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Map showing Ocean extremes in European regional seas in 2024.

Copernicus Ocean State report flags Arctic ice loss and record marine heatwaves

he EU Commission’s tenth Copernicus Ocean State Report finds Arctic ice loss and record marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Global sea levels have risen by 4.2 mm a year since 2012, while around 60% of Arctic coastal infrastructure is vulnerable to erosion and rising seas. Produced by Mercator Ocean International, the report underscores growing risks to ecosystems, fisheries and island communities, and the need for forecasting.

30/09/2026

EU agriculture ministers advance post-2027 CAP and address drought pressures

EU agriculture ministers moved closer to a partial Council position on the post-2027 CAP, calling for simpler rules and greater flexibility ahead of an October agreement. They also assessed high input costs, weaker farm margins and severe drought impacts, discussed support for Ukraine’s farmers and backed priorities under the EU Commission’s fertiliser action plan.

29/09/2026

EU and Canada launch OceanEye alliance with almost €220 million in pledges

The EU and Canada have launched an alliance to sustain the global network of ocean sensors and data systems used for weather forecasts, maritime safety and climate research. Thirty countries have joined alongside the EU. The pledges include €92 million from the EU and CA$82 million from Canada—but can the alliance secure lasting support without other large economies in the world like the USA, China, and India?

24/09/2026

image, carbon destroyer, CCS, Denmark, EU STEP

Greensand Future inaugurates Europe’s first commercial offshore CO₂ storage facility

Backed by €41 million from the EU Innovation Fund, Greensand Future aims to store 2.4 million tonnes of CO₂ beneath the Danish North Sea over eight years. At its inauguration, EU Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said new EU rules for a cross-border CO₂ transport and storage market would follow by year-end.

23/09/2026

EU launches stakeholder platform to turn water resilience strategy into action

More than 50 experts will advise the EU on water efficiency, reuse, digitalisation, infrastructure and finance through a new five-year stakeholder platform. Commissioner Jessika Roswall highlighted over €3 billion in cohesion funding and €15 billion from the EIB—but said private capital must also be unlocked.

22/09/2026

EU Commission proposes to simplify fisheries and aquaculture funding

On Monday, the EU Commission proposed a targeted amendment to the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Regulation to make funding easier to access for fishers and aquaculture producers across the EU.

22/09/2026

G20 ministers agree on energy access, permitting, water reuse and critical minerals

G20 energy ministers have reached consensus on four outcomes covering clean cooking access, faster permitting, water reuse and more diversified critical-minerals supply chains. The Houston meeting also featured major US energy investments and agreements—but the White House paired the outcome with an expansive domestic deregulation agenda.

21/09/2026

EU Commission launches Water Resilience Platform and Water Academy

The two initiatives will bring together governments, regional authorities, businesses and civil society to address barriers to implementing the EU Water Resilience Strategy. They will also strengthen the skills, innovation and partnerships needed to tackle water scarcity, pollution and ageing infrastructure.

18/09/2026

EU launches Copernicus Sentinel-3C for Earth monitoring and disaster response

Copernicus Sentinel-3C has launched from Kourou to sustain Earth observation services tracking oceans, land and climate. Following several months of commissioning and calibration, it will provide data supporting disaster response, marine safety, agriculture and environmental monitoring.

16/09/2026

EU Parliament support clearer rules for sustainable high seas fish stock management

MEPs approved an agreement incorporating conservation and control measures from six regional fisheries management organisations into EU law. The measures aim to protect marine ecosystems, clarify fishers’ obligations and ensure a level playing field with non-EU fleets.

16/09/2026

EU Commission reports progress across five Horizon Europe Missions

An EU Commission mid-term assessment finds all five Horizon Europe Missions advancing towards their 2030 goals. Climate adaptation measures now cover 292 regional and local authorities, exceeding the target of 150, while work on climate-neutral cities, cancer, waters and soil health progresses.

15/09/2026

WMO forecasts very strong El Niño with extreme weather risks into 2027

The World Meteorological Organization says El Niño is firmly established and has a near-100% likelihood of persisting through February 2027. Exceptionally warm Pacific conditions are expected to intensify the event, raising risks of floods, drought, extreme heat and major shifts in rainfall worldwide.

04/09/2026

EU Industrial Maritime Value Chains Alliance: EU Commission boosts maritime manufacturing

The EU Commission has launched a maritime industry alliance to strengthen Europe’s manufacturing base, technological sovereignty and strategic autonomy through joint projects, investment and public-private cooperation.

03/09/2026

EU Arctic dialogue puts youth participation and maritime careers in focus

EU Commissioners Costas Kadis and Glenn Micallef will hear from young Arctic representatives on how the EU can make participation in regional policymaking more inclusive. The dialogue will also gather input for the forthcoming Blue Generational Renewal Strategy as the EU updates its Arctic policy amid geopolitical, economic and environmental change.

01/09/2026

UNFCCC Ocean Dialogue sets priorities to scale climate action ahead of COP31

The 2026 Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue calls for stronger integration of ocean measures into NDCs, better access to finance and closer alignment across climate, biodiversity and ocean policies. Its informal summary also points to a multi-year roadmap to embed ocean priorities more systematically in the UNFCCC process.

01/09/2026

EU Commission clears €285m Italian state aid for agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture

Italy can provide €285 million in grants and tax advantages to agricultural, fishing and aquaculture companies hit by higher fuel and fertiliser costs linked to the Middle East crisis under the EU’s temporary State aid framework.

28/08/2026

International restrictions on unsustainable Russian mackerel fishing enter into force

New North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission measures cap Russian mackerel catches in international waters at 1,495 tonnes and restrict port access, transhipment and refuelling linked to catches above the limit.

28/08/2026

EU Commission proposes new Baltic fishing quotas and by-catch cuts for 2027

The EU Commission has proposed 2027 fishing opportunities for ten Baltic Sea stocks, including increases of 49% for central Baltic herring and 44% for sprat, while sharply reducing unavoidable by-catch allocations for western and eastern Baltic cod. The proposal reflects improving prospects for some pelagic stocks but continued concern over depleted cod, herring and salmon populations and the wider deterioration of the Baltic Sea ecosystem.

24/08/2026

EU Commission clears €4.5m German fuel state aid for fishing and aquaculture companies

The German scheme will compensate fishing and aquaculture companies for 70% of the estimated increase in fuel costs linked to the Middle East crisis, with support capped at €50,000 per company. The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF).

21/08/2026

EU Commission approves €700,000 Maltese State aid for fisheries hit by fuel costs

The EU Commission has approved a €700,000 Maltese State aid scheme for fishing companies facing higher fuel prices linked to the Middle East crisis. Under the METSAF framework, direct grants will cover 70% of eligible additional fuel costs incurred between March and December 2026.

13/08/2026

EU Commission clears €149m Swedish aid for farms and fisheries facing higher input costs

The EU Commission has approved a €149 million Swedish scheme providing direct grants to agricultural, fishing and aquaculture companies affected by higher fuel and fertiliser prices linked to the Middle East crisis.

28/07/2026