EU and Canada Launch OceanEye Alliance With €211 Million

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney launched the OceanEye International Alliance for the Global Ocean Observing System during the 81st UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York. The alliance has secured at least €211 million in pledges from 30 member countries and the European Union to support coastal protection, weather forecasting, climate predictions, and safe navigation.

The European Union provided €92 million in seed funding through Horizon Europe, while Canada pledged C$82 million over five years. These resources will be used to deploy satellites, drones, and sensors in the high seas to close data gaps and maintain observation platforms.

Organized alongside the World Meteorological Organization and UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the initiative seeks to stabilize a global observation network that has remained vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions and financial shortfalls. Von der Leyen stated that the alliance provides the necessary data to understand and protect the ocean as the underwater world rapidly changes.