European Boating Industry was also present at the official European Maritime Day (EMD) in the French city of Brest, where it had the opportunity to participate in various high-level discussions. Political and industry representatives from the European maritime industry came together to address the future of the industry.

The focus this year was on achieving truly sustainable and lasting development of the sector. EBI participated in one of the main workshops addressing the impact of ocean literacy in the sector. Teresa Vereterra, Junior Officer at EBI, presented the main challenges faced by the boating industry, including the lack of qualified workforce as well as the different solutions being implemented by EBI and the industry. The discussion highlighted the close relationship between educational efforts and the industry, exploring new lines of interaction between the education of young people, the knowledge and love of rivers and oceans and the future of a promising sector such as the nautical industry.

During the two-day event, Brest was at the centre of the entire European maritime sector, facilitating communication between stakeholders from all fields, politicians and even curious onlookers, allowing for smooth communication and the transmission of important messages for the future.
All actors are committed to the sustainable development of the sector. Industry, research, production and tourism all expressed the same will to move towards a greener, more sustainable and supportive future, leaving no sector or area behind. Cross-sectoral, inter-authority and inter-geographical cooperation was at the heart of all the initiatives and messages launched during the EMD.

Following on from the EMD, was the launch of the European Blue Forum. It was first mentioned in the European Commission’s Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy in 2021 and will now start its work.

The aim is to create a mechanism for users of the sea to coordinate a dialogue between offshore operators, stakeholders and scientists engaged in fisheries, aquaculture, shipping, tourism, renewable energy and other activities. It will develop synergies between their activities and reconcile competing uses of the sea.

The European Blue Forum has a number of objectives:

• Collaboration among various stakeholders, including governments, private sector, civil society, and local communities.
• Knowledge sharing: The Blue Forum will serve as a platform for sharing information, best practices, and lessons learned among different ocean users.
• Policy coherence: The Blue Forum can contribute to policy coherence and coordination among different sectors and levels of governance. It can help further align European, national, regional and local policies and strategies with international commitments, such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
• Facilitate the interactions between sea users: The Blue Forum aims at fostering a better coexistence of all ocean users. It will provide a space for dialogue to manage competing uses of the sea and its resources.
• Empowerment: The Blue Forum can empower local communities, particularly those who rely on the oceans for their livelihoods, to participate in cross-sectoral dialogue on what affect their lives and well-being.

EBI is a member of the European Blue Forum in order to represent the recreational boating and nautical tourism industry and will actively contribute to the forum. More information can be found here.