Roadmap towards 2030: Co-driving the Africa-Europe Ocean Partnership

Visit The Africa-Europe Ocean Roadmap microsite for a deep dive into the report.

Recognising the ocean's growing global significance, the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) have acknowledged the imperative for advancements in ocean governance and sustainable blue economy within and between their respective continents. However, the potential of ocean governance including the blue economy as a pillar of Africa-Europe relations remains largely untapped, representing a missed opportunity for achieving the ocean-related sustainable development goal (SDG14)and implementing the 2030 UN Agenda.

This report is the outcome of the work carried out by the Africa-Europe Strategy Group on Ocean Governance since July 2023. The group is an initiative of the European Commission Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), in partnership with the African Union Commission.

The main recommendation of the Strategy Group is the design, institutionalisation and implementation of an Africa-Europe Ocean Partnership. This partnership would consist in:

• a joint vision for a mutually supportive relationship that will focus on equal benefit sharing through inclusive and equitable processes and
• concrete outcomes for the two continents on ocean policy and action, including the blue economy. The partnership should be designed to facilitate more effective cooperation between Africa and Europe on ocean governance and blue economy issues, with a focus on sustainability, restoration, regeneration, and resilience.

The proposed Roadmap builds on the common development priorities and key work streams identified for an enhanced Africa-Europe Ocean Partnership, namely:

• Ocean Governance
• Capacity Sharing, and
• Finance and Investment.

It highlights activities to help translate these priorities into concrete proposals and initiatives and align and harmonize policies for developing ocean governance and blue economy across Africa and Europe.

Moving towards 2030, the Group proposes to advance effective ocean governance mechanisms and improved inclusion of regeneration in the blue economy approaches promoted by the EU and AU, at regional and national levels, given the urgent need for more resilient and healthy ecosystems to support the sustainable development of global and local economies. The Group outlines that there is true momentum to improve the state of the ocean, a global common good, at regional and international levels – as well as to elevate it politically and financially.

The Roadmap suggests enabling actions to foster an effective Africa-Europe Ocean partnership, overcome challenges, and ensure the delivery of the actions under the joint vision for ocean governance and blue economy across Africa and Europe. It also outlines specific actions to facilitate continued cooperation and collaboration by defining actions to structure and execute the Roadmap.

By strengthening the capacities of partners through exchanges and common understanding of respective development challenges, the Roadmap could facilitate increasingly effective cooperation between Africa and Europe on ocean governance and the sustainable development of the blue economy throughout Africa and Europe.

• Download the report here.
• Download the policy brief here (ENG) and FR here
• Download the infosheet bulletin here..