European Commission, EU Blue Economy Observatory, BlueInvest, 2024.

The Investor Report is a publication of BlueInvest, which was first released in in March 2023. It supports the aim of the BlueInvest initiative to boost investment and innovation in sustainable technologies for the blue economy by providing investors with an overview of investment activities and opportunities in the EU blue economy.
Moreover, it features the key innovative technologies and a sample of investment-ready companies across 10 sectors of the sustainable blue economy from the BlueInvest pipeline.
The report is part of an investor capacity-building programme that aims at guiding investors all the way – from understanding where the sector opportunities are, to setting up their financial product and investment strategy.
The report aims to further mobilise private capital for clean tech in the blue economy, including ground-breaking solutions that can help fight climate change and support the objectives of the EU Green Deal.

Commission européenne, Direction générale de la recherche et de l’innovation, Office des publications de l’Union européenne et CORDIS,Office des publications de l’Union européenne, 2024.

The ocean covers more than 70 % of the Earth’s surface and contains nearly 80 % of all life. As a source of oxygen, food, and employment, it supports billions of people, and also forms the planet’s largest carbon sink. This new Results Pack highlights 13 EU-funded research projects, amongst multiple other research efforts in ocean observing and show how they are essential for the sustainable management of the ocean. Sustainable management of the global ocean is key to successful biodiversity conservation, climate action, food security, renewable energy, and human health. Monitoring and protecting marine habitats are therefore essential to both human well-being and the world we live in, yet the majority of the global ocean is currently poorly observed or unexplored. To fill these gaps in scientific knowledge, understand the present state of the ocean, and predict the conditions affecting it in the future requires accurate, reliable data on the relationship between climate change, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.

Commission européenne, Direction générale des affaires maritimes et de la pêche, Centre commun de recherche, Borriello, A., Calvo Santos, A., Codina López, L., et al., Office des publications de l’Union européenne, 2024.

The seventh edition of the EU Blue Economy Report, presented in a fresh format, persists in thoroughly examining the scale and breadth of the Blue Economy within the European Union (EU). Its primary aim remains to offer guidance to policymakers and stakeholders in fostering the sustainable advancement of oceans and coastal resources, aligning closely with the principles of the European Green Deal (EGD). By providing economic insights, the Report also aims to inspire potential investors. This seventh edition of the Report focuses on a summarised data analysis, trends and drivers of the Blue Economy sectors. The analysis of the sectors Marine living and non-living resources, Marine renewable energy (offshore wind), Port activities, Shipbuilding and repair, Maritime transport and Coastal tourism is based on data collected by the European Commission from EU Member States and the European Statistical System. Specifically, fisheries and aquaculture data were collected under the EU Data Collection Framework (DCF); data for the other sectors are taken from Eurostat Structural Business Statistics (SBS), PRODCOM, National Accounts and tourism statistics. Along with these sectors, the reader can find relevant information on innovative Blue Economy sectors, namely Desalination and Blue biotechnology. These sectors offer significant potential for economic growth, sustainability transition, as well as employment creation. Comparable data are not yet fully available in the public domain, and therefore data presented in the Report for these sectors come from various sources. This year’s Report also includes special sections on Energy Transition and Climate Change in the EU Maritime transport sector, on the EU fishing fleet and the partnership in fisheries and aquaculture, as well as a section on Coastal flood impacts due to climate change along the EU27 coastline, with a particular reference to the EU Outermost Regions. This edition will continue taking advantage of the EU Blue Economy Observatory platform, which provides more timely and regular updates of the Blue Economy data per sector, EU-27 Member State and sea basin. Further analysis will be published throughout the year, as the most recent data become available, and sectors or topics gain more relevance. Analyses are given for the EU-27 as a whole and by sector and industry for each Member State. An initial regional analysis is also envisaged, to be completed within the EU Blue Economy Observatory.

European Environmental Agency, 2025.

This is the second edition of EMTER, a joint report by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the EEA. It gives an update on the environmental performance of the sector and an assessment of efforts to make it more sustainable.

European Parliament, European Parliamentary Research Service, Scholaert, F., 2025.

During Parliament's April plenary session, a debate will address the planned European oceans pact. This initiative should serve as a model for sustainable ocean governance, and enhance the coherence of EU oceans policy. The European Commission intends to introduce the pact at the third UN Ocean Conference in June 2025.

European Commission: Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Deloitte Consulting B.V and Ramboll Management Consulting, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023.

This study gathered and analysed available evidence on cruise tourism to support cruise stakeholders in moving forward on sustainability. It took place against a policy background of the European Green Deal, the European Commission new approach to sustainable blue economy and the development of a Transition Pathway for tourism. It looked at the economic, social and environmental ‘as-is’, examined the most promising responses to the challenges, measured economic impact, and documented regulatory and non-regulatory environmental and social frameworks. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions. There is uncertainty about cost and regulation. Local specificities are important as 13 destination case studies illustrated. However, adopting clear environmental goals, circular economy principles, energy efficiency and fuel flexibility, and collaboration across the ecosystem are no-regrets measures that can be taken now. As a selection of good practices demonstrates, there are practices across a range of cruise players that the industry can look to for learnings, ranging from Onshore Power Supply (OPS), LNG bunkering, sustainable cruise terminals, food waste reduction and waste treatment to a holistic approach to destination management.

European Environmental Agency, 2024.

Europe’s seas face increasing pressure from human activities. This briefing, the first in a series, addresses the need to transition to sustainable fisheries. It argues for an ecosystem-based approach to sustainably exploiting marine resources and moving away from adverse practices.

European Environment Agency, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

This report aims to raise awareness about the range of risks to human health associated with changes in water quantity and quality under the changing climate. It assesses our preparedness for ongoing and future impacts by examining the current policy landscape in Europe. At the same time, it seeks to inspire action by showing examples of practical measures implemented across various sectors and on various scales in the EEA member and collaborating countries.