European Ocean Pact: launch of a call for evidence "to shape the Ocean Act, planned for adoption in 2026"

A call for evidence "to shape the European Ocean Act, planned for adoption in 2026", is launched by the European Commission on 12/01/2026. It will run until 09/02, "with the Commission seeking a wide range of contributions from stakeholders, experts, and citizens".

The Ocean Act - one of the main deliverables of the European Ocean Pact - will "reference existing binding targets, help meet them effectively and consistently and streamline reporting obligations".

In concrete terms, the act will :
• "build on the revision of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (Directive 2014/89/EU), to ensure a more coherent and effective use of the maritime space and the ocean resources ;
• structure the governance and coordination of the European Ocean Observation System ;
• simplify reporting obligations and reduce administrative burden in EU ocean policies".

The Commission added that "the ongoing evaluation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive back-to-back to an impact assessment of the Ocean Act, will support the preparation of this initiative. A study was launched in October 2025 to provide…