From science to practice: co-creating effective MPAs to meet the EU marine protection targets.
Bruges (hybrid) | 16 November | Back-to-back with the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity
What outputs, tools and lessons from EU-funded projects are truly ready for uptake by Marine Protected Area (MPA) managers and authorities – and what does it take to make that uptake real in practice?
These questions will be at the heart of the 7th EU Blue Parks Community Workshop, held in conjunction with the Blue4all final event. With more than 150 members across all European sea basins, the Community continues to grow into a key pillar of the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’. It has become a dynamic platform for exchange between science, policy and MPA practitioners, supporting Europe’s ambition to protect 30% of its seas and strictly protect 10% by 2030 under the EU Biodiversity Strategy.
A workshop focused on real-world uptake
The next workshop ‘From science to practice: co-creating effective MPAs to meet the EU marine protection targets’ takes a deliberately practical turn. It will bring together stakeholders to assess which outputs from EU-funded projects are mature enough for implementation – and what still needs adaptation, translation or simplification to become usable on the ground.
The EU-funded Mission Blue Parks project Blue4All co-organises the workshop as its final event. Over the past years, Blue4all has worked closely with MPA managers, authorities and stakeholders in 15 MPAs across Europe to co-develop, test and refine approaches for supporting effective MPAs. As the project reaches its conclusion, the workshop will provide an opportunity to share lessons from these experiences and introduce the MPA Solutions Hub, a new resource designed to make practical tools, methods and lessons accessible to the wider MPA community.
Combined with contributions from other EU-funded projects and Mission Ocean and Waters actions, the workshop will provide a structured opportunity to connect existing tools, knowledge and resources with the people and institutions that need them most to implement them effectively.
Join the community
The EU Blue Parks Community brings together national, regional and local authorities of EU Member States, European marine networks, businesses, and research and innovation projects to collaborate on marine protection and restoration in EU sea basins. The community aims to help identify and address challenges, share tools, solutions and good practices for MPAs.
Join us in Bruges or online to exchange expertise, explore innovative solutions, and help shape the next generation of tools for effective MPAs in Europe. Discover the benefits of joining the Community and apply to become a member today.