Brussels: The need for a unified European strategy for the sea was emphasized by the Deputy Minister of Shipping of the Republic of Cyprus, Marina Hadjimanolis, during her address at the European Ocean Days in Brussels. She highlighted the European Oceans Pact as a pivotal milestone in European maritime policy.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Hadjimanolis, representing the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, stressed the importance of joint and decisive action in the face of current challenges and opportunities. She underscored that the European Oceans Pact marks a significant turning point by integrating all EU policies related to the ocean into a single strategic framework, covering sectors such as environmental, industrial, research, transport, and security.
Hadjimanolis further highlighted the need for coordinated efforts among institutions, sectors, and levels of governance. She called for collaboration with governments, industry, scientists, investors, and coastal communities, noting the global emergency concerning the state of the seas. Climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss pose threats to food security, energy systems, maritime transport, and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
In her address, Hadjimanolis emphasized the protection and restoration of ocean health as a foundation for sustainable marine resource use. She urged for accelerated progress in achieving a good environmental status in all EU marine waters and fulfilling the commitment to protect at least 30% of European seas by 2030, with 13% under strict protection.
She also addressed the dual challenge of sustainability and competitiveness, highlighting Europe's maritime industry as a strategic advantage. She called for ports to be transformed into hubs of clean energy, the circular economy, and resilience, while advocating for maritime spatial planning to reconcile competing uses of maritime space.
Concluding her remarks, Hadjimanolis emphasized the human dimension of ocean governance. She noted the dependence of resilient coastal and island communities on a healthy ocean, and stressed the importance of knowledge, ocean observation, marine data, and research, along with public and private investments.
Hadjimanolis concluded by urging collective action to turn coherence into action, ambition into results, and strategy into tangible benefits. She also announced that Cyprus will host the next European Maritime Day in Limassol on May 21-22, 2026.