From March 3 to 7, 2025, Brussels hosted the second edition of the European Ocean Days, a week-long series of events dedicated to European marine topics. The initiative brought together researchers, policymakers, youth, and industry leaders to discuss the conservation of Europe’s marine ecosystems and the advancement of its blue economy.
Several members of the OCEAN CITIZEN consortium attended this key event, which covered several important topics, from the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’ to blue innovation and investment. This year’s edition also played a crucial role in shaping the European Ocean Pact, the future reference framework for all EU ocean-related policies.
The fourth EU Blue Parks Community workshop took place as part of the event, bringing together marine conservation experts, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to discuss and advance marine conservation efforts across Europe. The workshop focused on the transition to achieving 10% strict marine protection, emphasising its challenges and the ecological and socio-economic benefits, particularly for biodiversity, fisheries, and coastal communities. It provided an opportunity to see real cases working in this direction, in which stakeholder engagement was also a key element in the success of this transition to support more effective and inclusive marine conservation strategies. The complete workshop report is available here.
Our project coordinator, Sergio Rossi, participated in a session focused on the protection and restoration of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Throughout the week, the OCEAN CITIZEN team had the opportunity to present the project, engage in discussions with various stakeholders, and explore new initiatives addressing critical issues in marine conservation across Europe.
Being part of the European Ocean Days allowed OCEAN CITIZEN to strengthen its network and actively contribute to the ongoing dialogue about the future of our oceans.
