EU Sets Up Ocean Board to Drive Blue Economy Policy

The European Commission recently launched the European Ocean Board, a high-level expert group comprising 28 members from business organizations, NGOs, and research institutes, to support the implementation of the European Ocean Pact. The expert group will advise the Commission on achieving the objectives of the Pact, provide opinions on specific matters related to it, and foster dialogue among members. The Board held its first meeting on March 31.

European fishing industry representative, Europêche, NGOs such as Oceana, Seas at Risk, WWF, and European Shipowners ECSA are among the members of the European Ocean Board. Earlier this year, the Commission launched a “call for evidence” to shape the Ocean Act, inviting citizens, experts, and stakeholders to submit their comments. The Ocean Pact, presented in June last year at the UN Ocean Conference, intends to bring together the EU’s policies and actions related to the ocean and create a unified and coordinated plan for managing the ocean. It will be implemented next year.