Search results for: 2026

The EU and Mercosur (Argentia, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay) signed its long-negotiated trade agreement in January 2026.

In a tight vote, the European Parliament requested the European Court of Justice to rule on whether the free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur can be applied. However, the EU Commission confirmed at the end of February that the agreement will be provisionally applied in the meantime. The announcement comes after Uruguay and Argentina ratified the agreement in their respective parliaments. Paraguay and Brazil are expected to follow suit.

For the European recreational boating industry , it is very good news. For Mercosur-origin recreational boats entering the EU, tariffs are eliminated immediately on entry into force of the agreement but are already at very low rates. Current Mercosur tariffs for recreational boats are high, especially in Brazil and Argentina that offer potentially interesting markets. Tariffs, currently at 20% or up to 35%, will be reduced over a 10-15 year timeline to 0% for recreational boats.

EBI is continuing to analyse the trade agreement to provide a comprehensive overview to members .

A new European Commission report highlights that a multi-fold increase in EU industrial capacity for advanced biofuels is possible by 2030, provided the right policy, investment and regulatory conditions are in place. Advanced biofuels will play a crucial role in decarbonising hard-to-electrify transport sectors, including maritime, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening Europe’s energy resilience through sustainable, domestically sourced solutions.

For the recreational boating sector, this development is particularly relevant. As EBI continues to advocate for pragmatic and technology-neutral pathways to decarbonisation, scaling up sustainable fuels such as advanced biofuels will be essential to support the transition of existing fleets and marina infrastructure. Ensuring availability, affordability and regulatory clarity will be key to making this transition workable for boating businesses and users across Europe.

For the full report, follow the link.

European Boating Industry (EBI) will officially launch the inaugural Baltic Sea Boating Forum at the Helsinki International Boat Show, marking the start of a new platform for dialogue between the boating industry, policymakers and stakeholders on the future of boating the Baltic Sea with a strong focus on bridging environmental responsibility and the region’s boating success story. The first Baltic Sea Boating Forum will take place on Friday, 13 February at 14.00. Speakers are Sari Multala, Finnish Minister of Climate and the Environment and Rüdiger Strempel, Executive Secretary of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM). A panel discussion is moderated by Philip Easthill, EBI Secretary-General.

More information here can be found here.

The Helsinki International Boat Show, Vene 26 Båt, will be held from February 6–15, 2026, at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. The event is organized by the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre on behalf of the Finnish Marine Industries Federation, Finnboat. The event’s sustainability partner is WWF Finland.

Northern Europe’s biggest boating show takes place in Helsinki together with first Baltic Sea Boating ForumThe Helsinki International Boat Show presents around 400 boats as well as accessories and equipment for boating, fishing, and water activities. In addition, Vene 26 Båt offers approximately 500 lectures and performances, and this year also features an interesting programme in English. The show will be held on 6–15 February 2026 at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.

The Finnish boat industry is internationally recognised and remarkably strong in relation to the country’s size. Finland is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of small and medium-sized motorboats and is particularly known for quality, durability, and designs adapted to Nordic conditions. Measured by population, Finland has one of the highest numbers of boats in Europe: one in five Finns owns a boat. In early July 2025, there were 246,000 vessels registered in the Finnish Watercraft Register, of which 214,000 were motorboats. These figures include boats longer than 5.5 metres or boats with over 20 hp motor; smaller boats are not required to be registered. In total, there are an estimated 1 million boats in Finland. Boating is a popular leisure activity in the country, shaped by its long coastline, numerous lakes, and vast inland waters.

The Blue Innovation Dock (BID) at boot Düsseldorf 2026 once again confirmed its role as a key European platform where the boating industry engages directly with policymakers, innovators and stakeholders on the future of the sector. More than a series of sessions, bid provided a space to connect European policy developments with the practical realities of companies, marinas and nautical tourism actors.

Discussions throughout the week reflected the growing policy relevance of recreational boating within wider EU agendas. Central themes included decarbonisation, sustainable tourism, innovation, skills and the need for coherent regulatory and infrastructure frameworks at European level.

A major milestone was the presentation of the upcoming EBI Roadmap on Alternative Fuels, which set out technology-neutral and realistic pathways for the sector. Exchanges highlighted that progress on electrification, renewable fuels and hybrid solutions depends on enabling conditions such as infrastructure deployment, grid capacity, permitting processes and access to EU funding. The discussions clearly demonstrated that one-size-fits-all approaches are not suitable for the diverse boating ecosystem.

The policy dimension was further strengthened through discussions on upcoming EU initiatives. A session on the future EU Tourism Strategy explored how boating and nautical tourism can contribute to more sustainable, resilient and year-round tourism in coastal and inland regions, while early reflections on the European Oceans Pact underlined the importance of ensuring that recreational boating is properly considered within broader ocean and maritime governance frameworks.

Across all sessions, the value of cross-sector collaboration was clear. Bringing together manufacturers, marinas, start-ups, tourism actors, researchers and public authorities helped break silos and foster a shared understanding of challenges and solutions, while also highlighting the importance of skills, diversity and new talent for the sector’s long-term competitiveness.

Looking ahead to 2027, the Blue Innovation Dock will continue to evolve as a living platform for European dialogue, supporting closer engagement with policymakers, better alignment between innovation and regulation, and a stronger, more visible role for boating within Europe’s industrial, maritime and sustainability strategies.

The 11th International Breakfast Meeting, organised by EBI in collaboration with boot Düsseldorf, brought together industry leaders to discuss how to future-proof boat manufacturing in Europe. With attendance capped at around 200 participants, the meeting was oversubscribed for the first time, underlining the strong demand for a focused exchange on market outlook, competitiveness and strategy.

The programme opened with reflections from boot Düsseldorf Director Petros Michelidakis and EBI President Robert Marx on the sector’s resilience and the value of using challenging market moments to reflect, plan and innovate. EBI Secretary-General Philip Easthill then presented updated figures on the European leisure marine sector and the latest trends captured through the EBI Economic Index, highlighting an annual European turnover of €45.56 billion and around 241,000 people employed, alongside a data-based snapshot of business sentiment and the market context facing manufacturers.

A key moment of the morning was an on-stage interview with Constantin Buschmann, CEO of Brabus, offering an external perspective from the premium automotive and mobility sectors. The discussion explored how Brabus has expanded its brand into new product areas while preserving its identity, and highlighted lessons on product positioning, communication and customer expectations. Buschmann also pointed to the cost impact of regulatory compliance and the importance of drawing inspiration across sectors.

The meeting concluded with a CEO-level exchange on Europe’s manufacturing priorities, bringing together Erna Rusi (Saxdor Yachts), Fabio Planamente (Cantiere del Pardo) and Norbert Leifeld (Bavaria Yachts). The panel discussion touched on evolving customer expectations, the growing role of digital connectivity and onboard workspaces, and how to balance specification choices and cost pressures while keeping boats accessible and competitive.

During its General Assembly at boot Düsseldorf, European Boating Industry (EBI) announced a significant expansion of its membership, reinforcing its role as the united voice of the recreational boating industry in Europe. EBI welcomed British Marine as a new full member, reflecting the strong trade links and regulatory cooperation between the EU and the UK, one of the most important markets for European boatbuilders. In addition, Volvo Penta joined as a sustaining member, further strengthening EBI’s industrial base with a major European manufacturer of engines and power systems for recreational boats. A key highlight of the General Assembly was also the formal inclusion of the Nordic Cluster into EBI membership, bringing together Danboat (Denmark), Sweboat (Sweden), Norboat (Norway), Finnboat (Finland) and the Association of Estonian Marine Industries (Estonia). This step ensures full representation of one of Europe’s most important boating regions within EBI and enhances coordinated advocacy on sustainability, competitiveness and regulation at EU level. With these new members, EBI now represents 34 members across 24 European countries, strengthening its collective voice at a crucial time for the sector.

Members also approved EBI’s new strategic framework for the period 2026–2029, focusing on advocacy, services and collaboration. At the core of the strategy is EBI’s mission of “advancing a sustainable boating and nautical tourism industry made in Europe”. The strategy focuses on building a favourable legislative framework at European level, strengthening recognition of the sector as an important contributor to Europe’s economy and tourism and of EBI as a trusted partner for EU institutions, providing valuable services to members and industry, and connecting and engaging the sector across the European value chain.

Read the full press release here.

New measures on marine recreational fishing start to apply in 2026 based on the last reform of the Fisheries Control Regulation. 22 coastal EU countries will be required to collect catch data for certain species and fish populations caught in recreational fishing at sea. To support coastal countries in implementing new requirements, the EU has developed and made available a common digital system.

On 9 January, the EU Commission launched a digital solution called RecFishing in collaboration with EU countries to simplify and streamline data collection on recreational fishing catches across all EU marine areas.

This is the first time that marine recreational fishing data is being collected at large scale across the EU. Coastal EU countries will gradually make the mobile app available to recreational fishers for registration and catch reporting, according to their operational readiness and national timelines.

Recreational fishers are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the system as it is rolled out. The mobile app to record catches will become available progressively as each EU country completes its national rollout. Recreational fishers will need to register their catches once the mobile app is available in their country.

More information can be found here.

At the start of 2026, Cyprus took over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, setting a clear mandate focused on strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy, competitiveness and internal cohesion while maintaining openness to global partners. Under the motto “An Autonomous Union. Open to the World,” the Cypriot Presidency aims to advance key priorities including security and defence cooperation, migration and asylum reform, economic competitiveness, support for Ukraine, and negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework — all against a backdrop of geopolitical challenges and urgent EU policy debates. Cyprus’ six-month term runs from 1 January to 30 June 2026, during which it will work closely with the European Parliament and Commission to deliver tangible results for EU citizens and businesses.

Cyprus will steer work on a range of transport and tourism-related files, with a particular sensitivity to connectivity and mobility challenges in island and coastal regions. The agenda includes discussions on transport competitiveness, resilience and sustainable tourism that are relevant for maritime and coastal activities. These debates offer a useful context to underline the contribution of recreational boating and nautical tourism to local economies, connectivity and Europe’s wider transport and tourism objectives.

Read more here.

European Tourism Day took place in Brussels on 26 January 2026, bringing together EU institutions and tourism stakeholders in Brussels to discuss current priorities for European tourism policy and the direction of upcoming EU initiatives, with a focus on competitiveness, resilience and sustainability.

EBI attended the event and followed in particular the discussions on access and use of tourism data, as well as the session “Tourism for tomorrow” dedicated to the forthcoming EU Strategy for Sustainable Tourism. Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas participated in the discussion, which also featured the new Secretary-General of UN Tourism, of which EBI is an Affiliate. Speakers indicated that the strategy is expected in spring 2026; from EBI’s information, publication is planned for April. The session also highlighted plans for a European Tourism Academy to support upskilling and reskilling of tourism workers.

In the evening, EBI joined a reception hosted by MEP Nikolina Brnjac and MEP Daniel Attard and organised by the European Travel Commission in the European Parliament, with the participation of Commissioner Tzitzikostas. The event provided an opportunity to connect with other tourism stakeholders and Members of the European Parliament ahead of the upcoming strategy work.