Follow-up event on Blue Diplomacy and Water Cooperation

At its 599th plenary session, held on 18 September 2025, the European Economic and Social Committee adopted an opinion on  Blue Diplomacy and water cooperation – solutions to relieve the pressure of climate induced migration.

In this opinion, the EESC recommends adopting one definition at EU level for climate-induced migration. Furthermore, it recommends encouraging and funding further research of projects, recognising the complexity and multi-faceted aspect of migration, and to investigate the possibility of amending data collection protocols for people entering countries of destination.

The EESC also calls for efforts to encourage dialogue between legal and migration professionals to share different interpretations of the legal framework within and across Member States. It calls on the European Commission to develop a compendium of relevant case law and highlights the need to encourage the use of the Practical Toolkit on International Protection for people displaced across borders in the context of climate change and disasters. Additionally, it calls for efforts to encourage the creation of synergies between the EU’s environmental and migration policy by integrating the Humanitarian Development-Peace nexus further into climate mobility policy and embedding migration as adaptation in its approach to climate mobility.

The EESC also calls on the European Commission to further shape its cooperation with partner countries, to facilitate access to international funds to support partner countries in climate resilience and preparedness, and to pursue the commitments made.

Finally, the EESC recommends that the scope of the Temporary Protection Directive be extended to migrants fleeing from countries heavily affected by disasters and climate change.

Building up on this important opinion, the Section for External Relations is organizing a follow-up event on Blue Diplomacy and Water Cooperation on 5 November, from 10:00 to 13:00, at the EESC, in room VMA 23.

The event will gather experts, practitioners, and representatives of civil society, with possibilities of networking.

Participants will be able to listen and speak in English, French and German.