On Thursday 5 February, the European Commission adopted a decision to create a High-Level Ocean Board. This is one of the measures set out in the European Ocean Pact, adopted by the Commission on 5 June (see EUROPE 13654/3).
Based on the model of the European Board on Agriculture and Food, this ‘Ocean Board’ will bring together representatives of the various stakeholders. Its main role will be to support the Commission in the monitoring and effective implementation of the Pact. This group of experts will advise the Commission on the implementation of the Pact, issue opinions on specific issues relating to the oceans and promote dialogue and the exchange of experience between its members.
To monitor and report on progress, the Commission will also set up a publicly accessible ‘EU Ocean Pact dashboard’. This dashboard will feed into a regular report on the state of implementation of the pact, building on existing reports and instruments, such as the EU Blue Economy Observatory, the EU Space Programme including Copernicus and other digital tools. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)