The European Union is opening a new era in the knowledge of the seas with the launch of the OceanEye initiative, aimed at strengthening the monitoring and observation of the oceans in the face of the growing effects of climate change.
Announced by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, this initiative is part of the European Pact for the Ocean and aims to provide Europe with a sovereign and cutting-edge technological infrastructure dedicated to marine observation.
OceanEye relies in particular on the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EDITO) mechanism and the Copernicus marine program, to collect, analyze and share strategic data on the state of the oceans. The objective is threefold: to better understand marine ecosystems, to anticipate climate impacts and to strengthen the competitiveness of the European Union’s maritime economic activities.
The initiative was unveiled during the European Ocean Days in Brussels. It also aims to contribute to European maritime security and to position the EU at the forefront of international efforts to establish a sustainable global ocean observation system.
In this dynamic, the Commission calls for the creation of an international alliance dedicated to ocean observation and protection, bringing together Member States and international partners around financial commitments and coordinated cooperation. This alliance will guarantee secure access to open and free oceanic data, in partnership with the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
To support this ambition, the European Union will mobilise €50 million under the Horizon Europe programme for the period 2026-2027.
The stated objective is clear: to have a fully operational European ocean observation system by 2030, in order to make the seas a better known, better protected and strategically controlled area.
source : infomediaire
