EBI has been selected to join the EU Commission’s new European Ocean Board, a high-level expert group established to support implementation of the European Ocean Pact. The Board will bring together around 25 stakeholder organisations operating at EU level and representing the wider ocean and maritime community.

This is an important step for the sector, placing EBI within a high-level forum chaired by the Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans and tasked with advising the EU Commission on the implementation of the Ocean Pact, delivering opinions on specific issues, and fostering dialogue across sectors to improve coherence between EU policies and private-sector initiatives.

The Board is also expected to play a role in upcoming work on ocean observation, as well as broader discussions on ocean knowledge, research and innovation, ocean literacy and the maritime economy. EBI’s participation will help ensure that the recreational boating and nautical tourism perspective is present in these exchanges.