European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Speech by Commissioner Kadis at the Ocean Days opening Ceremony Brussels, 2 March 2026 Dear Ministers Dear Members of the European Parliament, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends of the ocean, It is a great honour for me to join all of you in opening this third edition of the European Ocean Days. We are here today, united by our shared sense o...
European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Speech by Commissioner Kadis at the Ocean Days opening Ceremony Brussels, 2 March 2026 Dear Ministers Dear Members of the European Parliament, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends of the ocean, It is a great honour for me to join all of you in opening this third edition of the European Ocean Days. We are here today, united by our shared sense of duty and commitment to our ocean and its communities. Especially during this period of global instability. I extend my sincere gratitude to President Ursula von der Leyen, whose presence here today emphasises the deep and inseparable connection between the future of Europe and the well-being of our ocean. Because, as the President has just said, the ocean defines Europe. Yet for too long, our ocean policy was fragmented and lacked a cohesive direction. The European Ocean Pact was a turning point. The Pact is structured around six pillars and brings together, for the first time, under one coherent European ocean vision, priorities such as environmental protection, economic competitiveness, support to coastal communities, ocean knowledge, marine security, and international ocean governance. And we have been working full speed to turn this vision into action. I would like to highlight several initiatives that have already been delivered or are being developed in the year ahead. In the context of the First Pillar, the Commission developed the Water Resilience Strategy with a source-to-sea approach. In close cooperation with Commissioner Roswall, we are also revising the Marine Strategy Framework Directive to better address the environmental challenges facing our ocean. In addition we are promoting the expansion and more effective management of our Marine Protected Areas through a co-management approach, having witnessed the importance of involving local stakeholders, including fishermen. Under Pillar 2, the evaluation of the common fisheries policy Regulation will provide an evidence- based assessment of whether the Regulation remains fit for purpose, looking at all three pillars of sustainable development: environmental, economic, and social. Building on the evaluation, the Vision 2040 for fisheries and aquaculture will address the challenges affecting the sector, while the energy transition roadmap will promote energy solutions that preserve our ecosystems, protect the sector from future energy shocks, and stimulate the blue economy. The sustainable blue economy will be further boosted through forthcoming Commission initiatives, such as the Ports and Industrial Maritime Strategies and the Sustainable Tourism Strategy. Under Priority 3, the European Ocean Pact positions the support for coastal areas, islands and the outermost regions as a key priority. This year, we will present strategies related to these regions, focussing on their resilience, economy diversification and youth engagement. Moreover, responding to requests from Member States and their outermost regions, we recently reviewed the fleet renewal Guidelines for the Outermost Regions. Priority 4 recognizes that solid marine knowledge is a necessity for Europe's sovereignty and autonomy. With the Ocean Eye, announced this morning by the President, we will reinforce our ocean observation capabilities, including through global cooperation. With the European Strategy for Ocean Research and Innovation, we will translate ocean knowledge into market-ready solutions that bolster our strategic autonomy and competitiveness. There is no doubt that the ocean is key for Europe's security, particularly in the current geopolitical context. In that respect the action plan on undersea cable security and the action plan on drones and Counter- Drone Security, with a strong maritime and underwater leg, will play an important role, and so will the continued implementation of the EU Maritime Security Strategy. Under priority 6, we will deliver a strategic framework for our fisheries external action, modernizing our Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements, reinforcing our engagement in Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, leading the entry into force of the BBNJ and strengthening our policy to address Illegal Unreported Unregulated fishing. Under the latter, CATCH, the first digital system for checking fishing certificates, introduced on 10 th January, is an important step. In the context of ocean diplomacy, a key role will also be played by the forthcoming EU Arctic Strategy update, as well as the Pact for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea Strategy, adopted last year. The legal component of the Ocean pact will be the forthcoming Ocean Act, which will help coordinate and simplify the regulatory landscape linked to the ocean. The high-level Ocean Board, which we are in the process of establishing, will help monitor the implementation of the Ocean Pact, while the forthcoming EU Ocean Pact dashboard, will provide a public, transparent platform to track progress. Ladies and gentlemen, There is a single thread, a shared conviction tying all these initiatives together. Europe must be a global ocean power, not only in geography, but also in responsibility, innovation and leadership. Let us make the European Ocean Days not only a forum for discussion, but a catalyst for decisive action. Let's work together for a sustainable and thriving ocean, for our communities and our world! SPEECH/26/509
Speech Brief