Advancing Ocean Acidification Policy At European Maritime Days 2026
The European Maritime Days (EMD) were hosted by the European Commission, the Shipping Deputy Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus, and the Municipality of Limassol in Limassol from May 21 to May 22, 2026. The annual two-day event highlighted the diversity of the maritime and sea-related sectors while advancing environmental and sustainability considerations.
Represented by Ms. Inken Dressler, European Programme Lead, and Dr. Annika Frosch, Consultant on OA Action Plans and international policy, the OA Alliance hosted an interactive stand to share our policy recommendations and held targeted one-on-one meetings with representatives from European ministries, research institutions, and NGOs. Our outreach at EMD strengthened existing connections and built new ones, advancing ocean acidification science and policy integration across European Directives and ocean goals.
“In 2023, the OA Alliance’s European Programme and its EU Stakeholder Working Group were launched at European Maritime Day in Brest, France. Looking back, it was truly inspiring to return to EMD three years later and see how much the Programme has grown since its launch. A true “full circle” moment,” said Dr. Frosch.
Materials developed by the working group over the past years, include our Member State guidance for integrating ocean acidification across key descriptors of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the summary report for how acidification has been integrated into the Ocean Pact and the Water Resilience Strategy, adopted by the European Commission. Notably, the second contribution marks a milestone: for the first time, the issue of ocean acidification has been identified as a priority to address within European Union policy.
Moreover, we took the opportunity to introduce our role in the “SAFESEA Project”, a new Horizon Europe funding project focused on advancing scientific understanding and policy responses to ocean acidification in European marine waters. The project will begin in September 2026 and run for four years. Building on existing global and European OA research and knowledge, the project is designed to strengthen the evidence base for ocean acidification across Europe and help fill strategic science and knowledge gaps to achieve better policy, legal, and management response of ocean acidification by European Member States.
Overall, the European Maritime Days provided an engaging atmosphere for knowledge exchange and networking among a wide range of participants, including European state representatives, researchers, NGOs, and private-sector participants.
“The OA Alliance used this interdisciplinary platform to raise awareness of the impacts of ocean acidification and to strengthen collaboration among relevant European stakeholders. We are excited to see how the connections made at EMD 2026 in Limassol, Cyprus, will contribute to further dialogue and engagement among policymakers, scientists, industry stakeholders, NGOs, and the public through the EU Stakeholder Working Group,” said Inken Dressler, EU Programme Lead.
We thank the organizers for the invitation and look forward to the next European Maritime Days in Santander, Spain next year!
