PAP/RAC participated in the European Maritime Day 2026, one of the main annual European events dedicated to maritime affairs and sustainable blue economy. The event brought together European institutions, regional organisations, maritime stakeholders, researchers and practitioners to discuss key priorities related to ocean governance, sustainability, resilience and the future of Europe’s seas and coasts.
On 21 May 2026, PAP/RAC took part in the workshop “Making the Sea-Basin approach work through MSP”, organised under the MEDIGREEN and NESBp projects. The workshop gathered representatives of regional sea-basin cooperation mechanisms, MSP practitioners from different European sea basins and the European Commission, to exchange views on the role of the sea-basin approach within future EU ocean governance initiatives.
Discussions focused on ecosystem-based approaches at sea-basin scale, development of sea-basin scenarios and early MSP dialogue, as well as cooperation with non-EU countries.
Representing the Mediterranean region and the UNEP/MAP MSP Working Group, PAP/RAC contributed particularly to discussions related to regional cooperation and coherent MSP approaches across the Mediterranean. The intervention highlighted the role of the Barcelona Convention system and the MSP Working Group in supporting dialogue and cooperation among Mediterranean countries, including both EU and non-EU countries.
Particular emphasis was placed on strengthening synergies among existing regional frameworks and initiatives, including the Mediterranean MSP Community of Practice (MED MSP CoP), EUSAIR and other regional cooperation mechanisms. The discussion also underlined the importance of practical cooperation, exchange of experiences and development of common approaches supporting coherent and ecosystem-based MSP implementation across the Mediterranean.
The workshop further highlighted the added value of the MEDIGREEN project in extending cooperation and exchanges beyond project partner countries to a broader Mediterranean community, supported also through PAP/RAC’s role within the Barcelona Convention system.
Overall discussions confirmed the increasing importance of strengthened regional cooperation and sea-basin approaches for effective MSP implementation, with particular attention given to ecosystem-based and climate-smart MSP, stronger science-policy dialogue and practical cooperation mechanisms supporting shared regional objectives across sea basins.
