OpenLobby.EU
Explore

MERCATOR OCEAN INTERNATIONAL

MOi

Mercator Ocean International (MOi) is a non-profit organization committed to building a science-based Digital Ocean for supporting the conservation and the sustainable use of our oceans and seas and marine resources (UN SDG14).

Lobbying Activity

Response to The European Oceans Pact

17 Feb 2025

Mercator Ocean International (MOi) is a non-profit organisation, in the process of transforming into an intergovernmental organisation, providing ocean science-based services of general interest focused on the conservation and the sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. MOi works closely with and on behalf of the European Commission, particularly with DG DEFIS, DG RTD, DG MARE and DG INTPA. It implements flagship programs such as Copernicus Marine as an entrusted entity and supports the development of the EU Digital Twin Ocean. With the EU Copernicus Marine Service, MOi provides the European Union with a world-leading, reference digital information service on the world ocean and EU regional seas. This values the EU excellence in marine sciences, technologies and services, and aims at fostering evidence-based decisions for a sustainable Ocean. Such capacity for authoritative information and services on the marine environment extends from ocean climate to near-real time monitoring and forecasts and directly contributes to EUs marine and maritime-related policies. The development of the EU DTO (Digital Twin Ocean) and the integration with the Copernicus Marine and EMODnet services makes it now possible to create and analyze scenarios that are required to take sound political decisions for a sustainable management of the ocean and to better adapt to climate change and protect the ocean. MOi enthusiastically welcomes the initiative of the European Oceans Pact, recognising its potential to improve policy coherence and establish a single reference framework for all ocean-related policies. To this end, MOi highlights the EU Digital Twin Ocean as a game changer at the science-policy interface, underscores the European Commission's world-leading role in this field, and advocates for structuring Europe's ambition through a clear roadmap within the framework of the Oceans Pact. MOi emphasises the key role of EU Copernicus Marine Service and the EU DTO to support Europes fishery and aquaculture, blue economy, marine environment monitoring, maritime spatial planning and maritime security, climate change mitigation and adaptation actions and marine biodiversity protection. The European Oceans Pact should call for the consolidation and development of cutting-edge global, regional and coastal ocean monitoring and prediction capabilities in Europe. This means considerably strengthening European capabilities to describe the past, monitor the present and predict (incl. what if scenarios) the short-term and long-term evolution of the ocean from physics to biology and from global to the coastal zone. Integrating science and technological advances is vital to consolidate Europes leadership. Embracing the new capabilities of AI will play a fundamental role in that respect. The Oceans Pact should recognise the importance of ocean observation infrastructure which is the pillar of the EU marine services and the applications they serve. It is critical to improve coordination between Member States and the European Commission to support the development of a sustained fit-for-purpose European Ocean Observing System (EOOS). The European Oceans Pact should also call for the development of stronger user & stakeholder engagement activities together with capacity development, to improve uptake and usage of EU marine assets by Member States and to strengthen the development of their ocean and coastal zone management actions. By setting a clear vision and structuring it around an ambitious and actionable roadmap, the European Oceans Pact could establish a robust framework to strengthen Europes leadership for a Digital Twin Ocean. MOi recommends that this effort fosters collaboration and community engagement and a need for a strong digital infrastructure to ensure the development of a truly operational and sustainable European service capacity.
Read full response

Meeting with Niklas Nienass (Member of the European Parliament)

7 Dec 2023 · Lunch debate: Copernicus data at the service of EU Arctic Policy

Meeting with Niklas Nienass (Member of the European Parliament)

25 Oct 2023 · Earth Observation for ocean and arctic politics; Event preparations

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans) and Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee

14 Sept 2022 · Marine observation

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans) and Business Bridge Europe

28 Jun 2022 · European Green Deal and ocean data and observation

Meeting with Elena Montani (Cabinet of Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius) and Business Bridge Europe

28 Jun 2022 · European Green Deal and ocean data and observation

Meeting with Tonino Picula (Member of the European Parliament)

16 May 2022 · SEARICA activities

Meeting with Catherine Chabaud (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

31 Jan 2022 · Ocean monitoring

Meeting with Charlina Vitcheva (Director-General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries)

26 Jan 2022 · Presentation and discussion on European Digital Twin Ocean on EMODnet and Copernicus Marine

Meeting with Jean-Eric Paquet (Director-General Research and Innovation)

10 Dec 2021 · Oceans mission

Meeting with Charlina Vitcheva (Director-General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries)

7 Jun 2021 · Presentation and discussion on Copernicus Marine service