KOS-BLUEGOV: Kos Circular Blue Governance 2026–2030

Kos Circular Blue Governance 2026–2030 (KOS-BLUEGOV) is a planned governance action on the island of Kos (Mediterranean Sea) led by KOAN S.A. with scientific support from the National Observatory of Athens (IERSD) and in close cooperation with the Municipality of Kos and key local stakeholders (port/coastal actors, tourism sector, fishers and civil society). The action advances the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030” by turning evidence into implementation and enabling a sustainable, circular and low-impact blue economy in a tourism-intensive island context. The action operationalises a set of local policy instruments to be completed within the next 12–18 months—(i) Kos Island Carrying Capacity Assessment, (ii) Municipal Urban Function Regulation, (iii) Municipal Cleanliness Regulation, (iv) Local Waste Management Plan and (v) Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)—into an implementable “Blue Governance Stack”. Core outputs include: (1) a Policy & Legislative/Regulatory Gap Analysis identifying barriers, permitting gaps and governance overlaps; (2) a Stakeholder Map and Engagement Plan; (3) a participatory Living Lab to co-create priorities and validate measures; (4) a Draft and Final Blue Transition Agenda / policy roadmap with targeted by-law and permitting templates, incentives and compliance procedures; (5) a KPI-based monitoring framework with selected open indicators shared according to FAIR principles; and (6) clear adoption pathways and an advocacy plan for formal uptake by the competent local bodies. Expected impacts are a stronger basis to prevent and reduce marine litter/plastics and peak-season pressures in beaches/port areas, and to mainstream circular, low-carbon multi-purpose use of marine and coastal space. The action is designed for replication and will produce a transferable toolkit for other Mediterranean islands, leveraging EU acceleration opportunities, while remaining anchored in locally adopted governance and implementation pathways.