The first EOOS Forum will take place at Area 42 in Brussels on 8 March 2018. The forum will bring together the main ocean observing funders, implementers and users in Europe. It will examine the extent to which the current observing systems are sustainable today, and what opportunities and threats there are.

Initiated by the EOOS Steering Group as the main forum for an integrated European Ocean Observing System, the event will discuss the EOOS strategy, developed further to the stakeholder consultation Dec. 2016- Jan. 2017, and seek feedback from the funders, implementers and users on the way forward.

Objectives:

• Present and discuss the EOOS strategy delivered by the EOOS Steering Group further to the stakeholder survey on the EOOS consultation document;
• Highlight the main opportunities and threats to the delivery of EOOS and the downstream services linked to the funding sustainability;
• Demonstrate examples of national or EU funding commitments to EOOS-related infrastructures and services;
• Discuss sensitivities and bottlenecks to sustainable and integrated EOOS;
• Promote the value of communications in achieving the EOOS objectives.

Main Target Audience:

• National funders of ocean observations – to be explained why EOOS is needed (helping define the ocean observing requirements, policy response, sustainability);
• Implementers of ocean observations – to be brought in to align and share;
• Users of ocean observation services and marine data – to be asked for their feedback.

Outputs:

• EOOS strategy and implementation discussed;
• Forum report published;
• Forum conclusions feed into the EOOS Conference in Brussels on 21-23 November 2018.

The EOOS Forum will take place on Thursday 8 March 2018, at ‘Area 42’, Rue des Palais 46, 1030 Brussels, Belgium

Register here