EU & Canada launched OceanEye International Alliance for the Global Ocean Observing System

 EU & Canada launched the OceanEye International Alliance for the Global Ocean Observing System in New York. 

As seed funding, the EU increased the funding for Ocean observation activities with an additional €92 million. The Co-Chair of the OceanEye International Alliance, Canada, pledged C$82 million CDN over five years to expand Canada's ability to observe the ocean. Altogether, the pledges from all partner countries so far amount to almost €220 million, with a mix of financial contributions, in‑kind support and the provision of assets such as research vessels, sensors, drones and data‑processing facilities.

The pledges will support:

1. the maintenance of existing observation platforms;
2. the closure of critical data gaps;
3. the strengthening of the Global Ocean Observing System Secretariat;
4. the Global Ocean Observing System coordination hubs; 
5. and the reinforcement of the OceanOPS data‑reporting centre

A total of 31 members have joined the OceanEye International Alliance, including the EU and 30 countries (Angola, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cabo Verde, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Namibia, Palau, Portugal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, the Netherlands, the Faroe Islands and the United Kingdom).  

The OceanEye International Alliance builds on the OceanEye initiative, which the European Commission adopted in June 2026 to strengthen and broaden the EU's role in ocean observation.

As a core pillar, it aims to secure long-term funding and support for Global Ocean Observation and establishes a framework for coordinated international action, helping to guarantee reliable, open and free access to ocean data and knowledge for both the EU and its international partners.

1. European Commission
2. <<< EU OceanEye initiative