European Maritime Day 2026
Image: European Commission
The city of Limassol in Cyprus plays host this week to the 2026 edition of European Maritime Day (EMD), bringing together more than 1,000 participants for a two-day in-person conference focused on Europe’s maritime sectors and advancing the sustainable blue economy.
Organised by the European Commission, the Shipping Deputy Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus and the Limassol Municipality, EMD 2026 is the EU’s flagship event for stakeholders in maritime affairs.
Taking place on 21 and 22 May, it serves as a central platform for networking, policy discussion, and collaboration on issues affecting the marine environment, and also aims to highlight the breadth and importance of sea-related activities across the continent.
“European Maritime Day is where Ocean Leaders Meet,” the organisers state, describing the event as providing “an engaging and interactive experience to catch up on the current state of play on a broad range of issues concerning the blue economy and the marine environment and to discuss ways of moving forward.
The event will be opened this morning by Marina Hadjimanolis, Cyprus' Shipping Deputy Minister, Yiannis Armeftis, Mayor of Limassol, and European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis.
A key focus of this year’s programme is the future of Europe’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors, with sessions addressing food security, trade balance, sustainable value chains, the energy transition, and the long-term transformation of both industries.
The programme also includes discussions on marine restoration, coastal resilience, algae solutions, ocean observing, maritime decarbonisation, blue energy, marine robotics, sustainable tourism and maritime technology skills.
More than just a policy conference, EMD also aims to deepen public awareness of the ocean's crucial role in environmental sustainability, food security, innovation, and economic resilience, according to its organisers.
The conference's plenary sessions will be also livestreamed on Day 1 and Day 2 to enable remote attendance.
