On Wednesday, 13 July from 14:30 – 16:30 CEST EBI, in the framework of the Intergroup on Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas (SEARica) of the European Parliament and co-organised with the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) will hold a high-level policy event "Developing a truly European and sustainable nautical tourism".

This event represents an important cornerstone for advocacy of the recreational boating industry and sustainable nautical tourism as it is the perfect opportunity to present to stakeholders and policy makers the challenges the sector is facing every day.
The event will be chaired by MEP & SEArica Vice-Chair Jan-Christoph Oetjen and will be attended by several key players from the European nautical tourism sector. The focus will be on developing EU action that supports our European sector on some key policy priorities (sustainable transition, VAT, qualifications, and more). Speakers will include representatives from Member States, as well as key figures from the European Parliament and European Commission.

Registrations are still open, click here for the agenda and to register.

13 July, 14:30 – 16:30 CEST                     SEArica event on leisure boating and water-based                                                                                tourism
                                                                    Registration is open here

21 July, 10:00 – 12:00 CEST                     Executive Committee
                                                                    Zoom

7 September, 14:00 – 16:00 CEST            Council meeting
                                                                    Cannes Yachting Festival, FIN Stand

Svencelė (Lithuania) will host an exclusive, international pleasure boat exhibition and water entertainment event BOAT AND HOUSE SHOW 2022 on 9-10 July. The BOAT AND HOUSE SHOW, organised for the second year in a row, will bring together Lithuanian and foreign recreational boat builders and sellers, as well as exhibit exclusive boats recognised in the international market. Other producers and suppliers related in the water tourism and entertainment industry will also showcase their products and services at the event. Last year’s exhibition attracted almost 10,000 visitors and 24 participants, and this year these numbers are expected to almost double.

The event will also introduce the vision for Svencelė’s development and introduce Svencelė port and yacht club. The Inland Waterways Directorate will present the development plan for Lithuanian inland waterways, including ongoing projects and prospects in Lithuania.

Time: 9th July from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; 10th July from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Svencelė Port, Svencelė, Lithuania.
Follow BOAT AND HOUSE SHOW 2022 on Facebook here.
Event organiser: CAPITAL MARINE.

Our project EnviroNaut has been quite active since our last in-person event at the European Maritime Day (you can watch the recording here). The project is now at a crucial point, with partners gathering feedback from stakeholders to develop the course curricula for the position of Environmental Officer.

From EBI, we want to call all our members to action and ask you to collaborate by answering this questionnaire. The questionnaire is available in English, Spanish, German and Greek.

Your responses to the questionnaire will ensure that the course takes into account your priorities and the issues that are relevant for the sector, take the opportunity for the industry to hear your voice!

The OSPAR Commission met for its Annual Meeting in Copenhagen from 20-24 June and granted observer status to EBI. The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention) is the legislative instrument regulating international cooperation on environmental protection in the North-East Atlantic. Work carried out under the convention is managed by the OSPAR Commission, which is made up of representatives of the Governments of the fifteen signatory nations, and representatives of the European Commission, representing the EU. It also includes non-EU countries, such as Norway, Iceland, and the UK.

The purpose of EBI’s application is to provide input from the recreational boating industry to the discussions and decision-making processes within the OSPAR Commission on all relevant aspects. EBI will now be participating in the OSPAR meetings and providing input to the key discussions potentially affecting the boating industry. More information can be found here.

On 14 June, Brussels was in the spotlight of recreational boating for the hybrid Council meeting and General Assembly. We were happy to welcome some of our members in person while keeping the flexibility that comes with online meetings for some others. The main highlight of the meetings was the incorporation of three members to our association: Greece with the Professional Bare-Boat Υacht Owners Association (SITESAP), Lithuania by the Lithuanian Boating Industry Association (LITBoat) and Çarkçı Denizcilik from Turkey as a sustaining member.

EBI also presented the implementation of our three-year strategy, approved in our previous General Assembly in January 2022. These first 6 months have been highly successful for EBI, with new activities, new projects and new members. If you want to learn all the details about our new members, please click here to read our full news item.

boot Düsseldorf and EBI have had a successful cooperation for almost ten years and 2023 will mark the beginning of a new era, with the sign of a new 3-year partnership. EBI will be the official "Content Partner" of boot Düsseldorf for the organisation of the "blue innovation dock" (bid), the "International Breakfast Meeting" (IBM) and the "blue innovation dock 360° online", which will take place as a series of online events.

The tried and tested "Breakfast Meeting" will focus on the most important economic topics of the industry. The "bid" will deal with the sustainable change of the industry and innovations. The aim is to cover the entire spectrum of sustainability. In order to always be directly on the pulse of innovations, the online event series "blue innovation dock 360°" will start in parallel.

The new cooperation kicks off with a panel discussion that will start at the end of August on-site in Düsseldorf and can then be followed online. Under the motto "Marina of the Future", it will deal with a key topic of the industry including current challenges in the areas of marina capacity, sustainability, infrastructure for alternative fuels and propulsion, and digitalisation.

If you want to learn more about boot Düsseldorf & EBI’s new partnership, click here to read the full news item.

The Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union started on 1 July, taking over from France. Its task for the next six months will be to set the priority agenda for negotiations within the EU Council, to seek a compromise between Member States, and to represent the Council of the EU externally. The Czech Presidency will be guided by political priorities that reflect its programme and the current geopolitical situation, in particular the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

During its presidency, the Czech Republic will focus on five priority areas:

• Managing the refugee crisis and Ukraine’s post-war recovery
• Energy security
• Strengthening Europe’s defence capabilities and cyberspace security
• Strategic resilience of the European economy
• Resilience of democratic institutions
  

In relation to issues for the recreational boating industry, the Czech Presidency will focus on strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of the European economy with an emphasis on securing strategic raw materials, parts, and products for European companies. It will also focus on consumer protection legislation and the Chips Act that aims to achieve supply stability in the semiconductor sector.

In terms of tourism policy, the Czech Presidency will focus on preparing a long-term strategy for the sector with a focus on its sustainable development and post-pandemic recovery. Crucial issue in this context will be the preparation of the European Agenda for Tourism 2030. In terms of the European Green Deal, it will focus on the reduction of emissions in all modes of transport and the Fit for 55 Package. EBI has already met with the Czech Presidency to highlight the boating and nautical tourism sector’s priorities, notably for the European Agenda for Tourism and other policy areas.

The full programme can be found here.

On Wednesday, 13 July from 14:30 – 16:30 CEST EBI, in the framework of the Intergroup on Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas (SEARica) of the European Parliament and co-organised with the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) will hold a high-level policy event "Developing a truly European and sustainable nautical tourism".

This event represents an important cornerstone for advocacy of the recreational boating industry and sustainable nautical tourism as it is the perfect opportunity to present to stakeholders and policy makers the challenges the sector is facing every day.

The event will be chaired by MEP & SEArica Vice-Chair Jan-Christoph Oetjen and will be attended by several key players from the European nautical tourism sector. The focus will be on developing EU action that supports our European sector on some key policy priorities (sustainable transition, VAT, qualifications, and more). Speakers will include representatives from Member States, as well as key figures from the European Parliament and European Commission.

Registrations are still open, click here for the agenda and to register.