The European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) has initiated a global international in situ observation long-term strategy to complement satellite observation, embodied in the Action “International ocean governance: EU component to global observations”. The Action will be carried out by the EU4OceanObs project, entrusted by the European Commission to Mercator Ocean International. This project is funded by the Partnership Instrument under the FPI’s 2019 Annual Action programme.
EU4OceanObs will directly support EU policies related to the international ocean governance, the integrated maritime policy and its environmental pillar, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Marine Knowledge, the EU commitments taken at the Our ocean conferences and Conference of the Parties on Climate, the implementation of the Green Deal, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations Decade on Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, biodiversity conventions, climate policies and regional and sea conventions.
Moreover, EU4OceanObs will directly support the initiative of the European Commission Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) to enhance communication and public awareness on the important role of ocean observations and EU data portals and infrastructures (EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service), which provide all users access to free and ready-to-use global ocean data products.
EU4OceanObs Governance Structure
The EU Project Manager from DG FPI is responsible for all administrative, legal and financial issues relating to the contribution agreement of the project and will lead the EU project management team that will include representatives from DG RTD and DG DEFIS. This EU project team will work in close collaboration with the Scientific Director of Mercator Ocean International who will be responsible for the coordination of the project. In addition, a Steering Committee has been established to support, oversee the implementation of and provide guidance to the EU4OceanObs project team at Mercator Ocean International. The Steering Committee comprises various EC Departments and Services such as DG GROW, DG RTD, DG MARE, EEAS, DG DEFIS and DG ENV, involved in EU policies impacting international ocean governance.
