Under the CirclesOfLife project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme and in which SEA Europe is a consortium partner, a policy lunch dedicated to sectoral policies will take place at the European Parliament on 4 November 2026. The event is entitled “Strengthening EU Shipyards Competitiveness through Enhanced Sustainability” and will build on the results of the CirclesOfLife project.
The project has delivered concrete tools to support this transition, including a Ship Environmental Performance Index (SEPI) and templates for a Circular Materials Passport and a Ship Life Cycle Passport. These digital tools put the principles of circularity, traceability and impact assessment across the life cycle into practice in ship construction, repair, retrofit and recycling activities, turning sustainability into a competitive advantage.
A sector essential to EU industrial sovereignty
The event will bring together EU decision-makers, civil society representatives and players from the European shipbuilding, repair, retrofit, maintenance and recycling sector – a sector essential to the EU’s industrial sovereignty and strategic autonomy, as well as to the sustainable transition of the maritime sector. The recently published EU Industrial Maritime Strategy, through its first pillar entitled “Construction, Equipment and Repair”, creates an important opportunity to strengthen European maritime production capacities and to support the sector’s transition towards digitalisation and circularity.
Access by invitation only and registration by 19 October
The event is organised on the invitation of MEP Jeannette Baljeu (Renew), and access is strictly by invitation. Those interested in attending are asked to send an email to Delphine Fagot (df@seaeurope.eu) at the SEA Europe Secretariat by Monday, 19 October 2026 at the latest, specifying: first name and surname (as per identity document), organisation, position, email address, whether they need a Parliament access badge (Yes/No) and any dietary requirements. A light lunch will be provided.
Event programme
- 12.00 – Opening remarks – Jeannette Baljeu
- 12.10 – Presentation of the CirclesOfLife project – Jorinus Kalis (Business Development Manager at Damen Shipyards and CirclesOfLife coordinator) and Benoit Loicq (Director R&D and European Regulatory Affairs at SEA Europe)
- 12.20 – Observations session by Members of the European Parliament
- 12.45 – Observations session by European Commission representatives, industry associations and civil society
- 13.10 – Conclusions and key policy takeaways
- 13.20 – Lunch and networking
- 14.00 – End of event
Source: SEA Europe, via information circulated by the ANCONAV General Secretariat. Photo: European Parliament building (Espace Léopold), Brussels – Paasikivi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.