Building on existing programmes, the European Commission now plans to strengthen ocean intelligence through its new OceanEye initiative, to position Europe as a global leader in ocean intelligence by 2035.
Formally adopted on 3 June, OceanEye received its first high-level public presentation and political debate at a dedicated event during Digital Ocean Week in Brussels, bringing together EU institutions, Member States, international organisations and marine science and space agencies.
The discussions highlighted both the strategic importance of today’s global ocean observing system and the opportunity for Europe to step up its contribution.
10 Jun 2026 - Brussels, Belgium - Fom left to right: Pierre Bahurel (Director General Mercator Ocean International), Alexandros Boudouris (Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister for Digital Governance of Greece), Lorena Boix Alonso (Deputy Director General for Space - European Commission - DG DEFIS), Costas Kadis (European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans), Vidar Helgesen (Executive Secretary IOC Unesco) © Bernal Revert/BR&U
Stronger, more coordinated ocean observation
Despite the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) – an Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) led programme, and part of UNESCO, which underpins weather forecasting, climate science and maritime security worldwide – providing 120,000 observations per day, it doesn’t fully meet today’s needs, said European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis during the event on 10 June.
Kadis warned that GOOS is severely underfunded and under-resourced, and that it was time for Europe to step up, given the “extremely worrying signals are coming from the other side of the Atlantic”.
“Right now, our knowledge of the ocean is fragmented, underfunded, and at risk of collapsing just when we need it most,” he added.
Despite covering 70% of the Earth’s surface, only 5% of the ocean has been mapped and explored. It’s “the biggest and most important thing that we know the least about”, according to Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of the IOC-UNESCO.
Systematic observation and initiatives such as OceanEye are therefore needed now more than ever in our increasingly globalised world and turbulent geopolitical climate, particularly to contribute to maritime security and defence.
“Europe is facing increasing challenges at sea,” said Lorena Boix Alonso, Deputy Director General of DG Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS) at the European Commission. “Climate change is increasing pressure on the marine environment and coastal communities, but marine knowledge is also fundamental for security and defence applications.”
Beyond security, ocean intelligence can also be used to protect ocean health, sustainably manage the marine environment, and strengthen the preparedness of coastal communities – especially during extreme weather conditions because of climate change.
MEPs Christophe Clergeau from France, Isabella Lövin from Sweden, and Thomas Bajada from Malta, each pointed to the detrimental effects of climate change in their respective countries during the event and called for decision-making based on science.
“The ocean is our daily reality. It is our transport system. It is the food we eat. We depend on the Ocean for everything in our existence. If we cannot transform data into something visible and understandable to everyone, then we cannot prevent what is yet to come,” Bajada said, underlining the need to turn raw data into usable intelligence for citizens and policymakers.
OceanEye will also help boost the blue economy, which is critical for the EU, with 70,000 km of coastline and 40% of Europeans living in coastal communities and islands.
James Morrison, Director Healthy Planet at DG Research and Innovation (RTD) at the European Commission, underlined the strategic dimension of the initiative. He described the ocean as “a strategic space where competitiveness, technological leadership, and global influence will be shaped in the coming decades”. He also emphasised that the global market for ocean observation technologies and services is already worth $10–20 billion.
10 Jun 2026 - Brussels, Belgium - James Morrison (Director of Healthy Planet - European Commission DG RTD) © Bernal Revert/BR&U
OceanEye, he argued, is not only an environmental measure but also “a strategic investment in Europe’s technological sovereignty, industrial competitiveness, resilience, and security”, at a time when the United States remains the leading actor, and China has made ocean observation a priority. “Europe cannot afford to fall behind in such a critical domain,” he said.
OceanEye and the European Digital Ocean System
During the Brussels event, OceanEye was presented as a way to tackle fragmentation and strengthen the European leadership, and as one of the key deliverables of the emerging European Ocean Pact.
“OceanEye marks an important step in Europe’s commitment to the ocean,” said Pierre Bahurel, Director General of Mercator Ocean International, the organisation entrusted by the European Commission to operate the EU’s Copernicus Marine Service.
Through a more structured governance approach, OceanEye will help align investments and priorities, reduce duplications in ocean data collection, and improve coordination among Member States, research bodies and industry. The aim is to transform how the marine environment is monitored, understood and managed, by better connecting observation needs with scientific knowledge and operational services.
OceanEye foresees a European Digital Ocean System that will include existing European services such as the Copernicus Marine Service, the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet), WISE Marine and WISE Freshwater.
By combining these strategic assets with the new European Digital Twin Ocean – a virtual replica of the ocean codeveloped by Mercator Ocean International and European partners and fed by data from the Copernicus Marine Service and EMODnet – it will create a single-entry point for high-quality ocean data and marine knowledge and enable real-time monitoring and predictive modelling for policy and industry.
This integrated system is a prerequisite for making the European Digital Twin Ocean fully operational by 2030, and will enable European scientists, policymakers, and businesses to anticipate change, risks and opportunities, which will inform decision-making.
To deliver on that vision, OceanEye will also rely on satellite observations. Paul Counet, Director of Strategy at EUMETSAT, noted that Meteosat, Metop and the Copernicus Sentinel satellites already provide “accurate measurement of ocean parameters such as sea surface height, ocean colour, ocean temperature and surface wind”.
ESA’s Pierre Potin, Head of the Copernicus Space Office, said Copernicus and OceanEye’s objectives were “very much aligned”.
10 Jun 2026 - Brussels, Belgium - From left to right: Paul Counet (Head of Strategy, Communication and International Relations EUMETSAT), Pierre Potin (Head of the Copernicus Space Office, ESA), Joanna Post (Head of the Ocean Observations and Services Section at IOC- UNESCO and Director of GOOS), Alain Arnaud (Director of Digital Ocean at Mercator Ocean International), George Petihakis (Research Director HCMR - Hellenic Centre for Marine Research) © Bernal Revert/BR&U
Cooperation and stability over fragmentation
As the digital system takes shape, attention is also turning to how it will be governed and supported over the long term. Mercator Ocean International is currently transitioning into an intergovernmental organisation: the Mercator International Centre for the Ocean. This will provide a stable governance framework for Europe’s operational ocean forecasting and digital ocean capabilities.
France, Greece and Norway, which signed the international convention establishing the future organisation, welcomed the Commission’s initiative and emphasised the need for coordinated national contributions.
Cyril Piquemal, Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the EU, said states should choose “cooperation over fragmentation, science over blindness, and long-term investment over short-term thinking”. He underlined that the transformation of Mercator into an intergovernmental organisation is “a strategic choice” and reflects “our conviction that digital Ocean systems should be supported in the long term by political commitment and by a governance structure which brings together European states around shared priorities and common public goods”.
10 Jun 2026 - Brussels, Belgium - Cyril Piquemal (Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the EU) © Bernal Revert/BR&U
Alexandros Boudouris, Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister for Digital Governance of Greece, said civil protection was a “major priority”, but ocean observation was a “major issue” for his country with its 6,000 islands, 227 of which are inhabited. Greece, he added, is therefore "committed to contributing actively to a European Digital Ocean Service which helps protect our seas, strengthens resilience, and supports better decisions for Europe and its citizens."
Thord Monsen, Counsellor for Trade and Fisheries at the Norwegian Mission to the EU, said understanding the Ocean was deeply rooted in Norwegian history and way of life, and was “essential” for the country’s future. He stressed that “Norway takes part in all major European Ocean observation programmes and welcomes the growing focus on Ocean observation within the EU”.
Over a third of the market share by 2035
Looking ahead, Europe wants to provide 35% of the global ocean observing system, secure a 35% share of the ocean observation technologies market, and become the world’s leading provider of ocean intelligence by 2035.
The Commission will therefore invest €92 million under the current Horizon Europe Programme: €50 million will be used to strengthen GOOS; €12 million will support resilient global ocean data systems; and €30 million will boost innovation through the European Innovation Council.
A key announcement in Brussels was the signature of a cooperation agreement between IOCUNESCO and Mercator Ocean International. The agreement formalises years of collaboration between the two organisations and will strengthen the international cooperation and engagement of the future European Digital Ocean System with IOC and GOOS. According to the organisers, it will support GOOS, which enables the delivery of the global ocean data needed to run the European Digital Ocean System. It solidified their partnership and was presented as a clear example of alignment with OceanEye’s ambitions and the Commission’s priorities.
10 Jun 2026 - Brussels, Belgium - Pierre Bahurel, Vidar Helgesen © Bernal Revert/BR&U
The President of Europe Jacques Delors, Geneviève Pons, also called for a strong European Ocean Act and a dedicated ‘Blue MFF’ within the EU’s next budget, arguing that long-term funding is needed to strengthen ocean observation, digital infrastructure and Europe’s capacity to address growing ocean challenges.
For Commissioner Kadis, Europe will be able to reap the economic benefits of such a strategic investment: “Each euro that is invested in ocean observing systems generates a return of €5–6 in economic and societal benefits,” he said. “It is a moment to show true EU leadership in this global challenge.”
The coverage of this topic has been made possible with the support of Mercator Ocean International, while all research and writing were conducted by The Brussels Times.
