On Monday 19 January, the European Commission launched a call for evidence to help shape the European Ocean Observation Initiative, one of the pillars of the ‘European Ocean Pact’.
This initiative aims to improve access to usable marine knowledge for all ocean-dependent stakeholders and to make Europe a world leader in ocean observation and the development of associated technologies.
The call for evidence (https://aeur.eu/f/kal ) is open until 27 February. The Commission wishes to gather a wide range of opinions from stakeholders, experts and citizens.
The feedback will feed into the development of the ocean observation initiative, which will be the subject of a Commission communication and will aim to: - improve European coordination of ocean observation; - ensure reliable collection and sharing of marine data; - make the EU a leader in the global ocean observation system; - ensure the EU’s autonomy in the marine knowledge value chain, from ocean observation technologies to applications addressing major challenges (climate, loss of biodiversity); - rationalise marine knowledge initiatives; - set up a ‘European digital twin of the ocean’. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)