EU Ocean Days 2025: EU-funded initiatives for a sustainable blue economy

Last week, more than 1,800 ocean stakeholders including policymakers, regional authorities met at the European Ocean Days in Brussels and online.

The five days were packed with many EU-funded initiatives managed by CINEA, such as EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” Forum, the BlueInvest Day, the European Blue Forum, which organised the Fisheries and Ocean Dialogue, and the active participation of the EU4Ocean coalition.

Each day focused on different key ocean-related themes, allowing participants to engage deeply with sustainable blue economy, considering fisheries science outcomes, blue investments, and dialogues with key stakeholders, including youth.

Mission Ocean and Waters Forum

As the week kicked off, Paloma Aba Garrote, CINEA’s Director, participated at the project clustering and networking event that brought together projects funded under the Horizon Europe - Mission Ocean and Waters. 

“We see an EU-wide involvement, where projects mobilise resources well beyond their own organisations and consortia. This engagement, strive for innovation, and commitment to collaboration are all coming together to drive meaningful change”, Paloma Aba Garrote said.

The third Annual Forum of the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters took place on Tuesday 4 March. Youth, researchers, innovators, and the European Blue Parks community showcased the most promising solutions to restore our ocean and waters.

The Forum presented the progress and major achievements of the Mission across its four lighthouses: the Atlantic and Arctic, Baltic and North Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and the Danube. 

Moreover, the Forum featured an exhibition of 17 Horizon Europe-funded Mission projects, showcasing their concrete solutions for protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems, for the prevention of pollution, to make the blue economy more circular as well as the Digital Twin of the Ocean, and citizen science and engagement.

Learn how the Mission has progressed and what lies ahead.

EMFAF projects developing “blue skills”

During the first day, some representatives of EU-funded projects discussed how to ensure the necessary capacity and skills for a sustainable blue workforce in the future, from ocean education in schools to the support needed to foster blue careers.

The EMFAF projects are working on some concrete solutions.

For example, NextBlueGeneration is developing a game for young people to assess their skills and receive career guidance accordingly. Turning Blue is engaging young people serving time in prison to pursue a sustainable ‘blue career’ and possibly change their lives. Coastal Pro is also creating an innovative training tool to develop the skills needed in the future coastal tourism sector.

Short interview to EMFAF Coastal Pro project at EU Ocean Days 2025

Short interview to EMFAF NextBlueGeneration project at EU Ocean Days 2025

EU4Ocean launches the campaign #MakeEUBlue: Cities in action

During the EU Ocean Day, the EU4Ocean coalition launched the “Make EU Blue: Cities in action” campaign. EU4Ocean is a European coalition promoting ocean literacy and is funded under EMFAF.

The campaign is a citizen-driven movement urging European cities to take meaningful steps toward ocean sustainability. The campaign calls on cities to commit to concrete, achievable actions. Through the MakeEUBlue petition, citizens can ask local authorities to act. 

EU4Ocean also organised the Ocean literacy island exhibition, where people could explore different aspect of ocean literacy, from books to raise awareness of children about the ocean to the use of citizen science to increase the knowledge of our seas.

The week was a great opportunity to take stock of the ongoing initiatives for the sustainable blue economy and shape the upcoming European Ocean Pact with key stakeholders.