The call is targeted on supply systems in the blue bioeconomy: logistics and transportation – from harvest to processing. The scope of the call is to fund projects that facilitate the transfer (i.e. logistics, preservation and transportation) of bio-resources from harvest (catch or production) to processing to ensure e.g. traceability, quality, sustainability and the necessary quantity or pre-processing of the bio-resources for conversion into products for the market. This entails also the supply systems to primary producers for aspects affecting (...) Read more.

A new study from the European Commission reveals economic and social benefits of having an integrated Maritime Spatial planning approach. The blue economy has become a pillar for Europe's welfare and prosperity. It represents all economic activities and sectors related to oceans, seas and coasts. European Commission has undertaken a series of steps via initiatives to ensure a sustainable development of the maritime economy. Nevertheless, maritime space is in high demand making maritime space planning a determining factor in the (...) Read more.

Blue Energy has become one of the potential fields of expansion towards achieving the EU's 2050 decarbonisation target. In fact, the EU uses Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) as a tool for the harmonious development of activities in the marine areas of the member states as well as for the sustainable use of resources such as blue energy. Although the Northern European countries are currently ahead with regards to marine spatial planning, the Mediterranean basin also has enormous potential for the (...) Read more.

37 members of universities, sectoral agencies, business support organizations, SMEs, interests groups and national public authorities, gathered yesterday to celebrate the first virtual BLUE DEAL Testing Lab. The BLUE DEAL TESTING LABs are 2 virtual workshops where partners cooperate to develop and test Blue Energy design and planning processes and implement open innovation initiatives for blue energy deployment in the Mediterranean Area. On June 16th the first Lab has been focused on Malta. A first attempt to test the possibility (...) Read more.

Throughout the world, the fisheries and aquaculture sectors are facing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a view to sharing information among its countries and facilitating a reflection on future responses, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) has conducted a preliminary analysis of the impacts of this crisis on the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea region. The analysis was carried out from the beginning of the crisis, on the basis of (...) Read more.

The Mediterranean Action Plan of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP/MAP) announces the “Mediterranean Sea Programme (MedProgramme): Enhancing Environmental Security”—a 43 million USD endeavour funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with the aim of reducing major environmental stresses, strengthening climate resilience and water security, and improving the health and livelihoods of coastal populations in the Mediterranean region. The MedProgramme –an assortment of seven child projects—will deploy more than 100 coordinated actions at regional and national levels over the next 5 (...) Read more.

The PHAROS4MPAs project, coordinated by WWF over the past two years, has explored how Mediterranean MPAs are affected by several maritime sectors, and how the environmental impacts of those sectors can be prevented or minimized. The sectors studied were maritime transport, offshore windfarms, cruises, leisure boating, small-scale commercial fisheries, recreational fisheries, and marine aquaculture. The project has released a set of practical recommendations – excerpted below – for MPA managers, maritime spatial planning (MSP) authorities, and businesses. The reports presenting (...) Read more.

Within the WestMED Assistance Mechanism for Blue Growth and Blue Economy , the National Hub Italy, with the support of the National Coordinator, organises an online National Event on 25 – 26 June, with morning and afternoon sessions. Maritime Spatial Planning and Sustainable Coastal Tourism will be the core topics of morning sessions. These sessions include speeches, roundtables, presentations and are open to all stakeholders. The afternoon sessions will be dedicated to MSP networking tables and Italian-Tunisian maritime clusters b2b. (...) Read more.

The first MSPglobal online seminar in Arabic was organized on 27 May 2020 on the topic of “Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and Sustainable Blue Economy” with a total of 92 participants (45% female; 55% male). Discussions focused on the development of blue economy and MSP strategies and the opportunities and challenges they both offer in various sea basins such as the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the Adriatic Sea. Mr. Aomar Bourhim (Kingdom of Morocco) (...) Read more.

The BlueMed Initiative presents the e-training course on Understanding and acting for a healthy plastic free Mediterranean Sea, organized in the framework of the Pilot Action Healthy Plastic-free Mediterranean Sea. This course brings together experts working on Marine Litter and the Blue-economy in order to share knowledge, showcase best practices and suggest methods enabling more sustainable blue jobs in the framework of the circular economy strategy, taking into due consideration education for sustainable development and citizen science. The course aims (...) Read more.

The BlueMed Start Up Action SEALINES has recently published its final outcome: the feasibility study for a scientific research hub on an integrated green energy system. The StartUp Action focused on assessing the viability of repurposing a decommissioned offshore platform in order to generate green energy. The study proposes to combine solar panels, wind turbines and wave energy production system to generate the electric power sufficient to elctrolyse water and produce hydrogen, which would be afterwards conveyed to the existing (...) Read more.

The call for challenges of the 5th edition of Ocean Hackathon® is now open. More than 200 challenges are expected. You have a simple idea coming from a need of sea users? You have a more mature project that needs a boost or special expertise? Submit your challenge as a natural person or legal entity in one of the 19 cities organising the event. Once your challenge accepted, participate to the 5th edition of Ocean Hackathon® from 9th to 11th (...) Read more.

Un accord de partenariat a été signé aujourd’hui 9 juin 2020 par Cluster Maritime Tunisien (CMT) et le cluster italien Blue Italian Growth (BIG). Cette signature a été réalisée lors d’une vidéoconférence à laquelle ont assisté l’ambassadeur italien en Tunisie, des représentants de la Commission Européenne, des représentants de la co-présidence italienne et marocaine de WestMed, le directeur général de l’aquaculture et de la pêche en Tunisie, les deux présidents des deux clusters et plusieurs de leurs membres, le gestionnaire (...) Read more.

Today, the European Commission published “The EU Blue Economy Report 2020”, providing an overview of the performance of the EU economic sectors related to oceans and the coastal environment. With a turnover of €750 billion in 2018, the EU blue economy is in good health. There were also 5 million people working in the blue economy sector in 2018, representing a significant increase of 11.6% compared to the year before. Although sectors such as coastal and marine tourism, as well (...) Read more.

To meet the ambitious targets set by the Regional Plan of Action for Small-scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and in order to disseminate and scale-up best practices, promote cooperation and identify gaps and areas for investment in this region, an interactive Small-scale Fisheries (SSF) mapping tool has been created. This tool serves as a resource to promote awareness of and build synergies among past, present and future projects on SSF being carried out in the field (...) Read more.

In the area of climate action, the EU will invest €46.8 million to support climate change mitigation, adaptation and governance and information projects. This includes practical support for Member States drafting their 2030 national climate and energy plans that will help them collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. LIFE funding will also help farming and forestry adapt to climate change and improve communities' resilience to extreme weather events, from floods and (...) Read more.

Creating a local dynamic to respond to a regional issue is one of the major axes of Beyond Plastic Med. To achieve this concrete objective, BeMed is launching a call to reduce plastic pollution in Mediterranean islands. Key information about the call: Eligible stakeholders: The call for projects concerns all types of stakeholders whose legal status allows them to receive grants. Targeted actions: The call concerns only actions that are part of a project already underway, complementing a completed project (...) Read more.

During the last 3 weeks, MPA-ENGAGE has been conducting their first webinar series course entitled "Mediterranean MPAs facing Climate Change". Over the course of three consecutive weeks, participants learned how to gather the key information needed to develop a climate change adaptation and mitigation action plan. The last webinar “Citizen Science webinar: the new frontier to enhance the effectiveness of climate change adaptation strategies” was held on June 3, 2020. For more details about the webinars, please visit: https://mpa-engage.interreg-med.eu/webinars/

Join the United Nations World Oceans Day virtual event in celebration of the 2020 theme "Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean". The event is produced in partnership with the non-profit organization Oceanic Global. UN World Oceans Day 2020 will be a day-long event featuring keynote speeches, panels, and presentations with leading ocean voices. Join the online event: https://unworldoceansday.org/2020

As populations worldwide are struggling out of the COVID crisis, the coast and the open sea never looked so appealing to individuals and their families as a free breathing space. But this crisis should not let us forget that the ocean is under unprecedented pressure from the cumulative effects of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and further degradation from human activities. The sustainable development of marine planning in Europe requires partnerships and collaborations that cross sectors, disciplines and scales in (...) Read more.

On Monday 8 June - World Ocean Day - the Virtual Ocean Literacy Summit will be livestreamed between 11:00 and 14:00. The Summit brings together the EU, IOC-UNESCO and other international partners to discuss the role of ocean literacy (OL) in transforming knowledge into action, in the context of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. During the summit, Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, will announce the creation of the "EU4Ocean” coalition. The EU4Ocean (...) Read more.

The 18th Meeting of the MSEG on MSP took place on Wednesday 13th May 2020. Due to the unprecedented circumstances at present, the meeting was held online. Updates were provided by all 20 of the Member States represented at the MSEG Meeting regarding the status of their MSP plans and the latest developments at the national level. In several cases, the national consultation process has been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The Commission (DG MARE) and EASME informed participants (...) Read more.

The BlueMed Initiative presents the e-training course on Understanding and acting for a healthy plastic free Mediterranean Sea, organized in the framework of the Pilot Action Healthy Plastic-free Mediterranean Sea. This course brings together experts working on Marine Litter and the Blue-economy in order to share knowledge, showcase best practices and suggest methods enabling more sustainable blue jobs in the framework of the circular economy strategy, taking into due consideration education for sustainable development and citizen science. The course consists (...) Read more.

The World Economic Forum has organised for this week a series of webinars called OceanDialogues. Content is split across 3 key themes that allow you to explore the diverse topics addressed during the meeting. Some of the webinars taking place today and tomorrow are: following webinars will take place: 1) Global Ocean Connectivity, Governance and the 2030 Agenda  2) Sustainable Ocean Economy 3) Future of Tourism We invite you to explore the scheduled webinars and to register here: https://www.weforum.org/events/virtual-ocean-dialogues-2020/themes

The EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) brings together policymakers, stakeholders and citizens to achieve climate and energy goals for the EU. In the framework of EUSEW 2020, Ocean Energy Europe (OEE) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will host a joint webinar. The webinar will focus on new international developments, both in technology and support schemes, and examining the future of the global leadership role that Europe currently enjoys in ocean energy technology. OEE's CEO Rémi Gruet and IRENA's (...) Read more.

The EU Sustainable Energy Week 2020 is coming to you live wherever you are. The digital Policy Conference will run online from 23 to 25 June 2020. The EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) brings together policymakers, stakeholders and citizens to achieve climate and energy goals for the EU. Registration will launch in June. For updates, please visit the event website: https://www.eusew.eu/

The IOG-Forum Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) were launched via online webinars between 22-24 April. 435 ocean actors, stakeholders and experts joined the webinars from their desks from around the world – demonstrating our shared commitment to ocean governance despite the COVID-19 pandemic. You can now access the webinars recordings and presentations here: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/maritimeforum/en/node/4466

The UfM participated in the EU International Ocean Governance Forum, launched by the European Commission in association with the European External Action Service to provide a platform for dialogue on ocean challenges and governance solutions The International Ocean Governance (IOG) Forum took place online on 23-24 of April to further strengthen international ocean governance for the sustainable use of oceans and seas and the shift to the blue economy. With the participation of the UfM Deputy Secretary General, Isidro González (...) Read more.

In March 2020, the MSP-MED project “Towards the Spatial Plan of Mediterranean” (one of the awarded projects of the EMFF-MSP-2019 call for projects) was launched with the first on-line kick off meeting, taking place with the support of the AM MSP between project partners from France, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Greece and Malta, but also with participation of observers from other Mediterranean countries with the lead partner IUAV (University of Venice). This MSP research project will explore the specificities and potential (...) Read more.

The UfM strengthens collaborative efforts to address the impacts of pollution together with the UN Environment Program / Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP). The Mediterranean Sea is the most polluted European sea with 200 thousand tons of plastic dumped each year. Also, air pollution from ships in the Mediterranean causes up to 6,000 deaths per year. Both sources of pollution were tackled during the UNEP 21st Meeting of the Members of the Steering Committee of Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development on (...) Read more.

20 May is European Maritime Day. Every year the EU organises the EMD conference around that date. It is one of the highlights of the maritime calendar, with up to 1,500 stakeholders joining as we celebrate the blue economy. This year, the Commission had planned another great edition, together with Cork, the host city of EMD 2020. And together with maritime stakeholders, people and organisations who had registered in huge numbers. Unfortunately, because of the coronavirus and social distancing rules, (...) Read more.

The Parliament Magazine published the article "How the blue economy can help Europe tackle climate change?". Blue Growth is the European Commission’s long-term strategy to support sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors. Please access the article: https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/articles/feature/how-blue-economy-can-help-europe-tackle-climate-change

WestMED Initiative organized a series of Hackathon type meetings amongst which Hackathon n4 discussed and assessed the potential for a Mediterranean-wide Maritime Innovation Technologies Platform (Med-MIT) or similar actions and/or projects that could allow for greater cooperation between clusters, research/technological centres, institutions and sectorial actors. This Maritime Innovation Technologies Platform would aim at fuelling the urgently needed collaborations that could effectively channel Key Enabling Technologies and R&D Topics under one same umbrella towards the achievement of a sustainable Blue Economy (...) Read more.

The webinar “Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Ports and Maritime Transport in the Mediterranean Region”, has been jointly organized by the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the MEDports Association, on the 27th May 2020, from 10:00 to 13:00. The meeting will bring together representatives from port authorities of the Mediterranean basin, shipping lines and other maritime-related transport companies, along with sectoral international and regional organisations, the European Commission, national transport administrations, the private sector and (...) Read more.

The EU-funded ODYSSEA project has begun a large campaign to reach out to Blue Economy industrial actors across the Mediterranean, which recently led to the agreement signed with Energean to integrate ODYSSEA monitoring equipment at a gas production platform in Greek waters. ODYSSEA’s push for partnerships comes on the heels of a key update to the ODYSSEA platform’s capabilities, adhering it to the new Collect Localisation Satellites (CLS) data system and upgrading ODYSSEA’s emphasis on user-oriented services. The agreement with (...) Read more.

Fort de la nouvelle mouture de sa plateforme d’information océanographique, installée sur le nouveau super-calculateur de CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites) ODYSSEA travaille ardument sur la mise en place de nouvelles collaborations dans le secteur de l’économie bleue à travers la Méditerranée. Dans le cadre de cette dynamique orientée utilisateur, un accord a été récemment signé avec la société pétrolière Energean pour installer des équipements de surveillance ODYSSEA sur une plateforme de production de gaz dans les eaux grecques. L'accord avec (...) Read more.

ENI CBC Med Program has launched its last call for proposals for the 2014-2020 period, specifically dedicated to capitalization projects. The main features of the call are the following: • Overall budget of the call: €11 million • EU contribution to projects: from €500.000 to €1 million • Minimum 5 different organizations from 5 different countries, including at least one Mediterranean Partner Country • Open to the Program 11 priorities: http://www.enicbcmed.eu/about-us/thematic-objectives-and-priorities • Deadline for submitting project proposals is 28th of (...) Read more.

Our Biannual Newsletter is out! The 8th issue of the biannual flash news on blue economy in the Mediterranean region is now available on our platform. You will find the most updated information related to the work of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and its partners to promote the blue economy in the Mediterranean region. Stay up to date with the latest news, reports, webinars, upcoming events and other valuable resources on Blue Economy in the Mediterranean. Access it (...) Read more.

Séminaire en ligne: Comment intégrer la #GIZC et la #PEM ? Quels sont les défis et solutions à cette intégration? Notre séminaire en ligne explorera toutes ces questions et bien d'autres Rejoignez-nous pour un séminaire en ligne pour poser vos questions! 13 mai 2020 / 16h30-18h (heure de Paris/GMT+2) Inscription: http://on.unesco.org/GIZCPEM

Join the MPA-Engage 1st webinar series to develop your skills on how to: ► Monitor in a harmonized way the climate change impacts in MPAs: UNIT 1 (18 - 22 May from 10h - 12h CET) ► Assess the ecological and socio-economic vulnerability of MPAs to climate change: UNIT 2 (03 June from 10h - 11h CET) ► Engage local communities in citizen science activities: UNIT 3 (25 - 29 May from 10h - 12h CET) Over the course of (...) Read more.

The unexpected break-out and global spread of the pandemic labelled COVD-19 is posing extremely serious challenges for the whole economy. In such a difficult time, nonetheless, crowdfunding has proven to be a trusted and reliable tool to support civic and social-grounded initiatives and donations. In order to capture the market perceptions on the impact of COVID-19 on the crowdfunding industry, BLUE CROWDFUNDING project partner European Crowdfunding Network conducted a short and indicative survey amongst crowdfunding platforms operating in Europe. For (...) Read more.

BLUE DEAL project intends to perform open innovation actions in target regions to develop cooperation mechanisms between SMEs, PAs, Knowledge institutions and civil society and promote new initiatives for Blue Energy deployment in the Mediterranean region. For further information, you can read here: https://blue-deal.interreg-med.eu/news-events/news/detail/actualites/blue-deal-project-is-committed-to-open-innovation/

Within the support activities in the field of Sustainable Transport and Alternative Fuels, the Italian National Hub has activated a local working group, composed of stakeholders in the field of LNG for maritime transport. The members of this group include business associations, policy makers, national development banks, research institutes, consulting companies and universities. More detailed information can be read here: https://www.westmed-initiative.eu/lng-working-group-italy-march20/

Le Hub national Tunisie a participé ce jeudi 2 avril à un webinar organisé par l’Association Tunisienne de l’Ingénierie Côtière, Portuaire et Maritime et l’Association la Saison Bleue sur les perspectives de l’économie bleue durable en Tunisie. Le maire de la ville de Bizerte, des représentants de l’Union pour la Méditerranée (UpM), de la Banque Mondiale, et du Fonds mondial pour l’environnement ont rejoint la quarantaine de participants, issus de la société civile, de l’enseignement, de la recherche et de (...) Read more.

In order to quickly direct the available European public funds to address the consequences of the coronavirus crisis, under Article 139 of the ESIF Regulation, the Commission has waived this year the obligation to request the refunds of unspent pre-financing from the fund until programme closure. More detailed information can be read here: https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/press/coronavirus-commission-launches-2020-emff-pre-financing-process_en

The kick-off meeting of the new MED Sustainable Tourism Community, held in 3-4 March 2020 in Salou (Spain), marked the launch of the second implementation phase of the Interreg MED Horizontal Project. It brought together representatives of most of the 22 Interreg MED projects dealing with sustainable tourism, involving around 300 organisations including public authorities, universities, NGOs, international organisations and private companies. For further information, please visit: https://cpmr-intermed.org/regional-and-partners-news/mise-en-oeuvre-du-projet-horizontal-pour-interreg-med-avec-la-nouvelle-communaute-du-tourisme-durable/10257/

The Advisory Committee of the Strategic Action Programme for the Conservation of the Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean Region (SAPBIO) held an online meeting on 2 April 2020 to examine the roadmap for the elaboration of a post-2020 SAPBIO in the context of preparations for the post-2020 Biodiversity Framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The Advisory Committee brings together relevant international and regional organizations invited to participate in the planning process coordinated by the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre (...) Read more.

A new project implemented by the Mediterranean Action Plan of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP/MAP) and funded by the European Union went underway in March 2020 with the two-pronged aim of strengthening national capabilities in integrated monitoring of the Mediterranean Sea and coast and enhancing the management of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean region. The kick-off and Steering Committee meeting took place on 10 March 2020 in Tunis and saw the participation of representatives of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, UNEP/MAP—represented (...) Read more.

With two-thirds of the human population concentrated around coastlines, alongside with growing threats from sea level rise and increased storminess, accelerated coastal development and changes to natural coastlines are inevitable, leading to habitat loss and reduction of biodiversity and productivity. While seawalls, breakwaters, and piers add ample hard substrate available for colonization, they are typically designed and built with no consideration to marine life developing on them. Consequently, they do not support communities similar to that of natural reefs, and (...) Read more.

The coronavirus pandemic is a global crisis. It can only be solved at global level. A strong European response in support of our partners is the only way to put an end to the spread of the virus and to avoid spillover effects on social stability and security in our partner countries. The EU will lead efforts in the G7 and G20, in coordination with the United Nations, the World Bank, the IMF and other multilateral institutions, to promote a (...) Read more.

Coronavirus: European Commission helps Member States support local fishing and aquaculture communities through EU and national funds DG MARE has published an information note to give guidance to EU Member States outlining existing tools and instruments to support their local communities. Fisheries and aquaculture have been hit particularly hard by significant market disruptions, including from mandatory restaurant closures. The information note provides details to Member States about support measures that are available immediately and that can be used without delay. (...) Read more.

A new interactive online tool to map initiatives and projects addressing small-scale fisheries (SSF) in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea region has been developed by the GFCM, in collaboration with the Friends of SSF partner organizations: the WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative, the Black Sea Advisory Council (BlSAC), CIHEAM-Bari, the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) and the Mediterranean Advisory Council (MEDAC). The mapping tool seeks to: • Give visibility to past, ongoing and future projects addressing SSF in the (...) Read more.

The BlueGeneration project launched in February 2020 its flagship job portal at www.bluegeneration.careers Companies across the Blue Economy can now advertise open positions and training opportunities free of charge to thousands of young Europeans. The portal is being promoted to thousands of young people across Europe through school visits and promotional activities. It focuses on young people between the ages of 15 and 29 with the aim to attract them and start a career in the Blue Economy. The job (...) Read more.

While coastal zones in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean are undoubtedly a competitive advantage for local communities, they are facing ever-increasing natural and anthropogenic pressures that generate poor environmental conditions and can lead to their demise. Based on this fact, Municipalities, Universities and NGOs from Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Albania have formed a partnership coordinated by the Municipality of Paggaio to jointly address in a comprehensive and effective manner this challenge, through the implementation of the HERMES project. co-financed (...) Read more.

Fórum Oceano, the Portuguese National Hub, organised, in collaboration with the Regional Coordination and Development Commissions of Alentejo and Algarve, a series of meetings to bring together the regional stakeholders. These sessions happened on the 11th of February in Évora (Alentejo) during the morning, and in Faro (Algarve) during the afternoon, counting on with the presence of more than 20 representatives from companies, research centres, educational institutions, associations and public administration. The objective was to raise awareness on the WestMED’ (...) Read more.

The Blue Growth Community organized its First Annual Assembly with a significant participation of the new associated projects and many interested regions in Blue Economy The last 4th and 5th February 2020, the Blue Growth Community, represented by the core members of the MED Blue Growth projects, the Blue Growth associated partners, as well as other relevant stakeholders, gathered in Montpellier (France). The new horizontal Blue Growth project (2019-2022), which succeeded the 1st phase horizontal project InnoBlueGrowth (2017-2019), organized its (...) Read more.

Building on the WestMED Palermo Hackathons in 2019, this edition will explore and clarify project concepts, funding, partnerships, and establish next steps towards successful project application. The session will be back to back with the UfM Regional Stakeholders Conference on Blue Economy. Stakeholders from the western Mediterranean are invited to express their interest to attend. Considering the Hackathons are run back to back to the UfM Regional Stakeholder Conference, invitations are exceptionally extended to stakeholders from the eastern Mediterranean. The (...) Read more.

MedPAN has launched a Call for Small Projects to support the actions led in Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in the Mediterranean. The Call for Small Projects aims to reinforce MPA management. Please note that the call has specific eligibility rules. You'll find all the details below. The MedPAN Calls for Small Project is open to: • Organisations that are in charge of the management of MPAs; • Other organisations (NGOs, private companies, scientific institutions, etc.) working with authorities that are (...) Read more.

A new call for Strategic Projects under the Axis 4 of the Interreg MED Program will be launched in March 2020. On this occasion, the strategic projects will be focused on Innovation in blue economy, in particular on: - promoting the use of blue biotechnologies to address the SDGs in the MED and on promoting new value chains and business opportunities. - promoting the articulation of the collaboration of the quadruple helix actors to address the SDGs in the MED (...) Read more.

Dear Stakeholders, The CoPresidency and Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) would like to invite you to attend to the 2020 UfM Regional Stakeholders Conference on Blue Economy and WESTMED Hackathons on 10th and 11th March 2020 in Barcelona (Spain). The Conference will take place at the Palau de Pedralbes. The UfM Regional Stakeholders Conference on Blue Economy is a key step on the way to the 2020 UfM Ministerial Conference on Blue Economy, scheduled for the 2nd (...) Read more.

The advanced course on the “Sustainable Development of Coastal Communities” launched by CIHEAM Bari last September, finalized last November 16. It was a new high-level specialised programme funded by the Italian Cooperation and implemented by CIHEAM Bari in close collaboration with FAO within the context of the Blue Hope Initiative. The course of ten weeks ‘duration was held at the MARE Outpost – a branch office of CIHEAM Bari- in Tricase Porto (Le), where an integrated and inclusive growth process (...) Read more.

On November 19th, the ‘Regional Seminar on Blue Skills/Careers/Jobs’, sponsored by GIZ within the wider partnership with UfM on Blue Economy, took place in Brussels, Belgium. The Seminar aimed at: • An interactive day of exchange on the problems and causes of mismatch between available skills and employment challenges in the blue economy sectors; • Possible tools to fill this gap/mismatch, showcasing successful policies and actions at regional, national and local level to address the challenges in the axis education-employment (...) Read more.

Brussels, 19th and 20th November 2019. The 6th meeting of the Working Group on the Blue Economy (WG on BE) will take place at the Centre des Conferences Albert Borschette (CCAB) in Brussels on 20 November 2019. The Working Group is an integral part of the UfM Forum on Blue Economy, which is one of the deliverables of the UfM Ministerial Declaration of 17 November 2015 on Blue Economy. The 6th meeting of the UfM WG on Blue Economy intends (...) Read more.

The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, participated in the XV Conference of the Mediterranean Commission of the European League for Economic Cooperation (ELEC) under the title “Promoting Blue Tourism in the Mediterranean”, which took place in Palma de Mallorca (Spain) on 30-31 October 2019. The Conference on “Promoting Blue Tourism in the Mediterranean” brought together over 80 stakeholders from the Tourism and Blue Economy Sectors on both sides of the Euro-Mediterranean Region, presenting an occasion for exchanging views, ideas, best (...) Read more.

The European Commission has launched on 13 September the Blue Invest Platform which aims to support investment readiness and access to finance for early-stage businesses, SMEs and scale-ups in the blue economy. The Blue Invest Platform provides the following services: BlueInvest Community The community is open to entrepreneurs, investors, corporates and innovation stakeholders interested in the Blue Economy. Our content and activities are designed to help start-ups and SMEs with investment and growth prospects. BlueInvest Readiness Assistance An exclusive coaching (...) Read more.

Save the date – EMFF Info Day will take place on Monday 25 November 2019 at Albert Borschette Congress Center, in Brussels. New blue economy call will be presented in a series of presentations organised by EASME and the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission. The aim of the Info Day is to present funding opportunities under the 2019 “Blue Economy Window” call for proposals and to attract new applicants and potential beneficiaries. The project (...) Read more.

On Wednesday 23 October, the WestMED Steering Committee (WMSC) will be meeting in Rabat, Morocco. The meeting will function as an opportunity for the WMSC to evaluate the implementation of the initiative, as well as to reflect on the outcomes of the outgoing Franco-Moroccan co-presidency, and on introducing the future Italian-Moroccan co-presidency. The WMSC includes national coordinators from the relevant ministries from participating countries (France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Malta, Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia), the European Commission and the Union (...) Read more.

Bring your own expertise, share your ideas, imagine innovative solutions, design new digital tools, develop your network, get access to unexploited data, learn more together coached by experts... and enjoy a friendly week-end! Ocean hackathon® is a 48 hours non-stop event during which some teams imagine innovative use of ocean data. To do that, they will tackle challenges submitted few months before by natural person or legal entity. Ocean Hackathon® is a unique opportunity to experience an idea around the (...) Read more.

The 13th edition of the Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders (MedaWeek Barcelona 2019) will be held on 20th-22nd November 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. More detailed information can be found here: http://www.medaeconomicweek.org/

Business2Sea is an international event dedicated to the development of projects and businesses in the different sectors of the Sea economy. It is open to the participation of all organisations: companies, business associations, higher education institutions, and research centres. Business2Sea is organised by Fórum Oceano, within the framework of its mission to foster the Portuguese Maritime Cluster, in collaboration with CETMAR Foundation. More information here: https://www.westmed-initiative.eu/events/business2sea-2019/

The Barcelona premises of the Union for the Mediterranean next October 15-18 will be the venues of two important BlueMed events: -the 4th BlueMed Platforms meeting (Oct. 15-16); -the Young Ambassadors training (Oct. 17-18). Both the events, in different ways, contribute to realize the core mission of BlueMed: supporting the blue economy in the Mediterranean Basin through cooperation and knowledge sharing. The Platforms meeting, indeed, is a crucial knot of the Initiative, representing the ground where the pivots from the (...) Read more.

Join the MED Sustainable Tourism Community on the 9th of October 2019 for its event "Fostering sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean region". This debate, organised as a side event of the European Week of Cities and Regions, has the objective of triggering the discussion on the importance of a sustainable approach in European tourism, with a special focus on the Mediterranean area and the next programming period. This is the occasion for the MED Sustainable Tourism Community to showcase the (...) Read more.

Organised under the Hellenic Presidency of the Programme, on 24th October 2019, in Athens, the Interreg MED Programme projects’ communities will unfold their results and demonstrate how the Programme architecture became operational and efficient. On this occasion, you will witness innovative ideas, produced by the Interreg MED cooperation partnerships to overcome shared challenges in areas as diverse as Innovation, Low carbon economy or natural and cultural resources, throughout the European Mediterranean basin. In light of these cooperation results, the 13 (...) Read more.

The InnoBlueGrowth project which leads the Blue Growth Community celebrates its final event on 19/20 September 2019 in Brussels, in a joint event with the Green Growth Community, aiming at discussing the key elements necessary for a “Transition towards blue and green economies in the Mediterranean”. More information here: https://blue-growth.interreg-med.eu/news-events/news/detail/actualites/transition-towards-blue-and-green-economies-in-the-mediterranean-19th-20th-september-2019-bruss/

This event corresponds to the Capitalisation Conference of the Interreg MED MITOMED+ (Models of Integrated Tourism in the MEDiterranean Plus) project. It aims to disseminate its results and encourage their replication beyond the project’s area. It is aimed at EU policy makers, destination managers, tourism professionals, and regional and local policy makers, among others. The event will take place on Monday 7 October 2019 in Brussels, at the Delegation of the Generalitat de Catalunya. It aims at presenting the main (...) Read more.

Study on MSP, prepared by the EU MSP Platform for DG MARE / EASME: Addressing conflicting spatial demands in MSP This report presents the key findings of a study that was carried out in 2018 to explore the range of spatial conflicts experienced in MSP in Europe. The aim was to provide an overview of common types of spatial conflicts and solutions that have been found in various EU Member States, with a particular focus on spatial conflict prevention and (...) Read more.

The objective of this call for proposals is to support the establishment and implementation of Maritime Spatial Plans in line with the objectives pursued in the framework of the MSP Directive. More specifically, this action intends to support Member States in setting up maritime spatial plans and ensuring plans are coherent and coordinated across marine regions concerned. Deadline for submitting proposal 04/09/2019 More detailed information on the call can be found here: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/european-maritime-and-fisheries-fund/funding-opportunities

Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have an important role in providing ecosystem services, mitigating the impacts of climate change and increasing ecological and socioeconomic resilience of biodiversity and surrounding coastal communities. Increasing the number of MPAs and developing appropriate management actions within them are essential to maintain the natural resilience of marine habitats against climate change impacts in the Mediterranean. Watch the video produced by IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIytHdaHgVk&feature=youtu.be

The Fourteenth International MEDCOAST Congress on Coastal and Marine Sciences, Engineering, Management and Conservation will be celebrated on 22 - 26 October 2019, in Marmaris, TURKEY. The MEDCOAST congress in Marmaris (Turkey) is the fourteenth event of the biennial series that was started in 1993 for contributing to coastal and marine sciences, engineering, management and conservation particularly in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Since the first event in 1993 (Antalya, Turkey), the MEDCOAST congress series have travelled around the (...) Read more.

Representatives of G7 Countries, Regional Seas Conventions and Programmes to which G7 Countries are party, and a number of stakeholders from intergovernmental mechanisms, civil society, and industry, met in Metz, France, on 5 and 6 May 2019 on the occasion of the “Workshop on the G7 Action Plan to Combat Marine Litter in Synergy with the Regional Seas Conventions”. The event was organized by the French G7 Presidency and the UN Environment/Mediterranean Action Plan–Barcelona Convention Secretariat, with the generous support (...) Read more.

This is an EU call for grants in the area of Maritime Spatial Planning under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. This call for proposals is launched in accordance with the 2019 Work Programme for the implementation of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) (section 1.2.1.8 of the annex to the Work Programme). Specific Challenge: The objective of this call for proposals is to support the establishment and implementation of Maritime Spatial Plans in line with the objectives pursued (...) Read more.

The Nature Conservancy and Encourage Capital have partnered to create a guide to impact investing in sustainable aquaculture, launched today. This guide represents the first-ever attempt to comprehensively assess the potential of sustainable aquaculture through both an environmental and financial perspective. The recently published guide identifies three attractive impact investment opportunities which can help drive more environmentally friendly production, adding up to a rare opportunity for investors to generate compelling financial returns. These are: 1. Seaweed and bivalve systems 2. (...) Read more.

Democritus University of Thrace team headed by Professor Georgios Sylaios will present the work carried out in the frame of the HERMES project in the 1st International Scientific Conference of the Design and Management of Harbor, Coastal and Offshore Works (http://www.dmpco.gr/index.html) which will take place in Athens, Greece 8-11 May 2019. The Abstract below gives an excellent introduction to the thrust of argument that will be presented and which was developed in the 18 months that the HERMES project activities (...) Read more.

ABEF is about bold new thinking to accelerate Africa’s structural transformation and create jobs for a young population on the rise. The first Africa Blue Economy Forum was hosted in London on 8th June 2018 to raise awareness on the unique potential of the oceans to accelerate Africa’s sustainable development. Based on last year’s recommendations which were compiled in the ABEF2018 Report, Blue Jay Communication is organising the second edition of the Africa Blue Economy Forum (ABEF) which will take (...) Read more.

The European Commission and the Co-Presidency of the Initiative for the sustainable development of the blue economy in the western Mediterranean are holding the event Hackathons WestMED: "Blue economy contribution to the Summit of the Two Shores” on Tuesday 14 May 2019 in Palermo, Italy. The event aims to facilitate the exchange of project ideas and promote concrete project development among stakeholders in the region operating in the maritime sector (businesses, researchers, institutes, national and local authorities belonging to the (...) Read more.

The EUSAIR stakeholder platform is conceived as the most important tool of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR) to increase stakeholder engagement, coordination and implementation process. The Platform is managed by Marche Region - Integrated Planning, International Activities, Trade and Cooperation Department - in the framework of the strategic project “Supporting the governance of the EUSAIR: Facility Point””. Through the Stakeholder Platform stakeholders, project beneficiaries and interested public will have the opportunity to interact and cooperate with EUSAIR (...) Read more.

Maritime & Blue Logistics Startup Weekend 54 hours is all you need to disrupt in the maritime logistic sector, today! Do you have an idea you would like to pursue or a problem you would like to solve but don't know where to start or who to start with? For the first time, we will organize a Startup Weekend dedicated entirely to maritime and blue logistics. Barcelona has one of the biggest ports in Spain and therefore we want to (...) Read more.

Registration is open and inaugural class will take place on 29 April 2019 at the Open University of the Netherlands. On April 29th, 2019, the Open University of the Netherlands will have the inaugural class of its newest Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Marine Litter. The course will be available in all UN languages, making a global issue available to a global audience. The course content is tailored to the different regions of our planet. The previous Marine Litter (...) Read more.

On 25th February more than thirty entities, companies and people interested in renewable energies, have met in Valencia Port to discuss about the potential of the Mediterranean to take advantage of marine resources and obtain clean energy in the first Blue Energy Lab (BEL) of the Valencia Region. Throughout the morning several presentations and round tables have been developed in which experts have analysed the possibilities of the Valencian coast for the implementation of infrastructures that allow to take advantage (...) Read more.

The COFUND is the result of a collaboration between JPI Oceans and the former ERA-NETS COFASP and ERA MBT and consists of 27 partners from 16 countries. The main objective of the COFUND is to establish a coordinated R&D funding scheme that will strengthen Europe’s position in the blue bioeconomy. The first co-funded call launched 17 December 2018. The COFUND partners have committed EUR 23,5 million, which will make up a maximum total budget of EUR 30 million including EUR (...) Read more.

The Blue Bioeconomy Forum held its second working group meeting on 11 and 12 March in Brussels. Participants attended four half-a-day sessions dedicated to each working group: Policy, Environment and Regulation; Finance and Business Development; Consumers and Value Chains; Science, Technology and Innovation. These discussions were instrumental in gathering more insight on the key challenges and ways forward identified over the last year, finding the good examples to illustrate potential solutions. As we are about to launch the next phase (...) Read more.

Blue Bieoconomy Forum second stakeholder event will take place in Brussels on 25 June. At this conference the European roadmap for the blue bioeconomy will be presented and discussed. You can contribute to the roadmap, get informed on the most important challenges and suggested solutions (on policy, environment and regulation; finance and business development; value chain, markets and consumers; and science, technology and innovation) and get in contact with other professionals working in or interested in the blue bioeconomy. You (...) Read more.

EASME has launched a call for tender on Blue Economy: EASME/2019/OP/0008 Design and Implementation of a Blue Economy Development Framework. The deadline for presentation of offers is 26 April 2019. More detailed information can be found here: https://ted.europa.eu/TED/notice/udl?uri=TED%3ANOTICE%3A125844-2019%3ATEXT%3AEN%3AHTML

During its last meeting which took place for the very first time in Cairo (Egypt) on 29-30 January 2019, the Joint Monitoring Committee (decision-making body of the ENI CBC Med Programme composed of the representatives of 13 participating countries) approved a list of 41 projects recommended for funding by the Projects Selection Committee. Based on the quality of the proposals assessed, the Joint Monitoring Committee has decided to increase the budget of the call, within the 20% limit set by (...) Read more.

The focus of the European Maritime Day 2019 in Lisbon, Portugal, will be on blue entrepreneurship, innovation and investment to transform traditional maritime sectors and boost emerging technologies and value chains. A specific focus will be put on research and innovation for a plastic-free ocean. The EMD is the annual EU meeting point on maritime affairs and blue growth. It targets maritime professionals, entrepreneurs and ocean leaders from Academia, NGOs, businesses, governments and public institutions. Stakeholders will find the EMD (...) Read more.

On Monday 25 February the kick-off meeting with the WestMED Italian National Hub was held in Rome, at the premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hosted by the WestMED National Coordinators for Italy, notably the Department of Cohesion within the Italian Presidency of Ministers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting gathered about 40 organisations amongst Regional Authorities, National Ministries and other relevant stakeholders for the Blue Economy in Italy. The kick-off meeting was aimed to introduce the (...) Read more.

UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and the European Commission launched MSPGlobal, a new global project on maritime spatial planning, on 11 and 12 February at UNESCO Headquarters. The project aims to promote better maritime spatial planning with a view to avoiding conflicts and improving the governance of human activities at sea such as aquaculture, tourism, marine energy, and exploitation of the seabed. More detailed information can be found here: http://www.westmed-initiative.eu/launch-of-a-new-initiative-on-maritime-spatial-planning/

There is a growing attention for the impact of the ocean economy in the European landscape. In order to plan for a sustainable Blue Growth, to manage ocean and coastal ecosystems, and to deal with the effects of climate change; ocean management and planning decisions need to better incorporate the value of marine ecosystem services and natural capital. The European Marine Board has published a Future Science Brief highlighting current thinking in ecosystem service valuation for the marine environment. The (...) Read more.

A WestMED workshop was held at the Salon Halieutis, on the 22nd February 2019. It was attended by more than a hundred persons coming from private and public sectors, fishermen, fishery Department, students, and other blue economy stakeholders. The event aimed to promote and to present the WestMed Initiative and its implementation in Morocco. Besides the organization of the workshop, the assistance mechanism was, since the beginning of Halieutis Salon present and continuously active at the EU Delegation stand, in (...) Read more.

Information Session on Marine Litter and Final Annual Project Meeting of Facility for Regional Policy Dialogue on Integrated Maritime Policy March 26th, 2019 – Thon EU, Brussels Draft Agenda 08:30 – 09:00 Registration 09:00 – 09:15 Opening Session European Commission Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat 09:15 – 11:15 Information session on Marine Litter (speakers tbd) 11:15 – 11:45 Coffee break 11:45 – 12:00 Facility project – brief remarks by: Mrs. Federica Pesce, DG NEAR, European Commission (5min) Mr. Christos Theophilou, (...) Read more.

Agenda of the 5th Meeting of the UfM Working Group on the Blue Economy, Conference Centre Albert Borschette (CCAB), 36 rue Froissart, Brussels 25 March 2019 09:00 – 09:30 Registration of participants 09:30 - 11:00 Opening (by the co-Presidency) Adoption of the agenda Tour de table on progress made on developing maritime policy, blue economy, and cross-sectorial coordination at national level (by focal points of the UfM Countries) 11:00 - 11:30 Coffee break 11:30 – 13:00 Key outcomes of the (...) Read more.

The CPMR’s Intermediterranean Commission (IMC) has given its full backing to key plans for a territorial alliance aimed at developing a long-term strategy to build a sustainable future for all citizens in the Mediterranean. The ‘Mediterranean Cooperation Alliance Joint Declaration’ was signed by political representatives from five Mediterranean organisations – including the IMC, the Euroregion Pyrénées-Méditerranée (EPM), MedCities, Latin Arc, and the Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion – at a major international seminar on ‘The Future of the Mediterranean Region after 2020’, held (...) Read more.

The MITOMED+ project’s 12th project meeting was held in Girona (Spain) on 24/25 January. The project partners met at the University of Girona to take stock of actions to date and discuss the project’s progress and continuity. The project partners presented the ongoing activities in their own territory, which are being finalised. The indicators and platform guidelines were also further tested to avoid any misunderstanding and ensure the platform’s quality for wider replication. The CPMR’s Intermediterranean Commission (IMC), coordinator of (...) Read more.

DGPM is pleased to announce the international conference on Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean: Observatories and Knowledge Networks promoted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in cooperation with the Republic of Portugal, under the kind chairmanship of Ms. Ana Paula Vitorino Portugal’s Minister of the Sea and Mr. Manuel Heitor Portugal’s Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, which will be held on 14 February 2019 at the Auditorium of IPMA, Lisbon/Algés, Portugal. Organized by OECD, the (...) Read more.

The conference will assess progress made towards the Malta Declaration and will renew commitment towards achieving the targets therein. Special focus will be placed on topics relating to social development for small-scale fisheries, decent work and the celebration of the international day for the fight against IUU fishing. The conference will take place on 11-12 June 2019 in Marrakech, Morocco. Formal invitations and detailed program will be circulated shortly. More information on the conference will come soon.

BlueInvest, the high-profile event from the European Commission to promote investment in the ocean economy, has set foot in Malta on January 24, 2019. The concept is tried and tested: 20 innovative companies pitched for the hand – and wallet – of a jury of investors. And as their projects are all about greening and cleaning the economy, the winners are not just the companies landing a contract, but also society at large. Detailed information on the event can be (...) Read more.

The European Strategy for more Growth and Jobs in Coastal and Maritime Tourism is celebrating its 5th anniversary since the adoption of its Communication in February 2014. The Strategy sets out several priority areas and lists 14 actions to overcome gaps in skills, seasonality, environmental pressures, route to funding and other shortcomings, in order to stimulate the sector's performance and competitiveness. It provides a framework for the development of coastal and maritime tourism within Europe, focusing on four priority areas (...) Read more.

The MSP Platform organized a webinar series on the MSP for Blue Growth Study. The 2018 study gives information on how maritime spatial planning (MSP) can assist Member States to foster the potential for sustainable Blue Growth. Maritime spatial planning represents a key instrument for Blue Growth and can contribute to the aim of giving a boost to economic growth on the basis of a new maritime paradigm founded in sustainability, innovation, competitiveness and knowledge. The MSP for Blue Growth (...) Read more.

The list of the meetings to be held by GFCM along the year 2019 is already available for the public. You can access the list under the link below (previous registration required): https://gfcm.sharepoint.com/SecPortal/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2FSecPortal%2FShared%20Documents%2FIntersession_2018-2019%2FLIST%20OF%20GFCM%20MEETINGS%20FOR%202019%2Epdf&parent=%2FSecPortal%2FShared%20Documents%2FIntersession_2018-2019&p=true&slrid=64e2b89e-409b-0000-59b4-2992fb81f97b

The blue economy is changing rapidly. Traditional activities such as transport, fishing and shipbuilding still employ over 5 million people but the fastest growth is in activities and value chains that did not exist ten years ago – renewable energy, biotechnology, biorefinery etc. The session will provide an overview on investment gaps and opportunities in the blue economy and financial sources available, with a particular focus on financial instruments. It will also present a new DG MARE initiative (‘BlueInvest platform’) (...) Read more.

More than 450 experts and scientists from 45 countries as well as from several international organizations, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders gathered at FAO headquarters, in Rome, from 10 to 14 December to discuss the state of the art of fisheries science in the region and identify research priorities for the coming decade. This event, organized by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, was the first of this kind for the region, encompassing oceanographic, social science and economic perspectives (...) Read more.

In the mark of the forty-second session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), which was resumed on Friday 14 December 2018, the GFCM elected its new Bureau for a two-year renewable mandate. Roland Kristo, from Albania, was appointed as GFCM Chairperson. Mr Kristo holds a PhD from the Agricultural University of Tirana and has a 22-year experience in the fisheries sector. In addition to serving as Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, he is also the (...) Read more.

The sixth World Ocean Summit will strive to build greater collaboration across regions and connect the world to new ideas and perspectives. Taking place in March 2019, this world-renowned event will take place in the Middle East for the first time – a region often overlooked in ocean discussions. More information on the event here: https://www.woi.economist.com/world-ocean-summit/

The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries (SoMFi 2018), published by FAO-GFCM, was launched on December 11th. This report provides a comprehensive overview of recent trends in Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries showcasing information on fishing activities, socio-economic impacts, marine resources and efforts to sustainably exploit fisheries. During the launch, salient issues of the report were presented, followed by discussions on the role of fisheries for coastal communities and on how to better integrate existing knowledge into decision-making in (...) Read more.

The European Commission and the Co-Presidency of the Initiative for the sustainable development of the blue economy in the western Mediterranean organised the “Stakeholder conference: Towards concrete ‘blue’ actions in the western Mediterranean”, on Monday 3 December 2018 in Algiers, Algeria. The conference aimed to facilitate the exchange of project ideas and to promote concrete project development among stakeholders in the region operating in the maritime sector (businesses, researchers, institutes, national and local authorities belonging to the western Mediterranean Countries). (...) Read more.

The Blue Growth Community, driven by the InnoBlueGrowth project (Interreg Med), organized its transnational Mid-Term Conference ‘Blue Economy: The Blue Way of Life’ on 22-23 November 2018, in Barcelona, Spain. The conference was co-organised by the CPMR Intermediterranean Commission (IMC), under the coordination of the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME) and all other InnoBlueGrowth project partners (CoNISMa, Plan Bleu, NTUA, University of Montenegro). The Blue Growth Community aims to build a real community of projects (...) Read more.

The English version of the initial outline for the Estonian MSP and the memorandum of intention to conduct impact assessment is now available. The document will also be shared with Baltic Sea countries for their information. The document constitutes the initial outline for the Estonian maritime spatial plan (MSP) and the memorandum of intention to conduct impact assessment, including strategic environmental assessment (SEA) initiated by the order of the Government of the Republic on 25 May 2017. The purpose of (...) Read more.

On Monday, the 19th of November 2018, national workshop “The MSP Directive in the maritime national scenario. Multilevel governance in the EUSAIR context” took place in Venice. About fifty participants, including representatives of local authorities, military and scientific institutions, representatives of the productive sectors operating within the maritime space, discussed the opportunities that the transposition of the EU directive on Maritime Spatial Planning offers to promote the development of the Blue Economy, reduce conflicts between sectors and optimize the use (...) Read more.

Ministers of the Western Mediterranean countries, at the presence of the European Commission and the Union for the Mediterranean, have adopted a declaration to strengthen maritime regional cooperation under the WestMED initiative. This initiative promotes the sustainable blue economy in the Western Mediterranean, and involves 10 countries from in and outside of the EU (Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia). The 10 countries agreed on a common roadmap for the development of a sustainable blue (...) Read more.

BLUEMED 2nd Coordinators’ Meeting – “Sustaining the lessons learned and enhancing the Bluemed initiative synergies” – will take place in Malta on 25 January 2019. The single day event will revolve around key actions and achievements of funded projects, with a view to tapping the lessons learned within the blue growth community in the Mediterranean, in order to foster the transformation of the Mediterranean basin into a hotspot of innovation.

In June 2017, after the inaugural Ocean Conference, the Portuguese Government informed the UN-Oceans conference that Portugal was willing to organize the second edition of the event. It was now confirmed by the Portuguese Ministry of the Sea that the event will take place in Lisbon in June 2020. This means the Portuguese will host two of the most important marine events in back-to-back years. As previously announced by the Council of the European Union, Lisbon has also been chosen (...) Read more.

Inspired by the unique global opportunity to build greater prosperity for all while protecting these water resources for the present and future generations, over 18,000 participants from across the world including Heads of State and Government, Ministers and high level representatives, Mayors and Governors, representatives of international organizations, the business community, the private sector, women and youth, Indigenous peoples, community based organizations, philanthropic, academic, scientific and research institutions, as well as civil society, had strategic conversations during the first ever (...) Read more.

This forum is organized for industries, public agencies, financial organizations, researchers and civil society, working on or interested in the Blue Bioeconomy of the EU – aquatic and marine environments. During the event, the current status of the emerging Blue Bioeconomy in Europe will be discussed as well as the identification of strategic developments, market opportunities, financing possibilities, and research priorities. In addition, the challenges for the sustainable production of food, non-food and feed in the Blue Bioeconomy sector will (...) Read more.

The third edition of the Blue eco forum was held on November 16th in Barcelona, Spain, with the objectives of reflecting, debating and showing good practices for the integration of the ecosystem approach in the maritime spatial planning of tourism in the Levantino-Balear region. State and Autonomous Communities institutional representatives, together with experts from different disciplines discuss the role of Maritime Spatial Planning and Integrated Coastal Management as tools for tourism sustainability governance. They highlight the importance of integrating coastal-maritime (...) Read more.

Dear blue economy stakeholders of the Med, We are glad to announce that the deadline to apply to pitch your blue economy products or services at the "Blue Invest in the Mediterranean" event has been extended to 28 November. Details regarding the event (registration to participate, application to pitch etc.) are available at: https://blue-invest-mediterranean.b2match.io/ Looking forward to seeing you in Malta on 24 January 2019, Christos Theophilou DG MARE - Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission

Kenya is set to host the first ever Global High-Level Conference on Sustainable Blue Economy. The Conference will be held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi on 26-28 November 2018. Over 4,000 participants from around the world will meet to learn how to build a blue economy that i) harnesses the potential of our oceans, seas, lakes and rivers to improve the lives of all, particularly people in developing states, women, youth and Indigenous peoples; ii) leverages the (...) Read more.

The European Commission and the Co-Presidency of the Initiative for the sustainable development of the blue economy in the western Mediterranean are glad to invite you to attend the "Stakeholder conference: Towards concrete ‘blue’ actions in the western Mediterranean", which will take place on 3 December 2018 in Algiers (Algeria). The event aims to facilitate the exchange of project ideas and promote concrete project development among stakeholders in the region operating in the maritime sector (businesses, researchers, institutes, national and (...) Read more.

Blue Invest in the Mediterranean 2019 A match-making event that brings together innovators and the financial community to sustainably develop the Blue Economy of the Mediterranean Sea basin, while protecting its marine resources. Following the successful Blue Invest event of May 2018 in Brussels, and within the context of our work on blue investment, the European Commission (DG MARE) is hosting the “Blue Invest in the Mediterranean 2019” event. It will take place on 24 January 2019 in Malta and (...) Read more.

The Interreg MED Programme will open its 3rd call for project proposals at the beginning of November 2018. It will stay open until late January 2019. The budget allocation for this call is approximately 30M€ (ERDF + IPA). The call will be focusing on: 1) Blue Growth: focusing on maritime clusters; 2) Sustainable Tourism: focusing on insularity and low density areas; 3) Biodiversity protection: focusing on Marine Protected Areas. Project budgets will vary between 2,5M€ and 4M€. The application process (...) Read more.

The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund has launched a new call of a total budget of €18,7 million. The call focuses on 3 topics: Blue Labs, Blue Careers and Blue Economy. You can receive up to 80% co-financing for your project (65% for Blue Economy topic). The call opens for submissions on 23 October 2018 and applications can be submitted via the "Funding and opportunity Portal" until 31/01/2019. More information on: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/news/blue-economy-call-187-million-available-funding

Following the successful "Blue Invest" event of May 2018 in Brussels, and within the context of its work on blue investment, the European Commission (DG MARE) is hosting the “Blue Invest in the Mediterranean 2019” event. It will take place on 24 January 2019 in Malta and will gather approximately 300 participants interested in the blue economy of the Mediterranean Sea basin. Following a similar approach to that of the May 2018 Blue Invest event, promoting investment in an innovative (...) Read more.

Which factors determine the distribution and presence of benthic macrophytes at the bottom of the Mediterranean? How do environmental conditions and humans affect and regulate the distribution of various marine flora species? What conditions favor the expansion of Posidonia oceanica at certain areas of the seabed? Answers to these questions are provided by an innovative study, just completed by the scientific team of the Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) in the framework of the EU-funded ODYSSEA research project. The DUTH (...) Read more.

In the framework of the event "2018 Blue Sea Land" (4-7 October, Mazara del Vallo, Italy) the UfM Secretariat organized the thematic panel “Marine litter and biodiversity: Plastic Busters MPAs in action in the Mediterranean”. The panel focused on the Mediterranean answer to the global problem of marine litter and, as such, share experience on how national and regional stakeholders can work together, in a coordinated manner and in their various capacities, to address one of the most serious threat (...) Read more.

La première édition du Forum de la Mer - Bizerte 2018 s’inscrit dans le cadre de La Saison Bleue, projet ambitieux rassemblant près de 150 évènements dans tous les domaines mettant en valeur le littoral tunisien. Le Forum de la Mer - Bizerte 2018, rencontres euro-méditerranéennes de l’environnement et de l’économie bleue, se tiendra les 20 et 21 octobre à l’hôtel Andalucia de Bizerte. Ce Forum s’articulera autour de deux journées d’échanges entre experts et de rencontres avec le grand (...) Read more.

Ocean-related activities in the Mediterranean Sea generate an annual economic value of US$450 billion,making it the 5th largest economy in this region in terms of GDP, according to a report published last year by WWF and the Boston Consulting Group. The importance of the Mediterranean is illustrated by the fact that although the sea makes up less than 1 percent of the world’s ocean, it comprises 20% of the world’s Gross Marine Product. Moreover, it is a broadly accepted estimation (...) Read more.

The EU-fundedODYSSEA Project is getting ready to host its first summer school, on Operational Oceanography for Science, Business and Society, to be held at the campus of the Akontisma Village Hotel, NeaKarvali, near Kavala, Greece, between September 3 and 12, 2018. To date, 23 qualifying trainees from ten countries from all over the Mediterranean and beyond have registered, and several dozen more expressed interest. “The programme intends to train oceanographers and engineers, young researchers, PhD candidates or professionals at the (...) Read more.

"We stress the importance of structuring Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in marine and maritime sectors to encompass a broad range of objectives comprising the creation of new, blue jobs and social well-being while also being mindful of sustainable development and the preservation of the environment in the Mediterranean area » declared at La Valletta UfM R&I Ministers, together with the EU Commissioners, a year ago. After the set-up of the Group of Senior Officials BLUEMED Working Group as new governing body of (...) Read more.

Leading start-ups and entrepreneurs, industry agents, initiatives, change agents, policy and financial institutions working on applications of productive, circular and sharing economies in the Mediterranean will come together in Barcelona on 13-15 November 2018. The agenda of the SwitchMed Connect 2018 features a unique blend of expert discussions, entrepreneurial stories, best cases and hands-on applications about green and circular economy planning and implementation in the South and North Mediterranean countries. Register now https://switchmedconnect.com/en/

The 26th annual conference of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) will be held in Mombasa (Kenya) on 11-14 September 2018. With the organization of the IAME 2018 conference, the Maritime Economists community not only opens up for the African continent as a major vector of the future development of its sub-discipline within the broader field of transportation and logistics, but also towards the other areas of application that can now be considered and integral part of the maritime (...) Read more.

The Ocean Business 2018 is an international blue industry event that will be held in Lisbon (Gare Marítima de Alcântara), from 18th to 20th of September 2018, which aims to foster networking and debate around sustainable ocean business solutions in all important key areas. The Ocean Business 2018 will focus emergent areas like green shipping, ocean engineering, maritime digitalization, ocean robotics, environmental monitoring and protection, maritime security and safety, but also traditional activities such as fisheries, aquaculture, tourism and leisure. (...) Read more.

The 2018 Annual Economic Report on EU Blue Economy, has been published. The report was prepared jointly by the JRC and the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission (DG MARE). It intends to measure the trends, performance and progress of the blue economy in Europe by looking into the established maritime sectors (e.g. living resources, marine extraction and oil & gas, ports, warehousing and water projects, shipbuilding & repair, and coastal tourism) but also at some (...) Read more.

The 4th Meeting of the WestMed Steering Committee will be held on 3 October 2018 in Algiers (Algeria). The meeting will have as priorities the adoption of the document summarizing common priorities and, on the other hand, the discussion on the draft Ministerial declaration of the Conference scheduled in December in Algiers.

The High-level roundtable is organised by the MED Sustainable Tourism Community on 30 May 2018 (11.30-13.00) in Rome, at the UNINT University. It will gather international actors of tourism industry - from private and public sector - to raise key issues and trends towards a greater sustainability this strategic sector, for the benefit of both travellers and hosting territories. The roundtable will take place in the framework of a two-day international conference “Re-connecting tourism: promoting evidence-based policies for sustainable development” (...) Read more.

The BLUEMED CSA Consortium is pleased to announce the opening of its Call for Strategic Start-up Actions on Blue Growth in the Mediterranean. The Call is open to entities who are willing to partner up with at least three other organisations from different countries, including one non-EU country and one private enterprise, to conduct a series of meetings leading up to a feasibility, foresight or pilot study on topics that are crucial to the future of Blue Growth in the (...) Read more.

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) has launched the “TransLogMED” project at the first Mediterranean Conference on Maritime Transport and Logistics, held on 8-9 May in Ismailia (Egypt), under the auspices of H.E. Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of Egypt and in the presence of H.E. Eng. Sherif Ismail, Prime Minister of Egypt, and in partnership with the Suez Canal Authority, the Egyptian Ministry of Transport and the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME). The “TransLogMED” (...) Read more.

EC DG MARE and IOC-UNESCO are jointly organising the kick-off event on 24-25 May in Brussels, Belgium. The event targets maritime spatial planners from across the world as well as experts directly involved in planning. Plenary sessions are foreseen on European as well as international MSP, and two interactive technical workshops will be organised to explore cross-sector integration and stakeholder involvement in MSP. Registration is open until 14 May: https://rsvp.digitevent.com/international152240359

The launch of the UfM labelled-project Plastic Busters will take place in Siena (Italy) on 17 April 2018. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the areas most affected by Marine Litter (ML) in the world. The impacts of ML on marine biota within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), including endangered species such as cetaceans and sea turtles, remain poorly addressed, however it is clear that prevention and mitigation measures are urgently needed. The overall objective of PlasticBusters MPAs project is to (...) Read more.

Dates and location: Akontisma Hotel, Nea Karvali, Kavala, Greece 3rd - 12th September 2018 The overall objective of the 1st ODYSSEA Summer School is to stimulate a scientific dialogue and create a learning experience about operational oceanography in the Mediterranean context. More precisely, after the end of the program, the trainees, coming from both sides of the Mediterranean Sea basin, will be able to: • Understand the concept of operational oceanography • Use the ODYSSEA project platform for retrieving, managing (...) Read more.

A summer school on blue growth in the EU and the Euro-Mediterranean region, hosted by the Euro-Mediterranean University. Open to all motivated postgraduates from the region. The programme includes distance learning (11.6.2018-15.6.2018), lectures, field trips and counts on participant's active involvement. The summer school is free of charge and free accommodation is offered to participants. More information on http://www.emuni.si/en/education/emuni-summer-school-2018. http://www.emuni.si/en/education/emuni-summer-school-2018

The European Commission's Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the Bulgarian EU Presidency and the Municipality of Burgas are happy to invite you to European Maritime Day 2018. The conference will take place on 31 May and 1 June 2018 in Burgas, Bulgaria. EMD 2018 will bring you: i) Up to 20 stakeholder workshops; ii) A political opening with Ministers from Black Sea riparian states; iii) A high-level debate on "Black Sea Big Bang" – how to spur sustainable (...) Read more.

Whether you joined us in the previous editions or you are new to our growing community, SwitchMed Connect is definitely the best place to dive into the unique ecosystem of eco and social innovations in the Mediterranean. We are now shaping the agenda of the SwitchMed Connect 2018. This will be a very special edition, as this year marks the end of the first phase of the SwitchMed programme. It will be the occasion to connect with some of the (...) Read more.

The European Commission is looking for entrepreneurs active in the blue economy to take part in a high-profile event aimed at matching cutting edge companies with public and private investors. #BlueInvest 2018, the first European event of its kind will be hosted by Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. The event will create bilateral networking opportunities for blue economy entrepreneurs, innovators and investors. In addition, a selection of companies will have the opportunity to pitch their projects (...) Read more.

After the last meetings held in Naples in November 2017, the Mediterranean regions will gather again in the framework of their CPMR Intermediterranean Commission Working Groups and Political Bureau. The meetings will be held on 14-15 February in Cartagena (Murcia, Spain), back to back with PANORAMED Steering Committee (Interreg MED project on governance). The technical gatherings on the 14th will give the opportunity to discuss on important topics for the Blue Economy such as transports, fisheries, maritime investments, coastal protection, (...) Read more.

The European Commission is pleased to announce the first match-making event in Europe between companies and investors in the Blue Economy. The OECD projects that the global maritime economy will grow at twice the rate of the mainstream economy by 2030. For Europe, this would mean 10.8 million jobs and nearly 1 trillion euro in turnover. How to take advantage of this potential? How can technology and creativity meet finance? #BlueInvest 2018: a match-making event where i) selected entrepreneurs will (...) Read more.

The first-ever European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy was adopted on 16 January 2018 with the aim to transform the way plastic products are designed, used, produced and recycled in the EU. Better design of plastic products, higher plastic waste recycling rates, more and better quality recycling will help boosting the market for recycled plastics. It will deliver greater added value for a more competitive, resilient plastics industry. The Strategy is part of Europe’s transition towards a circular (...) Read more.

“Plastic Busters for a Mediterranean free from litter” is a UfM labeled project whose goal is to effectively tackle the issue of marine litter in the Mediterranean and thus contribute to the de-pollution of the Mediterranean Sea. In January 2018, under the title “Plastic Busters: preserving biodiversity from plastics in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas”, the project was awarded a five million funding by the Interreg MED Programme under Priority Axis 3: Protecting and promoting Mediterranean natural and cultural resources. Over (...) Read more.

The Erasmus Mundus Master Course on Maritime Spatial Planning (EMMCMSP) is a two-years advanced master program (120 ECTS) coordinated by a consortium of three high-rates European Universities: University Iuav of Venice, University of Sevilla and University of Azores. The consortium welcomes more than 40 Associated Partners and provides more than 30 international internship positions. Aim of the program is to provide students with a multi-disciplinary background to enable them to become specialists in Maritime Spatial Planning and in related issues. (...) Read more.

Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Mirko Šarović signed on 26 January 2018 the Malta MedFish4Ever Declaration, a multilateral strategy, proposed by the European Union, for safeguarding the future of the Mediterranean fishermen and coastal communities. Over 300,000 persons are directly employed on fishing vessels in the Mediterranean, whilst many more indirect jobs depend on the sector. This Declaration represents a practical example of EU’s neighborhood policy, and has so far been signed by (...) Read more.

The first edition of the Master in Sustainable Blue Growth organized by the OGS and the University of Trieste has started in January 2018 and will be held in Trieste in three sessions, on March, July and October 2018. The Master is established to bring scientific excellence and technological innovation at the centre of a number of Blue Growth initiatives. The Master supports the creation of stable and attractive blue career pathways throughout strengthening professional skills and enhancing competencies in (...) Read more.

The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), launched a call for proposals titled “Sustainable Blue Economy” with a view to accelerate the deployment of the blue economy across Europe while consolidating efforts and recent developments to support the sustainable development of blue economy sectors in the Mediterranean sea basin, including by strengthening the resilience of the marine and coastal ecosystem and taking action for their restoration. For more information https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/sustainable-blue-economy

The UfM Conference held in Naples on 29-30 November highlighted the key role of the Blue Economy in sustainable development, jobs creation and investments Read more: http://ufmsecretariat.org/ufm-conference-blue-economy2017/

In December 2017, the project “Med Coasts for Blue Growth (MEDCOAST4BG )” received the UfM label. The project general objective is to analyze and promote the co-evolution of human activities and natural systems in coastal areas particularly or potentially devoted to tourism, taking into consideration climate change effects, sustainable development of tourist activities, and basing its analysis and actions on the principles of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP). The project, promoted by CPMR Intermediterranean Commission, (...) Read more.

Algiers hosted the 14th Conference of Foreign Affairs ministers of the Dialogue 5+5 under the theme “Western Mediterranean: promoting an economic, social and inclusive development, shared and sustainable, faced with the common challenges of the region.” The European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn underlined the importance of Maghreb integration, and reiterated the EU commitment in favour of the cooperation with the North African countries in order to face the common challenges of the region. The (...) Read more.

DIVECO2 aims to support the sustainable development of the fishery sector in Algeria, with a focus on marine and continental aquaculture. Associations in the field of fisheries and aquaculture in Algeria will attend training sessions held under the EU-funded Economic Diversification Support Programme – fisheries sector. The training – aimed at members of professional organisations and associations – will take place from November to December 2017 and will focus on the themes of project management and associative management.