OCEAN GOVERNANCE

Supporting the implementation of the European Green Deal and EU Mission: Restore our Oceans and Water

Effective policy to streamline the sustainable blue economy

The political and economic complexity of the Baltic Sea Region makes it difficult to cre-ate policy and governance models that promote a sustainable blue economy and marine protection. Further, maritime governance spans boundaries, competencies and man- dates of single institutions. Yet, the livelihood and well-being of coastal communities require coherent cross-sectoral policy and governance frameworks.

By supporting the EU Mission Ocean in the Baltic and North Sea, SUBMARINER facilitates cross-sectoral dialogue and improves governance structures to tackle pressing challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and ecosystem depletion. SUBMARINER provides evidence-based policy advice to promote blue growth, foster innovation and reduce fragmentation.

Discover our marine governance and policy projects

Our projects are aiming to improve marine related policies and legislations

BlueGreen Governance

Multi-layer governance performance of marine policies

BLUE CONNECT

Strict protection, restoration and co-management of Marine Protected Areas to ensure effective ecosystem conservation and improved connectivity of Blue Corridors

BioProtect

Advancing area-based management tools to accelerate the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity across the European sea basins

ShapingBio

The bio-economy of the future

Prep4Blue

Preparing the research and innovation core for mission ocean

Cross Gov

Coherence & compliance in ocean governance for the European green deal

Blue Mission BANOS

Supporting the European Union's mission to restore our ocean and waters

Aligning policies at all levels of governance

The sustainable blue economy is a crucial driver to tackle the challenges of our time, including climate change, marine pollution, biodiversity loss and regional revitalisation. The blue economy includes many heterogeneous sectors, from shipping to tourism, from blue biotechnology to renewable energy, and includes many different actors, including local, national and regional authorities, companies, key infrastructure providers (e.g., ports), research institutes and regional innovation clusters.

SUBMARINER is a key player in connecting different actors along strategic regional sustainable development objectives, aligning policies from the EU to the local level and paving the way for innovators to find a welcoming ecosystem to support their ideas. Through its members and wide-reaching network, SUBMARINER is uniquely positioned to foster innovation, support and represent the interests of innovative solution providers.

Ocean governance resources hub

Our specialists have put together a collection of publications, additional relevant projects, tools, and resources on the topic of policy and ocean governance

CrossGov Handbook on Policy Coherence

Published | July, 2025

The new CrossGov Handbook on Policy Coherence is made to support you in designing smarter, more aligned policy mixes that deliver on the ambitions of the European Green Deal. Built for researchers, policymakers,...

The Marine Environment & Agriculture Pollution

Published | July, 2025

This roadmap outlines a strategic approach to reconciling agricultural runoff management with marine ecosystem protection, focusing on improving policy coherence across freshwater and marine governance...

Fisheries & Biodiversity Conservation

Published | July, 2025

This roadmap explores how EU fisheries policy can be better aligned with the European Union’s biodiversity objectives under the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive....

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Online Course (CrossGov): Towards a Coherent & Cross-Compliant Ocean Governance

Published | July, 2025

Following our webinar series, we have created a free online course to provide knowledge, tools, and solutions to maximise a coherent and effective ocean governance across Europe.