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The think tank behind ocean policy: How does the European Marine Commission bridge science and policy?
As the world faces increasingly serious marine environmental problems, collaboration between the scientific community and policymakers is particularly important. Against this background, the European Marine Board (EMB) emerged as the times require and has become a key player in promoting marine scientific research and policy formulation. Since its establishment in 1995, this multinational think tank has not only promoted scientific cooperation among European countries, but also paved the way to solve the challenges facing marine science.
The mission of the European Marine Commission is to connect science and policy to collaboratively advance core priorities for ocean research.
The European Marine Commission is a European-wide network whose member organizations include marine research implementation agencies and funding organizations in various countries. Members come from national oceanographic institutes, government departments and higher education institutions. The main goal of this platform is to coordinate different marine research institutions to jointly develop research priorities in marine science and advance related policy development.
Background
EMB was initially supported by the European Science Foundation (ESF) and became an independent non-profit organization in 2016. The Commission is headquartered in Ostens, Belgium, and maintains great cooperation with the Flemish provincial government. The establishment of EMB has laid a solid foundation for the overall development of marine science, especially its role as a bridge between policymakers and scientists.
Goals and Activities
Goals
One of the main objectives of the European Marine Commission is to establish a platform for cooperation, with a particular focus on sharing priorities and advancing marine research. Through this platform, it strives to connect scientific discoveries with policy development to address the future challenges of ocean science.
Activities
EMB carries out a variety of activities to promote the development of marine science and policy, including publishing strategic publications, organizing conferences on marine science and policy, organizing theme groups, etc. In addition, EMB also participates in strategic projects of the European Union, providing members with continuous information and advice on the latest developments in marine science.
EMB’s activities include the publication of position papers and policy briefs, which are critical to the development of concrete ocean policies.
Membership
Membership of the European Marine Commission is divided into three categories of institutions: national research implementing agencies, national research funding agencies and consortiums of national higher education institutions. Membership is limited to a maximum of four institutions per country to ensure that each country plays an active role in marine scientific research.
Governance structure
EMB has a three-level governance structure: committee, executive committee and secretariat. As a decision-making body, the committee meets twice a year in spring and autumn; the executive committee provides daily supervision and guidance; the secretariat is responsible for coordinating and managing the overall operation of EMB.
Future Outlook
As global marine environmental issues become more prominent, the role of EMB will become even more critical. How to further strengthen the connection between science and policy and promote cooperation among all parties will be a major challenge in the future. How will future advances in ocean science affect our policy decisions?
