Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear participants of the 4th Blue Forum Summit,

It is a pleasure to join you through this video message.

I want to start by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to the organizers for inviting me to this important event. Congratulations on successfully bringing together such a dedicated and passionate group.

This summit, aptly named Creating Value, provides an excellent opportunity to discuss sustainable approaches to advancing the ocean economy by uniting institutions and stakeholders committed to fostering a sustainable, innovative, and inclusive European blue economy.

Your discussions are timely for the ocean. Just a few weeks ago, the European Commission adopted the European Ocean Pact, presented at the United Nations Conference on the Ocean in Nice.

The Ocean Pact presents a common European vision for holistic ocean governance, combined with concrete policy actions.

Let me highlight some key deliverables:

To protect and restore the health of our ocean, the Commission will assist Member States in designating and effectively managing marine protected areas, ensuring robust implementation of existing fisheries and environmental legislation. The Commission will also support coastal communities in developing new business models that benefit both nature and people, including through European blue carbon reserves.

To enhance the competitiveness of the EUs blue economy, the Commission will present an Industrial Maritime Strategy and an EU Port Strategy, and will continue to support the rollout of offshore wind and ocean energy technologies. We will soon present a Sustainable Tourism Strategy, and a Blue Generational Renewal Strategy will promote access for young professionals in marine research, ocean technology, and sustainable fisheries.

Other significant milestones will include a comprehensive evaluation and possible revision of the Common Fisheries Policy, as well as the Vision 2040 for fisheries and aquaculture, with a particular focus on small-scale fishers.

To better support our coastal, island communities, and outermost regions, we will present a dedicated strategy for the development and resilience of EU coastal communities, as well as a new strategy for EU islands.

We will also launch an EU Ocean Observation Initiative, underpinned by a European Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy, and aim to operationalize the Digital Twin of the Ocean by 2030.

To enhance maritime security and defense, we will support investment in a pioneering European airborne drone fleet.

Finally, to deliver concrete results under this Ocean Pact, we are establishing a strengthened governance framework. We will propose an “Ocean Act” that will build on the revision of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive and ensure that existing ocean-related targets are identifiable under one roof.

With its nearly 8000 km coastline, Italys heart is blue. The Italian “Piano del Mare” published in 2023 and the subsequent Maritime Spatial Management Plans of September 2024 offer a comprehensive preview of blue economy developments in the coming years. We look forward to working closely with Italy to ensure effective implementation of these plans and give a strong voice to the ocean.

Once again, I am thrilled to see this vibrant Blue Forum Italia Network in action today and wish you fruitful exchanges and discussions.