CrossGov Summer School

Insights and solutions to policy incoherences ​from Young Professionals

In July 2025, CrossGov hold a Summer Training in Marseille, hosting 25 students from all over the world to collaboratively investigate real-world marine policy challenges, and apply the project’s learnings and methodologies.

The Summer School was co-organised by ACTeon and the Ocean Institute of the Université Aix Marseille with support from CrossGov partners NIVA, CNR-ISMAR and RIFS.

Policy interfaces of interest
Investigated by the students

These are the key points that emerged from the students' discussions and research activities:

Fisheries & Biodiversity

  • Over 60% of fish stocks remain overexploited; only 50% are properly assessed
  • Data gaps hinder biodiversity tracking and lead to the exclusion of Data Deficient species from protection lists
  • Policy fragmentation: Fisheries and biodiversity policies often conflict due to poor communication across sectors and levels
  • Siloed governance leading to:
    • Ministries agreeing on species protection without fishery counterparts’ involvement
    • Stakeholders being left out of decision-making
    • Weak integration of scientific evidence into policy
  • Fishing quotas are based on scientific assessments, but decisions do not always reflect the best available science and an ecosystem-based approach. 
  • Decisions on fishing quotas often prioritise short-term economic interests over environmental objectives
  • Significant knowledge gaps on many fish populations
  • Decisions on fishing quotas should be guided by the precautionary principle and strictly follow the best available science on fish populations.
  • Integration of scientific knowledge for evidence-based fisheries policy 
  • Power dynamics in knowledge production
  • Social dimensions
  • Complexity in the governance 
  • Transparency in the food chain mechanisms for enforcement
Proposed solutions
  • Only directly affected stakeholders (fishermen) seem to be target group for consultation. Recommendations to include other groups (e.g. activists, advocates).
  • Empowering “weak” or more marginalised groups, to ensure their voice and interests are included in the consultation.

Offshore Wind & Biodiversity

  • Maritime Spatial Planning: the European Commission introduced an ambitious objective of 300 GW of offshore wind and 40 GW of ocean energy across all the Union’s sea basins by 2050.

Does it create too much pressure on the maritime spaces: how can we protect them if we there is no space left to protect? or if the vulnerable places are taken by wind energy?

  • Conflicting interests and priorities (e.g. economic development vs biodiversity conservation)
  • Limites space
  • Multi-use platforms demand specific ecological, institutional and juridical conditions
  • They can be either multi-functional (different usages take place in the same area using the same infrastructure) or co-located (only the location is shared).
  • Example: the Netherlands government aimed at finding a balance between all the stakeholder interests’ through the “Community of Practice North Sea”.
Proposed solutions
  • Large number of actors engaged, but more depth is needed in the consultation process.
  • Some “right holders” who are not located in coastal areas should be included in the consultation.
  • Improve the level of awareness and engagement of “actors” in different policies

Source-to-sea Pollution

80% of the waste present in the Mediterranean is of terrestrial origin (waste thrown away from the land and transported to the sea by winds and rivers) (MonacoOceanWeek, 2021).

  • Overlapping and unclear mandates among the Ministries, counties, and local governments.
  • Implementation deadlines are often unrealistic (shorter than EU guidance)
    • E.g: Croatia set a stricter landfill compliance deadline than required by the EU and then failed to meet it.
  • No evident source-to-sea perspective
  • Enhanced connection between waste management and marine pollution
  • Further cooperation across countries bordering the same sea basin
  • Coherence with public health legislation.
  • Coherence with economic development plans, such as in the tourism sector (e.g. EU Blue Growth Strategy). Countries bordering the Adriatic Sea have the largest number of tourist overnight stays in the world.
Proposed solutions
  • Stakeholder consultation should be broader (and inclusive of specific and comprehensive priorities). Pollution is a problem that touches many stakeholders, both from the marine environment and inland.
  • A comprehensive consultation strategy should be set up on the topic of pollution. This strategy should cover both the marine environment and the terrestrial areas that have an impact on the marine environment.