From 23 to 26 August 2025, the European Forum Alpbach hosted its annual Europe in the World Days, where leaders, policymakers, scientists, and advocates gathered to debate Europe’s role in shaping global governance. This year, the ocean took centre stage — and Europe Jacques Delors played an active part in steering the conversation.
On 24 August, Geneviève Pons, Director General and Vice-President of Europe Jacques Delors, moderated the high-level plenary “Navigating the Currents: Europe’s Ocean Leadership After Nice”, hosted by Club Alpbach France. The discussion brought together Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, French Senator Mathilde Ollivier, and Jennifer Morgan, Germany’s Special Envoy for International Climate Action.
Their exchange highlighted how 2025 has marked a turning point for global ocean governance: the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) gathered unprecedented political momentum, the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) is close to ratification, and the European Ocean Pact has been published as a comprehensive framework for action. The panel agreed on one central truth — there can be no healthy planet without a healthy ocean.
Three main themes emerged. First, the success of the BBNJ Treaty will depend not only on the number of ratifications but also on ensuring fairness and capacity-building for developing nations. Second, the European Ocean Pact provides a valuable model for coherent policies spanning protection, research, security, education, and the blue economy. Finally, speakers stressed that the links between ocean and climate are no longer peripheral: they must be embedded in all policy discussions, from acidification and coastal security to renewable energy and ocean justice, particularly in the lead-up to COP30. Urgent calls were made to phase out fossil fuels, align Marine Protected Areas, strengthen governance, and ensure that Europe demonstrates leadership both at home and on the global stage.
The following day, Europe Jacques Delors and Club Alpbach France co-hosted an interactive workshop on “European Water & Ocean Governance: A UNOC3 Follow-Up and Pathway to Action.” Unlike the plenary, this was a closed-door session designed to move from high-level commitments to practical proposals. It brought together young policymakers, scientists, and changemakers alongside seasoned leaders such as Peter Thomson, Mathilde Ollivier, and Cédric Villani.
Opening the session, Geneviève Pons called for a holistic and integrated approach to ocean and water governance, arguing that siloed perspectives hinder progress. Pascal Lamy, Vice-President of Europe Jacques Delors, underlined the vast untapped potential of the blue economy — a sector that promises innovation and competitiveness with fewer obstacles from entrenched fossil fuel interests. The workshop, facilitated by Paola Ladisa of the EJD Ocean Centre with support from Club Alpbach France, encouraged frank discussion and collaborative problem-solving. Participants explored how science-based ecosystem management, effective decision-making, and economic opportunity can reinforce each other.
The outcomes of this exchange will feed directly into the current European agenda on ocean and water resilience. Concrete recommendations emerged on integrating the European Ocean Pact with the Water Resilience Strategy, ensuring governance is cross-sectoral and forward-looking. To support these discussions, new factsheets on UNOC3, the European Ocean Pact, the Water Resilience Strategy, and their synergies were shared with participants.
As the Europe in the World Days drew to a close, the message was clear: Europe must seize this moment to lead on ocean and water governance. With momentum from UNOC3 still fresh and COP30 on the horizon, the coming months will be decisive in translating political ambition into tangible results for the planet’s most vital resource.
🔹 Explore our new factsheets on the UN Ocean Conference, the European Ocean Pact, the Water Resilience Strategy, and the link between the European Ocean Pact and the Water Resilience Strategy.