19 – 20 May                                     European Maritime Day (Ravenna, Italy)

Registration for in-person & online participation here

19 May, 15:45 – 16:45 CEST           EBI workshop at European Maritime Day

Registration for in-person & online participation here

EBI is attending the upcoming European Maritime Day (EMD) in Ravenna, Italy (19 & 20 May). The EMD is the annual event where ‘Oceans Leaders meet’ to discuss the most pressing issues affecting European maritime community, and find ways to move the blue economy forward. It is organised by the European Commission and takes place in a different country each year.

This year, EBI is co-organising a workshop on: "Knowledge and Skills gaps in the blue sector: Towards sustainable blue growth" taking place on 19 May from 15:45 – 16:45.

This workshop will be the opportunity to present to EU policy-makers and stakeholders the nautical tourism sector as well as providing a space for debate in which 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 also present the EnviroNaut project and provide opportunities for involvement.

EMD 2022 is a hybrid event, and participants will have the opportunity to join either in-person or virtually. Registrations are open until 12 May, click here to register.

The current situation in Ukraine casts a shadow on Europe. Many in the recreational industry have been closely working with Ukrainian colleagues for years. The EBI Council took the decision to launch a fundraising campaign under the theme of "European Boating Industry for Ukraine". For this, EBI is working with the German charity Action Medeor e.V., which specialises in the delivery of emergency medical supplies to war and crisis areas. In view of the current developments, in which more and more civilians are involved, there is a great need for this support. Action Medeor delivers - as long as it is possible, and the borders can be passed - directly to Ukraine and has already built up its own infrastructure and logistics on the ground. The target of 10,000€ has already been reached.

The donation page can be found here and is active until 7 May 2022 at least. Action Medeor is certified and issues corresponding donation receipts (under German law only).

European Boating Industry has come together with five other European organisations under a project called ENVIRonmental Officer in the NAUtical Tourism Industry (EnviroNaut). This project 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 and responding to targets set by the European Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.

During the next two years EnviroNaut partners will work to develop the first ever Environmental Officer curricula. The resulting course will be online, free and accessible to all. It will give employees, current and prospective, the foundation to implement environmental practices in their businesses and key career skills. Giving the industry, (marinas, water sports companies, skipper services, maritime / nautical schools and other training institutions, charter companies - and all other stakeholders), a state-of-the art tool to close the knowledge gap between employees, practitioners and the legislation in place to protect and preserve our oceans will enable nautical tourism companies to move towards more sustainable practices.

EBI's recognised expertise makes it a key partner connecting organisations across Europe. EBI, as the main representative of the recreational boating sector in Europe, 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.

If you don't want to miss any of the planned EnviroNaut activities, please follow the project on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn!
EBI members will be involved in the next two years in shaping the curriculum and final qualification. If you or any members of your network want to be more involved, please click here to sign up to the Stakeholder Engagement Platform.

Developed by the so-called Blue Growth Community, which consists of several EU-funded project, the Guidelines for the sustainability of cruising and recreational boating in the Mediterranean were presented.

Five major challenges have been identified for both sectors: 1) Eliminating atmospheric emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases; 2) Safeguarding ecosystems and biodiversity; 3) Eliminating water pollution (chemical, organic, wastewater effluents), preventing waste generation and improving waste management; 4) Boosting knowledge and innovation; and 5) Avoiding the impacts on local socio-economic systems.

Key elements of the Guidelines include the overall sustainability objectives for both sectors, suggested solutions to sustainability challenges, a list of high-impact actions for each sector and topic, as well as sustainability indicators. Case studies are also provided specific to the recreational boating industry, namely on the Portofino Marine Protected Area (MPA) and the French Clean Harbours certification.

EBI provided substantive input to the draft report in relation to its policy recommendations and overall practical and technical considerations from the boating industry. The main concern was confusion of the cruise and boating sector, which has been improved but not resolved in the final report. Improvements from the draft report can be seen in several crucial areas, such as a recognition of different environmental impact of cruise and boating, recognition that most boats are below 8-10m, and that the sector has a specific transition pathway.

The full Guidelines can be downloaded here.

The European Commission has proposed to suspend all import duties on all Ukrainian exports to the EU for one year. This far-reaching step is designed to help boost Ukraine's exports to the EU. This also covers recreational boats, specifically products under CN code 8903 “Yachts and other vessels for pleasure or sports; rowing boats and canoes”. The proposal needs to be agreed by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. More information can be found here.

The current situation in Ukraine casts a shadow on Europe. Many in the recreational industry have been closely working with Ukrainian colleagues for years. The EBI Council took the decision to launch a fundraising campaign under the theme of "European Boating Industry for Ukraine". For this, EBI is working with the German charity Action Medeor e.V., which specialises in the delivery of emergency medical supplies to war and crisis areas. In view of the current developments, in which more and more civilians are involved, there is a great need for this support. Action Medeor delivers - as long as it is possible, and the borders can be passed - directly to Ukraine and has already built up its own infrastructure and logistics on the ground.

The donation page can be found here and is active until 7 May 2022. Action Medeor is certified and issues corresponding donation receipts (under German law only).

At the BlueInvest Days 2022 in the European Commission and European Investment Fund (EIF) announced a new dedicated equity initiative for the blue economy. The initiative will mobilise an additional €500 million of EU funds for financial intermediaries investing in this sector. This will result in €1,5 billion of risk-financing available to innovative and sustainable blue economy SMEs and start-ups, via financial intermediaries. In addition, the BlueInvest initiative will continue beyond 2022 until 2026.

As part of the previous BlueInvest programme, EBI co-organised a dedicated workshop on green nautical technologies in January 2022. The full recording, covering the keynote, panel discussion and pitch session can be found on YouTube. EBI will inform members about the support available to companies in the recreational boating industry. More on the BlueInvest programme can be found here.

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/404 provides for harmonisation of EN ISO 8847:2021 "Small craft - Steering gear - Cable over pulley systems" as standard for the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD). A transition period for the previous standard, EN ISO 8847:2021 has been set, and for which date of withdrawal is 10 September 2023. The full decision can be found here. The full list of standards supporting the RCD can be found on the website of the European Commission.