Foreword
European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans
Dear reader,
I am glad to present to you the EU Blue Economy Report 2025 – the flagship publication providing the key trends and new developments in the EU’s economic sectors based on, in and around the ocean.
This Report is published at a time when the EU faces significant challenges. Heightened geopolitical tensions, rapid technological developments and the increasingly visible effects of climate change – among other factors – require us to rethink how Europe can remain prosperous, competitive and secure in the future. Addressing these issues will be a central task for this Commission during the 2024-2029 period.
The importance of a strong EU Blue Economy becomes ever more clear. The Blue Economy sectors provide Europeans with healthy and sustainable food, clean and affordable maritime energy and they connect Europe to the rest of the world. Moreover, they are the breeding ground for blue innovation that will become the basis of the maritime technologies and sectors of the future.
European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation
The Blue Economy is a strong and growing set of dynamic and competitive industries, contributing around € 250 billion to the EU economy and employing nearly 5 million people. It offers a wealth of opportunities for innovation, economic diversification, job creation, competitiveness, climate neutrality and sustainability.
Innovation in the Blue Economy is a key driver for sustainability and growth. Starting from a handful of demonstration plants in the early 2000s, the EU now hosts a cumulative capacity of 18.9 GW of offshore wind, spread across 11 Member States – enough to power more than 6 million households – making it one of the fastest-growing sectors of the entire EU economy.
