At the 2026 European Ocean Days, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the launch of OceanEye — a new European ocean monitoring and observation initiative that will lay the groundwork for a smarter, more coordinated approach to understanding our oceans.
Building on the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EDITO) and Copernicus' marine programme, OceanEye aims to collect data needed to understand the state of the ocean, predict and mitigate the impacts of climate change, enhance the competitiveness of economic activities at sea, and contribute to maritime security.
With OceanEye, we want to turn the tide. We want to close the gaps and enlarge the global network further so that OceanEye will lead a new charge for truly global observation surge. — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
Alongside the initiative, President von der Leyen called for an international alliance to unite EU countries and international partners in efforts to secure funding and coordinate action — with the EU contributing €50 million from Horizon Europe for 2026–2027.
OceanEye is a key element of the European Ocean Pact and will also include educational, cultural, and outreach dimensions to bring the ocean and ocean observation closer to citizens. The EU aims to have a fully operational European ocean observation system in place by 2030.
This initiative is closely aligned with Blue-Cloud 2026's mission to build a federated, open data infrastructure for ocean science — and reinforces the urgency of the work we are doing to make high-quality ocean data accessible, interoperable, and impactful.
The OceanEye initiative will be formally presented by the Commission later in 2026.
Read the press release on the Commission website
