Ocean Observation initiative: a call for evidence launched "to improve marine knowledge access"

The European Commission launched a call for evidence on 19/01/2026, to "shape the European Ocean Observation Initiative, one of the cornerstones of the European Ocean Pact". It will be open until 27/02.

"Today, ocean observation faces numerous challenges, due to its fragmentation, a lack of resources and a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape", the Commission said.

This initiative, "which will take the form of a dedicated communication from the Commission, will propose a blueprint with an objective-driven approach to deliver actionable marine knowledge and will ensure coherent actions across the full knowledge value chain - from observation and data management to analysis and applications for use in policy and innovation".

The feedback collected "will feed into the development of the Initiative, which aims at :
• improving European coordination in ocean observation ;
• guaranteeing reliable marine data collection and sharing ;
• making the EU a leader in the global ocean observing system ;
• ensuring EU autonomy in the marine knowledge value chain, from ocean observation technologies…