We are pleased to inform you that the WestMED Hackathon 2024 will be happening on 3 October, 2024, in the region of Algarve, Portugal. This event marks the 3rd edition of our interactive stakeholder Hackathon that takes place every 2 years, with a main focus on joint project development.

NewTechAqua is is a pioneering research project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program that embarked on a mission to revolutionize aquaculture.Read about the project as well as the developments of Aquaculture at EU level

The Sustainable Tourism Technical Group has been officially approved by the members of the WestMED Steering Committee in July 2024. The overall objective is to serve as a forum to discuss trends and opportunities, provide support to participants in order to develop project ideas and form consortia focused on tourism related topics identified at EU level, such as green transition, digitalization, promotion of social inclusion, governance, and skills.

The primary objective of this WestMED Steering Committee meeting 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 creation of the new Technical Group on Sustainable Tourism.

Back-to-back to the WestMED Steering Committee meeting in Brussels, the MedLab annual meeting took place on 25-26 June 2024 and was hosted by Interact and TESIM. The MedLab is a platform which aims to share and transfer Mediterranean-based knowledge and to improve synergies and complementarities between Interreg programmes and other EU funds active in the region to increase their impact.The WestMED was invited as Observers to contribute to strengthening synergies between EU funding instruments and align priorities with the Sea Basin strategies.

On 20 June 2024, a webinar was organised by the Union for the Mediterranean(UfM) titled ‘Scaling up synergies and partnerships for the sustainable maritime and coastal tourism transformation in the Mediterranean.’ Marta Pascual from the WestMED national Hub Spain presented the new WestMED Stakeholder Technical Group on Sustainable Tourism.

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

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 the blue economy.

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).Read about the extensive results of this project

The Common Maritime Agenda will repeat last year’s success, by organising the Black Sea Common Maritime Agenda Stakeholder Conference in 2024! The event will be held in-person, in Chișinău, Moldova, on 11 September 2024, under the auspices of the Moldovan Coordinator.

The Blue Planet Economy Expoform retrurns with 3 days of presentations, workshops, exhibtions and business meetings. It is centered around 6 main topics: Blue Food, Blue Energy, Blue Life Protection, Blue Mobility and Logistics, Blue Tourism, Blue Education and Training. WestMED Italy is partner of this event and will actively participate

Be part of European MSP Week 22nd – 24th October 2024! This series of dynamic events is dedicated to Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) and offers a unique opportunity for stakeholders from industry, civil society, the public sector, and academia to come together. Reflect on the achievements made in MSP across European seas, discuss current policies, and strategise the next steps forward. WestMED's CoP MSP-MED will be highlightes and Thanos Smanis from the WestMED Assistance Mechanism, is part of the coordination team

The 11th ASPC 2024 will take place in Bordeaux, France at the end of November. As in previous years, the conference will provide all stakeholders of the Atlantic Community with the opportunity to review the progress and achievements regarding AAP 2.0, as well as the objectives and challenges of the blue economy in the Atlantic Sea Basin. Read all about this event organised by our colleagues from the Atlantic sea Basin Assistance Mechanim

For the 2nd year, WestMED Spain will again be actively involved in the 2024 edition of this successful international congress on Blue Tourism. On 21 November the new WestMED Technical Group on Sustainable Tourism will be officially launched during a tourism related workshop by the WestMED Assistance Mechanism. In the afternoon an (invite only) stakeholder hackathon will be held, focused on developing (new) projects that promote sustainable tourism in the region.

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

The seventh edition of the EU Blue Economy Report, presented in a fresh format, persists in thoroughly examining the scale and breadth of the Blue Economy within the European Union (EU). Its primary aim remains to offer guidance to policymakers and stakeholders in fostering the sustainable advancement of oceans and coastal resources, aligning closely with the principles of the European Green Deal (EGD). By providing economic insights, the Report also aims to inspire potential investors.

Blue Economy has various definitions, depending on the interpretation and principles in question. There is no one widely accepted definition, nor is there a set of founding principles. This report represents an important first step in mapping the evolution of Blue Economy concepts, proposing a definition and founding principles for all Blue Economy-related work, through the prism of conservation and sustainable development, in all regions across the globe. Available in EN and FR

The “CIHEAM Youth Innovation Award for Green and Blue Transition in the Mediterranean” will reward an innovative solution (scientific or entrepreneurial product/service) at least in the pilot phase, developed by a Mediterranean young woman or man aged under 39 years and implemented in a country of the region. Apply before 15 August 2024

The iMERMAID project is thrilled to announce the launch of an open call for Associated Regions to participate in its groundbreaking initiative aimed at protecting the Mediterranean Sea basin from chemical pollution. A.o. available for Algeria, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Portugal Tunisia. Deadline: 10 September 2024

Under the Mission Restore our Ocean and waters, there are 4 Mediterranean related opportunities still open to support your work under the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2023-2024.They all have a closing date date of 18 September 2024.

Projects that are eligible need to have a focus on tackling waste prevention and reduction and/ or Water scarcity. Specifically located on islands, in rural and/ or mountain areas. Apply before 26 September

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.

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.

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.

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 (recording available)