Promoting marine educational areas at European level

The French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) was present at the European Maritime Days, which were held on the 19th and 20th of May 2022 in Ravenna (Italy).

Each year, the European Maritime Days bring together European maritime stakeholders to exchange and define joint and sustainable actions on maritime affairs.
The 2022 edition brought together nearly 1,500 participants around the theme "A sustainable blue economy for a green recovery".

In connection with the "EU4Ocean" coalition, a European institutional initiative to promote maritime education, the OFB was present at this major event to highlight the marine educational areas. This presentation had two objectives:

• To raise awareness of this innovative learning method in which pupils in a class manage a natural area in the manner of a protected area throughout the school year
• Create partnerships and alliances to disseminate this model in Europe, by working on common actions around "blue education" such as exchanges between schools, the provision of common tools to teachers, etc.

The European Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius, officially supported this movement during a session at the Town Hall of Ravenna. These exchanges between European actors could be an important step towards the signing of a common charter on marine environmental education, during the United Nations Conference on the Ocean, which will take place in Lisbon from June 27 to July 1. The OFB and its partners are also considering positioning themselves on European calls for proposals in order to give more ambition to their actions.

The next edition of the European Maritime Days will be held in Brest on 24 and 25 May 2023.