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Protection that Pays

Tuesday, 29 September 2026
15:00 - 17:00 GMT+2
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60, rue Wiertz
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Protection that Pays Held during EU Ocean Week 2026, the event will examine how effectively managed Marine Protected Areas can support fisheries, sustainable tourism,...      MEP Event 


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Protection that Pays

The socio-economic case for Marine Protected Areas and an ambitious EU Ocean Act

📅 Date:
29/09/2026
🕐 Time:
15:00 - 17:00
📍 Location:
European Parliament – ALTIERO SPINELLI 3H1European Parliament – ALTIERO SPINELLI 3H1

About the Event


Held during EU Ocean Week 2026, the event will examine how effectively managed Marine Protected Areas can support fisheries, sustainable tourism, coastal communities and the wider blue economy, while contributing to the restoration and resilience of Europe’s seas.
The discussion will bring together Members of the European Parliament, the European Commission, scientific experts and civil-society organisations. Confirmed contributors include representatives of DG MARE, the Permanent Representation of Greece to the European Union, Nord University, PADI AWARE, WWF Greece and Natuurpunt.


Hosted by


Sakis ARNAOUTOGLOU

Sakis ARNAOUTOGLOU

MEP   Greece 

Member of the European Parliament

  SD  Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament  |   PASOK  PASOK-KINAL 
Sakis ARNAOUTOGLOU

Committees

ENVIEnvironment, Public Health & Food Safety
PECHFisheries
REGIRegional Development
AGRIAgriculture & Rural Development

Delegations

D-CNDelegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China
DACPDelegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
DCABDCAB Delegation
Isabella LÖVIN

Isabella LÖVIN

MEP   Sweden 

Member of the European Parliament

  Greens  Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance  |   MP  Miljöpartiet de gröna 
Isabella LÖVIN

Committees

V-CHAIR DEVEDevelopment
ITREIndustry, Research & Energy
PECHFisheries

Delegations

D-USD-US Delegation
DACPDelegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
DPACDPAC Delegation
D-INDelegation for relations with India
Emma FOURREAU

Emma FOURREAU

MEP   France 

Member of the European Parliament

  Left  The Left group in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL  |   LFI  La France Insoumise 
Emma FOURREAU

Committees

ENVIEnvironment, Public Health & Food Safety
PECHFisheries
FEMMWomen’s Rights & Gender Equality

Delegations

DMASDMAS Delegation
DMEDDelegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean
DEEADelegation for Northern cooperation & for relations with Switzerland & Norway & to the EU-Iceland & EEA Joint Parliamentary Committees
Paulo DO NASCIMENTO CABRAL

Paulo DO NASCIMENTO CABRAL

MEP   Portugal 

Member of the European Parliament

  EPP  Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)  |   AD  Aliança Democrática 
Paulo DO NASCIMENTO CABRAL

Committees

V-CHAIR PECHFisheries
AGRIAgriculture & Rural Development
REGIRegional Development
FEMMWomen’s Rights & Gender Equality

Delegations

V-CHAIR D-ZADelegation for relations with South Africa
D-USD-US Delegation
DMEDDelegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean
DMASDMAS Delegation
Ambassador Ioannis VRAILAS

Ambassador Ioannis VRAILAS

Permanent Representative of Greece to the European Union

Permanent Representation of Greece to the European Union

Ambassador Ioannis VRAILAS
He serves as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Greece to the European Union, a role he assumed in 2020. With an extensive diplomatic career, he has represented Greece at the United Nations and the OSCE, bringing deep expertise in international relations and European policymaking to regional environmental discussions.
Mark COSTELLO

Mark COSTELLO

Nord University
Norway

Nord University

Mark COSTELLO
He is a Professor in Marine Ecology at Nord University in Norway. As a prominent researcher in marine biodiversity, he has co-chaired the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network and served as a Lead Author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, focusing heavily on global marine protected areas and ecological conservation.
Mayen COLYER

Mayen COLYER

Sustainability and Membership Engagement Lead

PADI AWARE

Mayen COLYER
She is the Sustainability and Membership Engagement Lead for PADI AWARE. In her role, she promotes eco-friendly dive operations and sustainable tourism globally. Her efforts support the PADI Eco Center designation and community-driven conservation initiatives aimed at expanding marine protected areas and protecting vulnerable coastal ecosystems.
Demetres KARAVELLAS

Demetres KARAVELLAS

CEO

WWF Greece

Demetres KARAVELLAS
He serves as the Chief Executive Officer of WWF Greece. A dedicated advocate for marine conservation, he has been instrumental in the "Cyclades Life" initiative, which focuses on transforming the historical island of Gyaros into a well-managed Marine Protected Area by combining biodiversity restoration with active stakeholder engagement.
Sarah TILKIN

Sarah TILKIN

Policy Officer
North Sea
Fisheries and Marine Environment

Natuurpunt

Sarah TILKIN
She is the Policy Officer for North Sea, Fisheries, and Marine Environment at Natuurpunt. Based in Belgium, she advocates for sustainable coastal management and the establishment of strictly protected marine reserves. Her work emphasizes balancing offshore economic activities and fisheries with ecosystem resilience through active stakeholder collaboration.
REPRESENTATIVE

REPRESENTATIVE

Blue NGO

Delilah AL-KHUDAIRY

Delilah AL-KHUDAIRY

Director
Maritime Policy and Blue Economy

DG MARE

Delilah AL-KHUDAIRY
She is the Director for Maritime Policy and Blue Economy at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE). In this capacity, she oversees key European Union initiatives designed to foster a sustainable blue economy, improve regional ocean governance, and ensure the long-term resilience of marine ecosystems.

Programme


15:00
Welcome remarks
- MEP Sakis Arnaoutoglou | S&D 
- Ambassador Ioannis Vrailas | Permanent Representative of Greece to the European Union 
Part 1: Socio-economic benefits (Presentations)
- Economic benefits of MPAs for fisheries | Mark Costello | Nord University | Norway 
- Socio-economic benefits of MPAs for tourism | Mayen Colyer | Sustainability and Membership Engagement Lead | PADI AWARE 
- Presentation of Gyaros MPA | Demetres Karavellas | CEO | WWF Greece 
- Strictly protected marine reserves in Belgium with stakeholder buy-in | Sarah Tilkin | Policy Officer | North Sea | Fisheries and Marine Environment | Natuurpunt 
15:35
Panel and Q&A
With remarks from MEP Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral (EPP) on the Azores MPA network
16:00
Introduction to part 2
by Blue NGOs representative (5 mins)
Part 2: Policy makers’ point of view
- MEPs Panel | Sakis Arnaoutoglou (S&D) | Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA) | Emma Fourreau (The Left) 
- European Commission point of view | Delilah Al-Khudairy | Director | Maritime Policy and Blue Economy | DG MARE 
16:55
Conclusion
MEP Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA)

Important – This event is by invitation, and only registered participants will be admitted. Due to capacity constraints, all attendees must register, including those already holding a European Parliament access badge. Registration is mandatory for admission.

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Expert Europe
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