Press releases/news articles

As the Coronavirus pandemic threatens the health of our citizens, many parts of the EU economy are also experiencing major disruptions. Fishing and aquaculture have been among the hardest hit sectors. The European Commission has therefore decided to adopt a temporary State aid framework to enable Member States to provide relief to economic operators hit by the crisis. The new Temporary Framework allows aid up to a level of €120,000 per undertaking active in the fishery and aquaculture sectors.

Deadline for applications is 6 April 2020.

EMD In My Country events are expanded in 2020 to all the EU sea basins. From the beginning of April till mid-July more than 200 events will take place in 18 EU and 3 non–EU countries: eco-tours and excursions in coastal areas, beach-cleaning activities, guided tours of ports by boat, visits to maritime museums, aquaria and shipyards, art exhibitions, workshops, conferences, seminars and many other activities with maritime themes.

The Common maritime agenda for the Black Sea has officially launched on February 17, 2020 in Sofia. Based on the positive experience of sustainable development initiatives in other sea basins, such as the West Med Initiative, the steering committee decided to schedule a number of regional seminars, stakeholders’ events and high-level meetings to raise awareness, facilitate stakeholders’ involvement and networking and identify significant projects for the region.

The blue economy is full of opportunities for low-carbon, sustainable growth. But to make sure that these activities do not clash for space or damage the marine environment, careful planning is needed. That is exactly what maritime spatial planning does. In this guest blog, the authors explore how the EU and international partners are planning the ocean.

The ocean is a treasure trove of economic opportunities — from fishing and aquaculture to renewable energy and ecotourism. And with the European Green Deal, we will rely on it even more. The blue economy can help us find new solutions to fully decarbonize the European economy by 2050.

The Commission has published an evaluation of the implementation of the eel regulation, 12 years after its entry into force.

The EU organised and hosted a three-day meeting for scientists from the 10 signatories to the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean. The meeting took place from 11 to 13 February 2020 at the EU Joint Research Centre in Ispra (Italy).

European Maritime Day (EMD) Conference and Expo, the annual two-day event during which Europe’s maritime community meet to network, discuss and forge joint action on maritime affairs and sustainable blue economy will take place this year in Cork, Ireland (14 & 15 May 2020).

To people involved in the blue economy, BlueInvest Day doesn’t need much introduction. It’s that one big moment in the year where entrepreneurs, investors, incubators and accelerators meet to network and socialise, but above all, to do business. The third edition, on 4 February in Brussels, was another big success. It proved that the blue economy is vibrant, innovative and sexy. That investing in the ocean, is investing in a sustainable future. Or, in the Commissioner’s words, that “without blue, green is just yellow.”

Bringing together actors, stakeholders and experts within and beyond Europe for interactive dialogues on ocean challenges and governance solutions, the IOG forum will support follow-up and further development of the EU’s IOG agenda. The IOG forum will be launched with a high-level event on April 22, 2020, followed by dedicated thematic working groups on April 23-24, 2020.

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has developed a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) used in maritime surveillance operations.

The European Commission is partnering with the European Investment Fund, part of the European Investment Bank Group (EIB), to launch the BlueInvest Fund today. During the BlueInvest Day conference in Brussels, EIB Vice-President Emma Navarro and Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, launched a €75 million equity investment fund for the blue economy.

The European Commission organised an international workshop on environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and strategic environmental assessments (SEAs) in areas beyond national jurisdiction in Brussels on 28 and 29 January 2020. The event was organised in the context of ongoing negotiations on a new legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

EMD 2020 (Cork, Ireland, 14 &15 May) offers the opportunity to maritime stakeholders to participate at EMD Exhibition. A pitch stage which will take place in parallel during the two-day conference will add value to the exhibition, making it an ideal place for stakeholders to meet, exchange experience and discuss the latest developments on blue economy. Deadline: 15 March 2020.

The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) has published three compliance evaluation reports on the implementation of the landing obligation. These reports confirm that non-compliance with the landing obligation has been widespread in the North Sea and North Western Waters for specific fisheries during the evaluation period (2015 to 2017). The failure to enforce the landing obligation is a matter of serious concern to the European Commission and jeopardises the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) which includes ensuring the long-term environmental sustainability of fishing activities and the gradual elimination of discards.

The workforce in the fishing sector is ageing and motivating young people to take up fishing careers has become increasingly difficult. The EU recognises the importance of building a new generation of fishers and is helping attract young people to the fishing sector.

Our Story of the month comes from Senegal in West Africa, where the European Union supports women’s employment, building on traditional knowledge, and supports local fishermen while sustainably managing fisheries resources, especially octopus.

The 2018 implementation report of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is now available. It summarises EMFF implementation across EU countries and sea basins according to specific topics during the period 2014-2018. The report is based on data provided by the Member States in 2019, covering the period from January 2014 to December 2018.

Healthy oceans are a priority in the fight against climate change. They are the first victim of global warming, but they also offer some of the most effective solutions.