Following the adoption of the European Ocean Pact in June 2025, the European Commission launched several Calls for Evidence to translate its ambitions into concrete legislative, operational and research frameworks. These consultations concern the European Ocean Act, the EU Ocean Observation Initiative, the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, and the European Ocean Research & Innovation Strategy.
Representing a large part of Europe’s marine research infrastructure (MRI) community involved in ocean observation, the AMRIT consortium responded to the consultations to highlight the essential role that existing MRIs and national ocean observing systems should play in these future frameworks.
Across its responses, AMRIT emphasised several priorities:
- European Ocean Act: AMRIT supports establishing a strong legal basis for a sustainable and coordinated European Ocean Observing System (EOOS). The project proposes its pilot EOOS Technical Support Centre (TSC) as a scalable model for improving coordination, interoperability and shared services.
- EU Ocean Observation Initiative: AMRIT advocates for a federated approach that brings together established MRIs, European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs), national research organisations and observing networks while building on existing investments and expertise. The TSC provides a practical model for coordinating services, standardising data flows and pooling resources.
- Maritime Spatial Planning Directive / Ocean Act: AMRIT calls for national observing systems and MRIs to be formally embedded in future European ocean governance structures, ensuring that existing capabilities can effectively support evidence-based maritime policies.
- European Ocean Research & Innovation Strategy: AMRIT highlights the role of integrated MRIs in scientific excellence, technological innovation and European strategic autonomy. Closer collaboration between research infrastructures and industry, including SMEs, could help accelerate the testing, validation and uptake of new marine technologies.
Building on what Europe already has
AMRIT’s overarching message is clear: Europe should build on, connect and strengthen its existing ocean observing capabilities rather than create parallel structures. Significant European and national investment over the past two decades has established a world-class network of marine research infrastructures involved in ocean observation. However, fragmented coordination and long-term funding challenges continue to limit their full potential.
Through the pilot EOOS TSC, AMRIT is testing how a federated model could improve coordination and interoperability while respecting existing national responsibilities and investments. This concept could be extended to connect other essential MRI services, from ocean observation and data provision, to metrology, operation of autonomous systems and technology development and innovation.
Ultimately, AMRIT calls for MRIs to be formally recognised as structural components of Europe’s future ocean observation governance, ocean research and innovation landscape. A TSC-like federated system could help transform existing capabilities into a more cohesive, sustainable and internationally competitive observing capacity. By helping to put in place the operational mechanisms required for this coordinated and federated approach – or even by establishing the legal mechanisms that would trigger them – the EU can transform a fragmented landscape into a coherent, world-leading capability in the field of ocean observation and innovation.