EuroGOOS summited the institutional response to the European Commission Inception Impact Assessment, Ocean Observation – Sharing Responsibility, as part of the online consultation on the inception (22 October – 19 November 2020). This initiative, proposed by the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, aims to achieve a common EU approach for measuring once and using the data for many purposes. It proposes joint planning of observation activities and a framework for collaboration on a national and EU scale.
As a unique voice of European oceanography representing national and regional interests and well established in the Global Ocean Observing System, EuroGOOS stands ready to deliver a coordinated support to the European Commission’s ocean observation actions supporting joint planning of ocean observing activities and a framework for collaboration on a national and EU scale.
We shared our support to a European Union initiative to bring together all Member States’ public bodies responsible for ocean observation to develop priorities and realise opportunities for sharing effort, as well as stronger EU funding support towards observations of common benefit. We believe this will help addressing the current lack of long-term sustainability of ocean observing efforts and the unbalance between the member states efforts, as well as improve synergy between the EU ocean observing support tools.
It should be recognised that common European and global ocean observing needs should be served by centrally supported infrastructures, while the national capacities should be better coordinated across the agencies and authorities responsible for various parts of the ocean observing enterprise. A combination of EU and member states support towards ocean observing sustainability will help achieve policy coherence, support dialogue towards common solutions and identification of synergies and trade-offs, shed light on potential or perceived barriers, and sustain ocean observing efforts over time beyond research, funding, or electoral cycles.
Further to the request for stakeholder feedback on the inception, the Commission is planning to open a public consultation in the last part of 2020, to prepare for proposal for an act towards the third quarter of 2021.
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