From March 3 to 7, 2025, the European Commission in Brussels hosted a series of high-level discussions on the future of EU policies and initiatives related to oceans and water. SEA-EU actively participated in these events, contributing to key dialogues on the EU Mission “Restore Our Ocean and Waters,” the European Ocean Pact, and the European Water Resilience Strategy.
These discussions brought together a diverse range of stakeholders—youth representatives, researchers, innovators, academia, regional and city leaders, as well as port and island communities—united in their commitment to collective action for the health of Europe’s oceans and waters. The event also served as a platform to introduce the “Union of Skills” initiative, which highlights academia’s crucial role in shaping the future of ocean and water education.
A key moment of the event was “The Mission Ocean and Waters Roundtable with Universities,” where Professor Alexandra Teodósio, the Vice-Rector of the University of Algarve, represented both the University and SEA-EU as an invited speaker. This roundtable gathered universities, researchers, and education leaders to share best practices and explore opportunities for developing transdisciplinary EU curricula and exchanges in ocean and water-related education.
The session was hosted by Elisabetta Balzi, Head of Unit and Deputy Director for “Ocean, Seas and Waters” at DG Research & Innovation (RTD), and Susanne Conze, Head of Unit for “Higher Education” at DG Education, Youth, Sport, and Culture (EAC), European Commission.
By engaging in these discussions, SEA-EU reaffirmed its commitment to fostering innovation, education, and sustainable policies that will shape Europe’s blue future.
