BDF at EU-Canada Ocean Partnership Forum in Brussels

HELCOM, along with the BDF project, was represented at the EU-Canada Ocean Partnership Forum held at the European Commission in Brussels on 3-4 October 2022. The Forum brought together high-level representatives and practitioners linked to the main theme, International Collaboration on Ocean Observation & Data Sharing. 

In 2019, the European Union and Canada concluded an Ocean Partnership Agreement. The agreement aims to deepen cooperation on ocean affairs, and it confirms the two sides’ belief that ocean governance is a shared challenge and responsibility. International cooperation is key in ensuring the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, their resources and ecosystems.  

In the 2-day Forum, the BDF project was highlighted as a practical example on how FAIR data can be shared with a focus on data harmonization. The project shared lessons learnt for equivalents at the Canada-EU level. HELCOM marine monitoring across the Baltic Sea region also offered a unique case study and insights on data-sharing between multiple research institutes and countries. The HELCOM Map and Data Service and Metadata Catalogue were also presented to EU and Canadian representatives and will be later shared as part of a mapping exercise of data systems. 

During the event, experts from both sides of the Atlantic provided input on the respective processes and landscapes on marine in-situ data, common standards, interoperability procedures and challenges/opportunities of bilateral collaborations. 

Structured discussions between experts and policy representatives helped to identify priority areas, where collaboration would be beneficial, as well as a list of suggestions for the potential outcomes of such a collaboration in the future.  

The Forum was organised by the European Commission Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.