After the successful cooperation in the past years, EBI and boot Düsseldorf have agreed to expand their partnership. 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 on 1st September 2022 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. On the agenda are the current challenges in the areas of marina capacity, sustainability, infrastructure for alternative fuels and propulsion, and digitalisation. Industry leaders and experts will discuss with policy makers how these major challenges can be tackled together. This launch will be followed by further online events. The highlight of the bid series will be at boot 2023, where each day of the trade fair from 21st to 29th January will feature an attractive programme of panel discussions and seminars with internationally renowned and high-calibre experts from industry, research and politics. The International Breakfast Meeting is traditionally held on the Tuesday of boot, on 24th January next year.

Petros Michelidakis, Project Director boot Düsseldorf, explains the partnership: "With EBI we have the central European expertise on board. We provide the platform and EBI feeds it with interesting and innovative content. In this way, we offer the international industry, dealers and national associations a unique opportunity for knowledge and information transfer throughout Europe. I am very pleased that we were able to extend the partnership with EBI and I am sure that this will provide strong impulses for the future of the industry. I am of course particularly excited about the first event in Düsseldorf, the 'blue innovation dock' in September, and the first bid in presence at a boot in January 2023."

Philip Easthill, Secretary-General of EBI, added “Our overarching mission as EBI is to represent the industry and advance sustainability based on European competitiveness. We want to ensure strong political and innovation support that is necessary to grow in the next years and successfully navigate the green transition. We are delighted to have boot Düsseldorf as a partner at a time of major challenges that we will focus on with our existing and new events at boot Düsseldorf and throughout the year. We very much look forward to embarking on this with Petros Michelidakis and his team”

At the General Assembly of European Boating Industry (EBI) on 14 June 2022, three new members were admitted to the association. As new members, Greece will be represented by the Hellenic Professional Bare-Boat Υacht Owners Association (SITESAP) and Lithuania by the Lithuanian Boating Industry Association (LITBoat).

Paris Loutriotis, SITESAP President said “We are very pleased to be informed of EBI's positive decision on our application to join the association representing the interests of recreational boating in Europe. We strongly believe that recreational boating is an economic sector with great potential, not only on a national level, but also on a European level, as it offers common approaches and benefits.”

Karolis Valenta, President of LITBoat remarked “We wanted to become a member of EBI to join the organisation representing the interests of recreational boating in Europe, as Europeans we want to be a part of this professional family. We are confident that EBI membership will help us to bring together all stakeholders in boating in Lithuania to develop the infrastructure, increase the number of recreational boats in the country and provide the highest level of service to all boaters.”

Joining as new sustaining member for 2022 is Turkish distributor, technical and after-sales specialist Carkcı Denizcilik. Since 1994 Çarkçı Denizcilik and Yachting family, has been working together with the world's leading brands to support recreational boating in Turkey, where they are among the leading distributors in the sector. Çarkçı Denizcilik not only provides distribution and sales services, but also supports its customers with technical and after-sales services.

Sustaining members profit from a comprehensive package of benefits, including expertise and access to EBI’s network while able to contribute to EBI’s advocacy activities and other initiatives. Furkan Çarkçı, the company’s Manager says “We believe that our partnership with the European Boating Industry can be a bridge between the European and Turkish associations for the future of sustainability and digitalisation of the industry. We are pleased that our application for membership has been accepted and hope that our inclusion in the EBI family will help create a better world for future generations.”

Based on the new strategy launched in January 2022 under the theme of “Advancing and representing a sustainable boating and nautical tourism industry #MadeInEurope”, several new initiatives were agreed by the General Assembly. They will be launched in the coming months and years to provide a comprehensive value proposition to members and the entire European industry, across the fields of advocacy, promotion, services, market and regulatory intelligence, and events.

EBI President Jean-Pierre Goudant commented “We are delighted to welcome three new members and expand with new full members in Lithuania and Greece and a sustaining member in Turkey. While geographically very different, all three countries have a strong boating and nautical tourism industry and large potential in our sector. We look forward to working with our new members to strengthen and grow the European industry further. We are delighted that our new strategy is showing itself to be attractive to new members and we look forward to rolling out a number of new initiatives”

14 June, 14:00 – 16:00 CEST                                        Council meeting
                                                                                         JPI Oceans Office, Rue du Trône 4 & Zoom

14 June, 16:00 – 17:30 CEST                                        General Assembly
                                                                                         JPI Oceans Office, Rue du Trône 4 & Zoom

12 July, 15:00 – 17:00 CEST                                          Executive Committee
                                                                                         Zoom

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

The BlueGeneration Project, of which EBI is a partner was in the spotlight during the European Maritime Day EMD. As part of the EU4Ocean Ceremony, the BlueGeneration Project received the 1st “EU4Ocean in Action” Award (Navy Blue) of the for its significant achievement in bringing forward ocean literacy in Europe, its efforts and initiatives in translating the spirit and principles of the EU4Ocean coalition, while mobilizing diverse communities.

Silja Teege – Managing Director of Sea Teach - on behalf of BlueGeneration also signed a declaration that engages the project in the development of a Charter for Blue Education in Europe. This document was also signed by the European Science Marine Educators Association (EMSEA), the Portuguese Directorate-General for Maritime Policy, and the French Office for Biodiversity. The official signing took place in a meeting with the Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, who welcomed and recognised the importance of the initiative.

The Blue Generation project organises info days about blue career prospects and offers free mentoring programs, as well as many other activities for those who wish to pursue a career in seven subsectors of the Blue Economy: coastal tourism, aquaculture, ocean energy, marine biotechnology, shipbuilding, maritime transport and fisheries.

The 2022 edition of the European Maritime Day was held on 19th and 20th May 2022 in Ravenna, Italy. EBI was present and co-organised a workshop in the framework of our latest project, EnviroNaut. The topic of the workshop was “Knowledge and Skills gaps in the blue sector: Towards sustainable blue growth” and organised together with the National Technical University of Athens, Eurofleets+, Arice, POGO and @SeaNetwork.

Stefano Pagani, Head of Research Department at Confindustria Nautica addressed the latest developments in the field of jobs and skills in the boating industry and sustainable nautical tourism. He also presented the state of the art and next steps for the Italian Industry and presented EBI’s mission and work as a European actor for the industry.

Frank Schweikert, Founder & Director of German Ocean Foundation prepared a presentation about the knowledge and skills needed for a sustainable nautical tourism sector. In his presentation, he highlighted the latest changes that the industry has experienced both from the consumers’ perspective as well as how the society has evolved, and sustainability is now a must. He also presented the contribution of the EnviroNaut project to support the green transition.

More than 260 participants registered for this workshop where four speakers with industry, education and research backgrounds addressed the main relevant topics for the future of sustainable nautical tourism. If you couldn’t attend the session live, you can access the provisional recording here.

The Council of the EU and European Parliament adopted a regulation allowing for temporary trade liberalisation and other trade concessions for certain Ukrainian products. This means that for one year import duties on all Ukrainian exports to the European Union will be removed. The aim is to support Ukraine's economy given the Russian war against Ukraine.

The decision will apply for a period of one year and will suspend all tariffs under the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine that have not yet been liberalised. Following formal adoption, it will be published in the Official Journal, before entering into force on the day following its publication. More information can be found here.

Earlier this month, the European Parliament published a resolution reiterating its condemnation of the Russian offensive in Ukraine and highlighting the cost that the war in Ukraine has had on the transport and tourism sector, rising fuel prices and disrupting supply chains.

Concerns about the situation in the transport and tourism sector are growing. Both are strategic for the EU to provide solidarity and support to Ukraine and its people. This resolution calls on the EU to tighten sanctions against the Russian maritime sector by refusing to allow ships that have docked in Russia to enter EU ports. The European Maritime Safety Agency could play an important role in this aspect providing a clear list of Russian ships that should be banned from EU ports.

MEPs also want to support EU transport and tourism operators with links to the Russian market that have reoriented themselves, requesting the Commission to set up an EU temporary financial programme to support tourism businesses that hire people fleeing the war.

The European Maritime Day (EMD) took place on 19th and 20th May 2022 in Ravenna, Italy with EBI participating in-person and with a dedicated workshop (see below). Organised by the European Commission, EMD is the event where maritime stakeholders meet to address the sector's most pressing issues and work together to find the right solutions.

This year's event focused on the crucial role of seas and oceans in the recovery and development of the global economy and therefore the critical need to protect them. The Blue economy concept is at the core of this, with the most debated and popular topics were the skills needed for the future of the blue economy and how to engage young talent. As well as the opportunities that digitalisation and new technologies offer the maritime sector, improving its efficiency while increasing its sustainability were on the agenda too.

Sustainability was at the heart of the discussions, with Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius stating “We are determined to make the sustainable blue economy part of our green recovery”. In his introductory speech, the Commissioner mentioned that there is no time to lose when it comes to engaging in a sustainable blue economy, encouraging all participants to seize the current momentum towards sustainability. There is a common will to create a global policy that protects sustainable development, but this requires a strong and structured agenda, so everyone's collaboration is essential.

This year's event was hybrid, making it accessible to a wider audience and bringing together people from across the EU and beyond. All participants shared a passion or interest in oceans and seas, but there was a wide range of backgrounds, from academics and industry workers to researchers and NGO managers. This diversity allowed for high-level exchanges across sectors.

European Boating Industry (EBI) together with the German Ocean Foundation, Sea Teach, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), German Marine Federation (BVWW) and Frederick University will develop the first-ever environmental qualification for the nautical tourism sector. The curricula will respond to targets set by the European Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It aims to sustainably manage recreational boating and nautical tourism to become a means to protect marine and coastal ecosystems. The project will also feature at an EBI-organised workshop at the European Maritime Day on 19 May in showcasing blue skills and the boating industry to the key decision-makers at EU level.

The EU-funded Erasmus+ project called ENVIRonmental Officer in the NAUtical Tourism Industry (EnviroNaut), aims to bridge the gap between the training and skills needed in the boating industry, while enhancing the positive environmental impact that the recreational boating sector can have. Frank Schweikert, Founder & Director of the German Ocean Foundation, said: “Our seas and oceans are home to invaluable ecosystems, as well as being one of the most important sources of food, materials and energy. They are also home to various recreational activities. The EnviroNaut project will support growth of the recreational boating sector while protecting the marine environment through responsible and sustainable tourism over time”.

During the next two years, EnviroNaut partners will develop the first-ever qualification as Environmental Officer with a specific curricula. The resulting course will be available online, free and accessible to all. It will give the employees in nautical sector, both current and prospective, the foundation to implement environmental practices in their businesses, while also enhancing their key competencies. Giving the industry a state-of-the art tool to close the knowledge gap between employees, practitioners and the legislation in place, will enable them to move towards sustainability. Employees in the following companies will have access to the qualification: marinas, water sports companies, skipper services, nautical schools and other training institutions, and charter companies. EBI's recognised expertise makes it a key partner connecting organisations across Europe for the project. As the main representative of the recreational boating sector in Europe, EBI will provide a comprehensive insight into the challenges and objectives of the sector and how to meet them.

On top of its European expertise, EBI oversees the dissemination and will ensure that EnviroNaut is developed in such a way that there is a standardisation of environmental skills at European level. Philip Easthill, Secretary-General commented “The EnviroNaut Project will be a game-changer for the industry. The Environmental Officer qualification will take sustainability to a whole new level for nautical tourism companies. EBI will support the project with our consolidated European network as well as our technical knowledge, providing a unified vision of the challenges and opportunities for the sector at European level. This directly follows our new strategy through which we aim to advance a sustainable boating and nautical tourism industry Made in Europe”

Companies, employees and all stakeholders from the nautical tourism sector are invited to sign up to the Stakeholder Engagement Platform to be involved in the development of the qualification.

European Maritime Day

EBI is co-organising a workshop at the upcoming European Maritime Day (EMD) in Ravenna, Italy (19 & 20 May) on: "Knowledge and Skills gaps in the blue sector: Towards sustainable blue growth". The EMD is the annual event where ‘Oceans Leaders meet’ to discuss the most pressing issues affecting European maritime community and move the blue economy forward. The workshop will present the sector, its challenges and the development of environmental skills, as well as the EnviroNaut project to the key decision-makers at EU level. Speaking at the workshop, moderated by Silja Teege from Sea Teach, will be Eirini-Asimina Stamatopoulou (National Technical University of Athens); Frank Schweikert (German Ocean Foundation) and Stefano Pagani Isnardi (Confindustria Nautica).

This workshop has already attracted the attention of more than 120 participants in advance. The session provides a space for debate in which the EU institutions and marine stakeholders will discuss the challenges facing the next generation of marine professionals as well as the skills and capabilities needed to meet the goals of the blue economy and deliver sustainable ocean businesses. The workshop will identify the blue skills needed and implementation actions to support sustainable nautical tourism, shipping & ship-building and other marine professionals to address key challenges faced by the blue economy in the next decade.

EMD 2022 is a hybrid event, and participants have the opportunity to join in-person or virtually. Registrations are open until 12 May (Registration here). The EBI-organised workshop takes place on 19 May from 15:45 – 16:45.