Brussels, 3 Marc 2025
“Check against delivery”
Good morning, friends of the ocean,
It is truly an honour to be here today as we kick off the second edition of the European Ocean Days.
I am pleased to see all of you here in Brussels, and I also want to extend a warm welcome to everyone joining us online. We have ocean experts, marine scientists, fishers, policymakers, community leaders, youth, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders from across Europe gathered here to discuss the importance of our ocean, seas and waters. I would like to take a moment to thank all my colleagues across the European Commission services and our partners for organising this week of inspiring events.
The European Ocean Days are more than just a week of events. They represent the European Union’s strong commitment to a sustainable blue economy and to the protection of our ocean. They also celebrate the hard work many of you have done to help shape the policies we are building on today.
As you well know, the ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface. It regulates our climate and provides essential resources that sustain life, both at sea and on land. Yet the ocean still faces many challenges, such as overfishing, plastic pollution and the effects of climate change. This year’s European Ocean Days are filled with exciting events to explore the future of our ocean, share success stories, and discuss innovative solutions to the challenges at hand. This is a unique opportunity to share ideas, learn from each other, and take steps towards our shared ocean goals.
But before I get into the details of what we have planned for you, I would like to tell you more about an initiative that we are working on – the European Ocean Pact.
With this pact, we want to ensure coherence across all EU policy areas linked to the ocean, with clear objectives:
- Developing a competitive and sustainable European blue economy;
- Protecting and restoring ocean health, productivity and resilience;
- Building a robust marine knowledge framework;
- Establishing a global ocean governance and diplomacy;
- Enhancing the resilience of coastal communities and cities;
- And putting in place a governance model that will ensure implementation.
In the coming days, you will hear a lot about the Ocean Pact and I hope that our discussions will feed into it.
Now let me tell you what we have planned for you:
We begin today with Young Voices for the Ocean and the first Youth Policy Dialogue, where I will have the opportunity to discuss ocean policies with 16 young people from across the European Union. Young people’s voices matter and it is important that we hear your views, because the future of our ocean largely rests in your hands. Your opinions and needs must contribute to the upcoming European Ocean Pact and help shape the future of the blue economy. Let me emphasise that listening to the views of the youth is among the priorities of this European Commission as it is clearly stated in the political guidelines of President Von Der Leyen.
In the afternoon, we have three panels lined up, focusing on key topics for young people: career opportunities in the blue economy, youth engagement in ocean conservation and restoration projects, and what it means to be a blue citizen. During breaks, I invite you to visit the art exhibition by the JRC SciArt project, relax with ocean sounds, or network and discover new initiatives and partners at the Ocean Literacy Island. Before we close today, our Ocean Literacy Coalition will launch the campaign #MakeEUBlue: Cities on board!. This initiative calls on cities across Europe to take action for the ocean, from supporting blue education to organizing beach clean-ups and restoration projects. We encourage you all to get involved and ensure no city is left behind on our shared journey toward ocean sustainability.
The rest of the week is just as full of important events. We will host the 3rd Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters Forum to highlight what we are doing to restore our ocean and waters, as well as what else needs to be done to meet our 2030 goals. Then, the Fisheries and Ocean Dialogues will bring together stakeholders from the fisheries, aquaculture, and blue economy sectors. These dialogues will play a crucial role in shaping the European Ocean Pact, addressing issues such as the future of fisheries, biodiversity protection, and the health and resilience of our ocean.
We will also hold a session on the European Institute of Technology’s call for a new Knowledge and Innovation Community on Water, Marine, and Maritime Sectors and Ecosystems. This session will provide essential information on funding opportunities for innovative projects. And, once again, investors and innovators will gather at the Blue Invest event to explore investment opportunities and sustainable solutions for the blue economy, with workshops and networking sessions on innovation and sustainability. To close the week, we will discuss Marine Knowledge for the European Ocean Pact, focussing on how observation, data, research, marine knowledge and citizen science can drive informed decision-making and help shape ocean-related policies, including the Oceans Pact. Finally, the Fisheries and Ocean Science Seminar will offer insights into the current state of scientific research and advice related to fisheries and ocean health. As you can see, we have a week full of activities that promise to be both informative and engaging.
So let’s make this week all about learning, sharing, and working together to build a better future for our ocean.
I wish you all an enjoyable and productive week and I look forward to the discussions, ideas, and actions that will emerge.
Thank you
Source – EU Commission