Past Events
CCMS ATTENDED THE EMD 2025
The European Maritime Day (EMD2025), took place in Cork, Ireland on 21-23 of May 2025 and was organised by the European Commission, the Cork City Council and the Irish ministry Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
The CCMS team participated in the event, taking part in both the plenary sessions and workshops. The results of our two EU projects, Horizon Europe MSP4BIO and Mission Ocean BLUE CONNECT, were prominently featured and promoted. Representatives from both projects attended EMD 2025, contributing to the extensive exhibitions that showcased the MSP4BIO and MPAs Community Network. Additionally, we engaged in the interactive group discussion during Workshop 16, titled "Mission Ocean-Unlocking Phase2 Scalable Governance," where we presented a brief overview of the stakeholder approach and engagement strategies for BLUE CONNECT.
The next EMD2026 will be held in Limassol, Cyprus, 21 - 22 May 2026!
BLUE CONNECT at the European Ocean Days 2025!
From March 3rd-7th, the EUROPEAN OCEAN DAYS brought together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners in Brussels to discuss the future of Ocean Governance, Marine Conservation, and the Blue Economy. As part of the BLUE CONNECT project, we were there to gather insights on the latest marine protection strategies and challenges, connect with key stakeholders and explore potential collaborations.
One of the highlights was the MPA Card Game, developed collaboratively by BLUE CONNECT, BIOPROTECT, PHAROS, BLUE4ALL, Marine Plan, and MSP4BIO.
The game was a hit!
Echoes of the MSP4BIO Webinar – Nature-Inclusive MSP: Insights from MSP4BIO Test Sites
The first webinar in the MSP4BIO final series aiming to promote project outcomes, took place on April 9, 2025, hosted by s.Pro and CCMS. This exclusive online event, conducted via Teams, attracted approximately 60 participants, including the Communities of Practice (CoPs) members established within the project.
The webinar delved into the latest advancements in science-driven Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) and their implications for biodiversity conservation, as well as the enhancement of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) integration. It highlighted and demonstrated results from the operationalization and real-world applications of the MSP4BIO Ecological and Socio-Economic (ESE) Framework tools, which facilitated the development of targeted spatial and strategic solutions across the six MSP4BIO test sites, to accelerate biodiversity protection and restoration within the MSP context.
Read more: Echoes of the MSP4BIO Webinar – Nature-Inclusive MSP: Insights from MSP4BIO Test Sites
Fifth MSP4BIO General Assembly showcased main achievements
Partners from MSP4BIO got together for the Fifth General Assembly Meeting held on 5 and 6 of February 2025 in an online format event. The two days meeting was filled with intense presentations on the main results achieved in the MSP4BIO and discussions on fine-tunning the outcomes and their widespread communication and promotion across the six test sites and beyond.
On the first day, in active interactive sessions partners discussed and contributed to socio-ecological management framework for MPAs and MSP integration and to the formulation of recommendations on Strategic Environmental Assessment process for MPA and MSP integration. In the afternoon the recent updates on the ESE Integrated Framework, feedbacks from MSP4BIO Communities of Practice and next steps were presented and discussed among partners to fine-tune the ESE tools, ecological and socio-economic criteria and measures for better alignment of MSP and MPAs. Afterwards, policy solutions for each test sites and results from the Think Thank science-policy events were presented and brainstormed to facilitate the biodiversity mainstreaming in MSP and to address the gaps in EU and Regional Seas Policy Frameworks for improved integration of biodiversity protection in a science-based MSP.
Read more: Fifth MSP4BIO General Assembly showcased main achievements