On Monday 2 March, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called for the creation of an ‘International Alliance’ to strengthen and extend ocean observation and monitoring.
This Alliance will support OceanEye, the European ocean observation initiative, to enhance global efforts and international cooperation in this field. The President also announced a contribution of €50 million from the EU, through Horizon Europe, for the International Alliance for the 2026-2027 period.
OceanEye was first announced by Ursula von der Leyen, together with the Commissioner for Oceans, Costas Kadis, at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference. Building on the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EDITO) and the Copernicus marine programme, OceanEye aims to lay the foundation for Europe’s sovereign and cutting-edge ocean observation technology infrastructure.
At the opening ceremony of the European Ocean Days, Ursula von der Leyen said that, with the presentation of OceanEye: “We will advance scientific knowledge, boost the blue economy’s competitiveness, enhance maritime security, and crucially protect the ocean’s health”.
The announced Alliance will unite EU Member States and international partners through commitments to secure funding and provide a framework for coordinated action and cooperation. It will ensure secure access to open and free ocean data for both the EU and international partners and support the Global Ocean Observing System capacities. The Commission aims to have a fully operational European Ocean Observation System by 2030. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)