ONE-BLUE successfully hosted a webinar on EU marine policy, reviewing the latest innovations and regulatory developments

ONE-BLUE successfully hosted a webinar on EU marine policy, reviewing the latest innovations and regulatory developments

  • The event brought together policymakers, representatives from the European Parliament and the European Commission, scientists, and EU funded projects
  • All panellists showcased cutting-edge approaches to marine protection, offering concrete recommendations to enhance legislation, governance, and ocean resilience.

ONE-BLUE successfully hosted the webinar “ONE-BLUE: Policy Recommendations & EU Marine Regulation Review”, bringing together leading EU funded projects, policymakers and European Parliament and European Commission representatives to discuss recent developments in marine policy and regulation. Held online on Tuesday, 17 June 2025, the event offered a platform to explore policy recommendations emerging from EU-funded projects and initiatives presented aligned with the European Green Week 2025.

The session was opened by an institutional address by Anna Bobo, Senior Policy Officer at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV), C2 Unit, who outlined the EU’s current priorities for marine environmental protection and sustainability. Strengthening the session’s policy dimension, Dimitris Tsiodras, Member of the European Parliament and the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) delivered a video message sharing his insights on the European Water Resilience Strategy. Both participations added notable political and symbolic weight to the discussion, underscoring the strong alignment of the event with the EU’s priorities on sustainability, marine protection, and the green transition. 

Following this, María Martha Barroso Quiroga, Chemical Engineering Advisor at the Finnova Foundation, presented a legislative review linked to the ONE-BLUE project. Her contribution focused on the existing gaps in the EU regulation on marine waters, particularly regarding the monitoring and control of contaminants of emerging concern. 

Aligned with the European Green Week 2025, the event also welcomed events that have been part of this initiative. Robert van Spingelen, President of the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform and representative of the uPcycle project, summarised the outcomes of the ESPP workshop held from 10 to 12 June in Bergen, Norway. His remarks highlighted the need for improved nutrient management in aquaculture feed, seafood processing, and fish sludge valorisation. Davide Poletto, Executive Director of the Venice Lagoon Free Project and representative of the SeaClear2.0 and REMEDIES projects, shared conclusions from the Marine Litter Monitoring, Removal and Blue Circular Economy workshop held-on 1 June in Venice, Italy. He presented innovative and sustainable methodologies, technologies, and solutions for monitoring, removing, and recycling marine litter, with a particular focus on plastic waste. 

The online seminar featured insights from several EU-funded initiatives working across different aspects of marine protection.  Priscila Doran, Vice-President of the Executive Council of NUCLIO and representing the OTTERS project, explained how their work is integrating citizen science into educational systems to raise awareness and foster engagement. Chris Bowler, Director of Research at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and representative of the BlueRemediomics project, discussed the importance of disclosing the origin of genetic resources in the context of patent applications, as outlined in the WIPO Treaty and the BBNJ Agreement. Lisa Waldenberger, Scientific Project Assistant at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna and member of the EcoDaLLi project, shared policy recommendations for the effective implementation of nature-based solutions in marine and freshwater ecosystems.

The session concluded with an intervention by Juanma Revuelta, CEO of the Finnova Foundation, who presented EU funding opportunities within the framework of the LIFE Programme. Furthermore, he highlighted various EU-funding programmes such as Erasmus+, Interreg SUDOE and LIFE Ecodigestion 2.0 and LIFE COSTAdapta projects, underlining the importance of transnational collaboration to protect our oceans and promote sustainable innovation.

The webinar was moderated by Jon Larratxea, Communication Officer for the ONE-BLUE project at the Finnova Foundation. With rich contributions from across Europe, the webinar underscored the importance of bridging science and policy to build resilient marine ecosystems and promote a truly sustainable blue economy.