29/01/2020
The 2020 edition of the European Maritime Day (EMD) will take place on 14-15 May 2020 in the City of Cork, Ireland. EMD is the annual two-day event during which Europe’s maritime community meet to network, discuss and forge joint action on maritime affairs and sustainable blue growth. The opening session will target the “EU Maritime Policy towards 2050” and the plenary session will focus on ‘Empowering Future Ocean Leaders’.
Established in 2008, European Maritime Day (EMD) is the annual EU meeting point on maritime affairs and sustainable blue growth, enabling many project partnerships and co-operations among stakeholders and also contributing to prioritising the sustainable management of ocean resources. Past themes have included blue growth and entrepreneurship, ports as gateways to maritime growth, sustainable maritime tourism and maritime clusters.
EMD In My Country Events
In parallel with the EMD Conference in Cork (14 & 15 May 2020), a series of local EMD events will be organised all over Europe for the general public. This enables the many European regions with a maritime culture to join in the celebrations and highlight the vital role of the seas and oceans.
Ocean awareness and activism has been rising steadily in recent years with last year boasting 145 events organised all over Europe. A record 25.000 participants across 23 countries signed up for beach-cleaning activities, guided tours of ports, workshops, conferences, seminars and exhibitions on maritime themes, eco-tours and walks in areas with significant maritime heritage (cultural, environmental), excursions by boat, and visits to maritime museums or former ships, shipyards and port facilities etc.
For 2020 the focus will be on youth activities and the promotion of sustainable oceans.
TransEurope Marinas members organising annual open day events due to take place between April to June 2020, that encourage young people to engage with ocean conservation and sustainability, can submit events by 31st January for inclusion in the list and to receive official promotional material.
Kerrie Gray, manager of Poole Quay Boat Haven and Port of Poole Marina, described the extraordinary legacy of European Maritime Day celebrationsin Poole, on the UK’s south coast:
Poole was proud to be the host of the prestigious European Maritime Day in 2017 and we continue to build upon its success with the Poole Harbour Boat Show. With over 30,000 visitors, the show has gone from strength to strength and continues to be the biggest-ever free boat show on the South Coast, providing an opportunity for those who may not have been on the water before to get a feel of what’s on offer.
For more information, visit the European Maritime Day site.
