European Ocean Board Meeting
On 31 March 2026, the European Commission launched the European Ocean Board, a high-level expert group supporting the implementation of the European Ocean Pact, the EU’s strategy to better protect the ocean, promote a thriving blue economy and support coastal communities.
The Board is chaired by Costas Kadis, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, and brings together 28 members from diverse backgrounds, including trade and business associations, academia, research institutes, NGOs, and youth organisations.
Several Advisory Councils were accepted as official observers to the Board. At the inaugural meeting, both the Commissioner and Director-General Charlina Vitcheva acknowledged the indispensable role of the Advisory Councils, established under the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation, as the main consultative bodies at the regional level on fisheries.
The MAC was represented by the Secretary General Pedro Reis Santos. Besides presenting our organisation and the initiatives of our interest, he emphasised the importance of recognising the fisheries and aquaculture value chain as strategic to food security in the EU and globally, while also accounting for the global competition for aquatic proteins.
