Hitachi Energy Nets $873M Deal for Italy-Tunisia Power Link Converter Stations
part of Italy's Mattei Plan for Africa and is aimed at strengthening economic, energy and geopolitical partnerships between Europe and African countries.The project has a total investment of $1.61 billion (€1.42 billion), of which $348 million (€307 million) has been allocated by the European Commission through the Connecting Europe Facility grant programme managed by CINEA.According to Terna, this is the first time the European Union has financed a project involving a non-member country.The project is also supported on the Tunisian side by the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the
EU Funds OceanEye Initiative
The European Commission has expanded the EU's role in ocean observation by adopting OceanEye.This initiative aims to position the EU as the world's leading provider of ocean intelligence by contributing to 35% of the global ocean observing system by 2035 and securing 35% of the market for ocean observation technologies.The ocean covers 70% of the Earth's surface, yet only 5% has been explored. Ocean observation is critical for ocean protection and restoration, climate forecasting, blue economy activities such as fisheries and aquaculture, offshore energy, and shipping, as well as maritime
European Ocean Pact Marks a Year of Progress
known as the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), which entered into force on 17 January 2026. This agreement to protect the high seas across the ocean was a major success of multilateralism and a historic achievement in international law and ocean governance, says the European Commission.Essential components of the governance architecture of the Ocean Pact are also in place: a high-level, stakeholder-led Ocean Board has been established and the prototype of the Ocean Pact dashboard has been tested. It will be fully operational by the end of the year, providing transparent
Finland Joins EU, Baltic Partners to Strengthen Subsea Monitoring
Finland’s Border Guard is setting up a maritime surveillance centre together with other Baltic Sea states and the European Commission for the protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the Gulf of Finland, it said on Monday."Competent authorities must have the capability and the authority to intervene in situations occurring in the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone," it said in a statement.The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and NATO has increased its
EU Seeks Feedback on Ocean Observation Initiative
The European Commission has launched a call for evidence to shape the European Ocean Observation Initiative, one of the cornerstones of the European Ocean Pact.The initiative will improve access to actionable marine knowledge for everyone who relies on the ocean and aims to make Europe a global leader in ocean observation and the development of related technologies. The call for evidence will be open until February 27, 2026, with the Commission seeking a wide range of contributions from stakeholders, experts and citizens. The feedback collected will feed into the development of the Ocean
Norway Halts Deep Sea Mining Plans
responsible nor legally defensible to move forward with exploration or extraction.To date, 40 countries have taken a clear stance against the industry, and the European Parliament has called for a moratorium. The European Investment Bank has excluded seabed minerals from all financing, while the European Commission is calling for a ban until it can be proven that mining will not harm the marine environment. They are joined by more than 60 major companies, including Google, BMW and Storebrand, and nearly 1,000 marine scientists from 70 countries who also warn against opening the deep sea to mining
Fugro Joins European Seas UXO Cleaning Squad
engineering, the findings will help shape a business case framework for future EU Parliament-supported programs.“CAMMera is designed to develop environmentally friendly, comprehensive, and efficient technologies for the removal, disposal, and neutralisation of underwater munitions. The European Commission is hopeful that the project will pilot UXO cleanup solutions at an industrial scale,” said Christos Economou, Deputy Director for Maritime Policy and Blue Economy at the European Commission's DG MARE. “This initiative is not only about removing hazardous materials but
Subsea Cable Industry Warns of Repair Gaps in Europe’s Digital and Energy Networks
(ESCA) and the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) have warned that regulatory barriers, a shortage of skilled offshore workers and the lack of readily available solutions are compromising the continent’s ability to repair damaged cables.The statement comes in response to the European Commission’s Cable Security Action Plan, which calls for improvements in prevention, detection, response, and deterrence to address threats to submarine cables. Industry leaders welcome the plan but caution that without direct collaboration between public bodies and the submarine cable industry
Europe Moves On as US Lets Science Slide
seven countries - Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden - described joint efforts now in the early stages to safeguard key health and climate data and research programs.LEANING ON THE U.S.As a priority, the EU is expanding its access to ocean observation data, a senior European Commission official told Reuters. Those data sets are seen as critical to the shipping and energy industries as well as early storm warning systems.Over the next two years, the senior official said, the EU plans to expand its own European Marine Observation and Data Network which collects and hosts data
February 2026
