This year’s Black Sea Common Maritime Agenda Stakeholder Conference took place on 28 October 2025 in Constanța, Romania, organised by Ukrainian CMA Coordination and supported by the Black Sea Assistance Mechanism. It brought together stakeholders of the Black Sea marine and blue economy community: nearly 150 participants, from 11 countries, representing academia and research organisations, EU institutions, regional and local authorities, blue economy experts, and the private sector. This annual event served as a vital platform for showcasing the latest innovative advancements, sharing experiences, and fostering collaboration in pursuit of a sustainable and resilient blue economy in the Black Sea region.
The Conference opened with welcoming messages from the Ukrainian National Coordinator, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), and the Coordinator of the Black Sea Assistance Mechanism (BSAM), recognising the shared commitment to a sustainable Black Sea, and highlighting the importance of the EU Ocean Pact and the new EU strategic approach to the Black Sea region in fostering regional cooperation across sea basins and secure the sustainable use of marine resources.
Three thematic plenary sessions followed: 1) Ocean literacy for marine ecosystem resilience, 2) emerging innovations in energy transition and spatial planning, and 3) Financing innovation and start-ups at the coastal community level. Each plenary session was complemented by roundtable discussions, where panellists explored best practices, innovative solutions, mechanisms and tools to enhance economic resilience and inclusive development of the Black Sea region. Attendees also participated in the debate via Sli.do, a platform for real-time questions and feedback.
Next, three regional initiatives spotlighted during the session “Waves of change”: BlackNETs, AlgaeRevive, and INTERSMARTS projects, which presented their projects as examples of sustainability and innovation in action across the Black Sea. This session was a new addition to the CMA Stakeholder Conference structure, with the aim to increase visibility of Black Sea projects, particularly giving the opportunity of interaction between the audience and the presenters. The project representatives were able to respond to questions live, from stage, or receive advice from the conference participants on how to better steer their projects.
After lunch, two parallel Blue Dilemma workshops took place, encouraging participants to form working groups and brainstorm actionable ideas into a project proposal. These workshops were focused on two topics:
Ocean literacy and innovative blue skills
Maritime spatial planning and offshore renewable energy
Throughout the day, attendees had the opportunity to explore a poster exhibition, showcasing nearly 19 EU-funded projects, results, and tools aimed at promoting sustainability, security, and community engagement in the Black Sea region. The Conference concluded with the Black Sea project Awards, a traditional session recognising initiatives aligned with the CMA goals. The 2025 winners were:
Invasive Alien Species Observatory and Network Development for the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts and Contextual Ecosystem Services Evaluation in Black Sea Deltaic Protected Areas - IASON+ project, winning the “Healthy marine and coastal ecosystems”;
- TRESOILPower2X Danube Waste Plastic to hydrogen project, winner in the “A competitive, innovative and sustainable blue economy for the Black Sea” category;
- INTERSMARTS project, winner in the “Fostering investment in the Black Sea blue economy” category and named Winner of the Winners for 2025.
To conclude the event, the BSAM Coordinator presented a visual graphics summary of the audience pledges, reflecting a strong collective commitment to enhancing stability and resilience, fostering sustainable development, and promoting environmental and civil protection in the Black Sea region.
On 29 October 2025, a half-day of closed-door meetings brought together representatives from the Black Sea countries and National Hubs, the European Commission, and the BSAM. Two parallel meetings were held: the third Technical Group meeting on Sustainable Tourism, and the seventh Technical Group meeting on Sustainable Aquaculture, followed by the third Steering Group Committee meeting. The day concluded by reinforcing the commitment and regional dialogue among CMA countries towards advancing the region’s sustainable blue economy, restoration, development, and innovation.
This year’s Stakeholder Conference, successfully led by the Ukrainian coordinator and organized by the BSAM in cooperation with the European Commission, showcased the region’s united efforts to accelerate innovation, deepen cooperation, drive investment and competitiveness and promote sustainability in the Black Sea blue economy.
The full Black Sea CMA Stakeholder Conference 2025 report is now available on our website here.
Article on the Steering Group Committee meeting here.
Article on the Technical Group meetings are also available, for SustAqua and SustTourism.
To explore more about the projects featured at the conference, take a look at the poster exhibition here, which showcased a range of initiatives supporting sustainability, innovation, and cooperation across the Black Sea region.
Find the full playlist of the Conference Videos here.
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