citizens, and stakeholders, EU Missions pool the necessary resources to drive innovation and deliver concrete solutions for societal benefit. The EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’ addresses the urgent need to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems, eliminate pollution, and make the blue economy carbon-neutral and circular. Through research, innovation, public engagement, and targeted investments, it takes a systemic approach to ocean conservation and recovery. To date, more than 1,000 pledges from across Europe and beyond support the Mission’s objectives. You can learn about Mission Actions thanks to this week’s Map of the Week! By clicking on the symbols in this map layer, which has recently been updated, you can read a short description of each action and get additional details. So, you can easily get to know who the members of the Mission Ocean and Waters community are!
Now, let’s dive in! On 2 March, during the high-level opening ceremony, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen provided a forward-looking vision that advances scientific knowledge, boosts the blue economy’s competitiveness, enhances maritime security and protects the ocean’s health. She launched the OceanEye – the European Ocean Observation Initiative announced in the European Ocean Pact. It builds on the European Digital Twin Ocean (EDITO) and Copernicus’ marine programme and lays the foundation for Europe’s sovereign and cutting-edge ocean observation technology infrastructure supporting international efforts in ocean observation and protection. [1]
Thanks to the demonstrations at the EDITO exhibition, participants of the European Ocean Days were able to get a good understanding of how the European Digital Twin Ocean can support decision making through the simulation of ‘what if’ scenarios.’ The European Digital Twin Ocean provides both historical and near real-time information about the ocean’s real-world conditions and processes. This information can then be used to simulate real-world scenarios and predict the outcomes of different scenarios. To take just one example, scientists can use applications that are currently running on the European Digital Twin Ocean to simulate how seagrass meadows can protect against coastal hazards like flooding and erosion. By comparing these scenarios, users such as data scientists, decision-makers, local policy implementers and the wider public can understand the impact of seagrass on coastal ecosystems with an unparalleled level of detail and accuracy. [2]
The Atlas team then joined events dedicated to the European Ocean Pact and ‘Inspiring the Next Generation of Blue Careers’. Discussion highlighted how blue education, practical skills, and hands-on experiences can prepare young people for meaningful careers in the blue economy, what inspires young people to undertake blue careers and what is needed for them to do so. A visit to the Blue Careers Marketplace made it possible to discover many blue careers projects.
On 4 March, we saw the CO-WATERS project launch the Coalition to support cities, regions, islands, and ports in achieving the objectives of the EU Mission Ocean and Waters during the event titled ‘Together for change: A Coalition to empower communities for Mission Ocean and Waters’ [3] and we attended the Stakeholder consultation on Water Resilience Research and Innovation Strategy.
The fourth Annual Forum of the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” took place on 5 March. The event showcased innovative solutions developed under the Mission, discussed how key stakeholders, such as the regions, local authorities and the private sectors are involved in implementing the Mission and how different streams of finance are being mobilised to support the scaling and deployment of solutions for reaching the Mission objectives. It was also an opportunity to discuss the strategic focus of the Mission in the years to come and the necessary steps forward.
On 6 March, the Atlas team joined an event on Coastal Communities. The European Ocean Pact highlights the need for enhanced support for these areas and their communities. The European Commission therefore plans to adopt a comprehensive Strategy for coastal communities in 2026. This session was a step towards developing the Strategy for coastal communities together with stakeholders.
Many events during the week echoed the priorities of the European Ocean Pact, with a strong focus on sustainable fisheries, innovation, and blue investment. BlueInvest Day, for example, highlighted how ocean-based technologies and solutions can unlock new investment opportunities and strengthen Europe’s maritime competitiveness.
Wish you could have heard the speakers at these events? Good news, these events were recorded! To watch the videos, check out the events in the European Ocean Days programme and click on ‘Livestreaming’ for the events you wish to watch.
Wish to know more? Wish to engage? Here are some suggestions and links to interesting resources we learned about this week!
- Read the European Ocean Pact to understand how EU ocean policies are being aligned under a shared framework for sustainable ocean management;
- Find more information about the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’ on the Mission Portal and discover how your organisation can contribute through pledges and collaborative actions;
- Consult the WISE Marine website to learn about the dynamic monitoring framework to track and assess the progress of the EU Mission activities in achieving objectives and targets of relevant EU policies;
- Watch the recording of the event ‘Marine Knowledge for Ocean Health’ that took place on 3 March to learn more about ocean observation as well as ocean data and applications (check the programme and click on ‘Livestream to access the recording);
- Discover blue careers with the BlueGeneration Game;
- Find out about training for the blue economy with the Blue Bio Techpreneurs project;
- Have a look at the NETTAG+ project which aims to develop three solutions to prevent, avoid and mitigate the harmful impacts of lost fishing gear on marine life and habitats;
- Learn about the work of the Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP);
- Join the BlueInvest community, or explore its initiatives to connect with investors and innovators driving sustainable blue technologies;
- Engage in ocean literacy with the EU4Ocean Coalition (EU4Ocean Platform, Youth4Ocean Forum and Network of European Blue Schools) and find out about the project ‘We are Blue Schools!’;
- Protect your local waters by supporting Marine Protected Areas and reducing pollution at source;
- Empower youth and local communities to take part in ocean restoration and sustainable blue economy projects;
- Stay informed by following updates, publications, consultations and funding opportunities related to sustainable fisheries, blue economy innovation, and marine protection – subscribe to the European Commission Maritime Affairs & Fisheries Newsletter.
The data in the map is provided by the European Commission.
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[1] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_507
[2] https://www.edito.eu/european-digital-twin-ocean-about/
[3] https://co-waters.eu/news-CO-WATERS-launches-Coalition-to-support-cities-regions-islands-and-ports