Our partner association EuCIA, representing the composite sector in Europe, has launched a survey on composite waste and recycling. 

The aim is to better quantify composites waste volumes in Europe. The survey is open to companies involved in composites manufacturing in Europe (incl. part manufacturers, end-users, materials suppliers, recyclers) across all end-use markets and processes, including in recreational boat building. 

The outcomes will be analysed, and results will be reported on an anonymous basis. The survey is available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Polish. EuCIA will communicate the survey findings in early 2024 and will be shared with EBI members. The deadline is 30 November and the survey can be found here. It is available in six languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Polish) and should take approximately 6-8 minutes to complete.

Sustainable HVO, Green D +, hydrogenated vegetable oil, is made from refined used cooking oil. A raw material that has already been used for its original intended purpose in the food industry but has been recycled and re-refined to be used again as a sustainable fuel, a low carbon replacement for diesel oil. Sustainable HVO comes with an ISCC), International Sustainability & Carbon Certification, to prove the source of the used raw material in our HVO. Members of the Irish Boat Rental Association (IBRA) undertook extensive trials with HVO throughout the 2023 season and can report that these trials to be very successful in almost every area of comparison with regular white diesel.

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The international market leaders will again be on board from 20 to 28 January and the world’s largest yachts and water sports show will follow on from its excellent pre-pandemic results. Commenting on this, Wolfram Diener, President & CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, says: “We have had very successful talks with the manufacturers over the summer months and feel great enthusiasm and anticipation for boot 2024. In January, we will also be able to welcome back brands that took a break this year. In particular, we see very high international attendance from exhibitors. This means boot 2024 will reach the highest level, present wide and varied ranges for both water sports and destinations and will again position itself as the world-leading show for this industry.”

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In the second edition of the "bid360 special" podcast, a collaboration between boot Düsseldorf and EBI , the focus shifts to sustainable nautical tourism and water sports.

The podcast features Paul Blanc, JEANNEAU Brand Director & VP Boat Clubs at Groupe Beneteau, and Karlheinz Jungbeck, President of ADAC, who dive into industry-related topics. A central theme is the collaboration between marinas and the charter industry in engaging policymakers in discussions about sustainability.

Other essential subjects include green infrastructure, climate change adaptation, and strategies for engaging boat owners. This podcast provides insights into navigating the challenges posed by climate change and environmental concerns in the nautical tourism and water sports sectors.

You can listen to the podcast on Spotify here.

In the spirit of innovation and progress, the first European Sustainable Boating Roundtable was organised at the 63^rd Genoa International Boat Show, with the aim to heralda new era for sustainable practices in the yachting and boating industry. The event, organised by EBI in collaboration with Confindustria Nautica and Regione Liguria, made an impact as industry professionals, policymakers, journalists, innovators, and academics gathered for spirited discussions.

The Roundtable set a course for discussions that set the path towards sustainable boating: The key takeaways from the discussion were:

• Technology and Safety First: Fabio Planamente, representing Cantiere del Pardo S.p.A., emphasised that sustainability becomes truly worthwhile when technology reaches advanced and safe levels. He reminded attendees that safety should remain a paramount concern in any sustainability endeavour. Planamente also shed light on ongoing research collaborations with universities, demonstrating a commitment to exploring new possibilities.
• Measuring Sustainability: Robert Marx, president of EBI, outlined the industry's efforts to make sustainability quantifiable. The goal is to develop a system that can assess the sustainable footprint of each boat, reflecting the industry's responsiveness to customer demands for eco-conscious options.
• Collaboration is Key: Marco Campomenosi, a Member of the European Parliament, stressed the importance of collaboration and compromise in fostering sustainability. As the industry explores cutting-edge technologies such as hydrogen and solar panels, innovation could reshape the entire sector.
• The Power of the Industry: Massimo Pronio, for the European Commission Representation in Italy, acknowledged the industry's ability to drive change. Pronio emphasised the need to move away from fossil fuels and recognized climate change as an urgent concern that requires collective action.
• Mobilizing Capital: Brando Benifei, also Member of the European Parliament, highlighted the importance of economic efforts to adapt production methods and achieve sustainability goals. He called for collaboration and a collective commitment to the green transition.

The Roundtable was the beginning of a promising journey towards a more sustainable boating industry.

The collaboration between the European Boating Industry and Confindustria Nautica at the Genoa International Boat Show is set to provide an enduring platform for sustainability discussions in the industry. It promises an exciting space for annual discussions on sustainability, charting a course for a more eco-conscious mentality for the industry.

A workshop was organised on the environmental impacts of recreational boating in the Baltic Sea. This was in the framework of the Baltic Sea Convention (HELCOM) with the aim to advance implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan that includes a number of actions for recreational boating, including antifouling, decarbonisation and boater awareness.

The workshop was organised by the Coalition Clean Baltic with the Lithuanian, Swedish and German governments being the official organisers. A number of EBI members participated in the meeting, as well as representatives of boat users associations.

The main discussion points at the meeting, informed by presentations from scientists and national authorities, focused on environmental impacts from recreational boating. These included transfer of non-invasive species, antifouling, sustainable marinas, sewage, litter, emissions and alternative fuels and underwater noise.

Philip Easthill represented EBI, which is an official observer member in HELCOM. During the meeting, an overview of the recreational boating industry and its approach to sustainability has been portrayed. The key messages from the presentation were the following:

• Boating and nautical tourism is a key sector in the Baltic Sea region from an economic, societal and environmental perspective;
• The industry is committed to tackling environmental impact and continue building a successful industry;
• Sector-specific solutions are required to make a difference and more than just decarbonisation with a life-cycle perspective key;
• ‘Sustainability quick wins’ and long-term transition are possible with the support of authorities and stakeholders, but investment needs to be incentivised and supported by governments.

EBI also emphasised its intention and that of its members to engage on a forward-looking agenda for boating in the Baltic Sea.

During the meeting, several key points were discussed regarding the future direction of environmental protection efforts within HELCOM on recreational boating. The participants collectively agreed on the importance of improving the accessibility of environmental knowledge within the boating community. They emphasised the need to expand initiatives at both the Baltic Sea and Europe-wide levels, focusing on connecting with boaters, sharing best practices, and avoiding fragmentation when addressing regional and national issues such as exclusion zones and emissions reduction. Boater and industry associations were invited to join these collaborative efforts, and their strong participation was appreciated by national authorities and HELCOM.

The European Commission informed participants about an ongoing study regarding the recognition of the International Certificate of Competence (ICC) and the possibility of incorporating environmental protection questions into boating license tests. The meeting also raised the idea of establishing a dedicated working group for recreational craft, aiming to avoid duplication of efforts and effectively coordinate environmental protection events related to boating, recognising that national authorities play a significant role in this context.

A full summary and all presentations are available for EBI members on request. EBI will also, together with its Baltic Sea member associations, continue to be involved in the process and engage on next steps.

Following the trade dispute in 2018, which saw the US impose tariffs on EU steel and aluminium, a number of sectors were targeted with retaliatory tariffs on US imports, including recreational boats. Both tariffs were suspended at the end of 2021 for a period of two years. The aim was to find an agreement on the core steel and aluminium issue by October 2023 in order to then permanently remove both tariffs. In case of no agreement being reached, the tariffs would return from 1 January 2024. This would include an increase on the tariffs as they were in place until end-2021.

EBI is working with a large coalition of European associations to advocate against the tariffs on US imports returning at the end of the year. A meeting was held with this group and the European Commission in September to receive the latest update on the negotiations. The outlook is still optimistic from the EU side, even if the core steel/aluminium issue is still to be resolved. A summit between the EU and US has been confirmed for 20 October where an agreement may be announced.

To ensure high pressure for a full and permanent removal of the tariffs, EBI co-signed a letter of EU and US trade associations across sectors with a total of 85 signatories, including NMMA. An additional letter focusing on the boating sector together with NMMA and ICOMIA has also been sent to the EU and US negotiation teams.

The European Commission and the United Kingdom government have reached a political agreement on the UK's participation in Horizon Europe, the EU's research, and innovation programme, and Copernicus, the EU's Earth observation programme.

This agreed solution follows in-depth discussions between the EU and the UK and will be beneficial to both. It will allow the EU and UK to deepen their relationship in research, innovation and space, bringing together research and space communities. It means that researchers and other organisations from the UK can again fully participate in joint calls for EU Research and Innovation Funding. UK will be required to contribute financially to the EU budget and is subject to all the safeguards of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Overall, it is estimated that the UK will contribute almost €2.6 billion per year on average for its participation to both Horizon Europe and the Copernicus component of the Space programme. Read in more detail here.

Glass Fibre Europe, representing the European glass fibre industry published a position paper on the circularity in glass fibre manufacturing. It underscores the industry’s dedication to significantly reduce waste generation within its facilities, as well as the ultimate goal of ensuring that no internal glass waste ends up in landfill.

It highlights the work of its member organisations towards the identification and implementation of innovative solutions, closely aligned with the EU Waste Framework Directive. These measures, designed to prevent losses, promote reuse, and facilitate recycling, have already yielded results. Over the past decade, the share of glass waste sent to landfills has been reduced from 11% to 6.9% of the glass fibre output.

The position paper offers a comprehensive overview of key aspects, including identifying sources of glass losses, implementation of sustainable measures, support from authorities and the industry’s contribution to the European Green Deal. The full position paper can be found here.

New European Sustainable Boating Roundtable held by EBI, Confindustria Nautica and Regione Liguria at the 63^rd Genoa International Boat Show

The Genoa International Boat Show is one of the leading global boat shows and a significant agenda point in the year for the Italian industry, boasting over 200,000 square meters of exhibition space, 1,000 boats, and nearly 1,000 brands in 2022.

Picture taken last year at the 62^nd Genoa International Boat Show

The European Sustainable Boating Roundtable, organised by EBI in collaboration with Confindustria Nautica and the Regione Liguria, will focus on promoting sustainability and growing the European boating and yachting industry. Discussions at the launch event will centre around the European Green Deal and how the recreational boating industry can transition towards sustainable solutions. It will also focus on how this can increase global competitiveness for the European sector and increase exports.

The Roundtable kicks off a new collaboration between EBI and the Genoa International Boat Show that will be extended in the coming years, providing an exciting new space for discussion on sustainability to kick off the second half of the year for the industry each year.

EBI’s Vice-Chair Piero Formenti and Andrea Benveduti, Councilor for Economic Development of the Liguria Region, will be introducing the European Sustainable Boating Roundtable, which will be moderated by Michael Verdon, renowned marine journalist for Robb Report.

Confirmed as panellists are Member of the European Parliament Brando Benifei, Fabio Planamente, CEO of Cantiere del Pardo Spa, Massimo Pronio, Head of Communication for the European Commission Representation in Italy, Marco Campomenosi, Member of the European Parliament and Robert Marx, President of EBI.

Registration is open and please send an email with your contact information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to be part of the insightful discussions that will drive change and innovation, moving the industry towards more sustainable waters.

More information can be found at: Genoa Boat Show (salonenautico.com)