Чорноморське відділення Української Екологічної Академії наук

15/10/2026

🚩 On October 1, 2026, the Third Steering Committee meeting of the Common Maritime Agenda (CMA) for the Black Sea was held at the Burgas Port Congress Hall in Bulgaria, operating under the coordination of the host nation.

✅ The meeting was co-chaired by representatives from Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport and Communications and the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).

🔵 Ukraine’s CMA coordinator—the Ministry of Education and Science—was represented by Serhiy Taran, Head of the Monitoring and Communications Department within the Ministry's Directorate of Science Development. Highlighting the impact of international collaboration, Serhiy Taran stated:

👍 "Bulgaria's tenure as the 2026 CMA Coordinator has demonstrated its diplomatic maturity and commitment to a prosperous, unified Black Sea community. The country has actively reinforced the Black Sea's role as a vital hub for European interconnectivity, stability, and sustainable development. Driven by the urgent need to protect our marine environment, key initiatives—such as RESPONSE and Black Sea Sierra—serve as powerful testaments to what can be achieved through dedicated scientific cooperation, even under the most challenging circumstances."

🟡 Georgia has officially assumed the CMA chairmanship for 2027, with the next Black Sea Stakeholders Conference slated to take place in the coastal city of Batumi.

15/10/2026

15/10/2026

🟩 On September 30, 2026, during the Annual Stakeholders Conference of the Common Maritime Agenda (CMA) for the Black Sea in Burgas, several projects featuring Ukrainian partner organizations—notably RESPONSE and SturNet—were recognized as top initiatives.

🔴 In the "Healthy Marine and Coastal Ecosystems" category, the winner was BlackNETs, an Interreg NEXT "Black Sea Basin" initiative aimed at tackling the issue of abandoned fishing gear. The project's lead partner is the closely allied Romanian organization, Mare Nostrum (Marian PAIU).

🟡 Another major winner was the RESPONSE project ("Developing Response Mechanisms to Existing and Emerging Pollution Challenges in the Black Sea"), which is supported by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund. The project focuses on improving preparedness and response systems for marine pollution from both current and emerging sources.

🚩 The RESPONSE consortium includes partners from Greece (Aristotle University), Bulgaria (Black Sea NGO Network), Georgia (Greens Movement of Georgia / Friends of the Earth), Romania (National Institute for Marine Research and Development by Grigore Antipa), and Ukraine (Institute of Market and Economic-Ecological Research of the NAS of Ukraine, by Prof. Oleksandr Laiko, and the Black Sea Branch of the Ukrainian Ecological Academy of Sciences, by Prof. Oleg Rubel). RESPONSE aims to develop and test new training programs and courses for monitoring, reporting, managing, and mitigating marine pollution—with a special emphasis on pollution caused by military activities.

🟨 The SturNet project ("Sturgeon Conservation and Ecological Sustainability Network of the Black Sea Basin Ecosystem"), whose Ukrainian partner is the Institute of Market and Economic-Ecological Research of the NAS of Ukraine, received a prestigious honorable mention at the forum.

✅ Additionally, the EcosySTEM Hub project ("Empowering Children for Environmental Sustainability through E-STEM")—represented by the All-Ukrainian NGO "Ukrainian Association of Business Support Centers"—was awarded the ultimate "Winner of Winners" prize.
The CMA Stakeholders Conference brought together over 100 participants from Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, and numerous EU member states, who warmly congratulated the awardees.

🏛️ Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), personally presented the certificates to the winning project teams, including the Ukrainian partners.

15/10/2026

🏛️ On September 30, 2026, the Black Sea Stakeholders Conference continued in Burgas.

🟩 The event was co-organized by the Black Sea Assistance Mechanism Office (Mihaela Candea Mirea)—which supports the implementation of the Common Maritime Agenda (CMA) for the Black Sea—alongside the European Commission and Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, the 2026 CMA National Coordinator.

✅ The agenda kicked off with parallel sessions, including one titled "Governing the Sea Under Pressure." This theme is the focal point of the RESPONSE project, which features key Ukrainian partners: the Institute of Market and Economic-Ecological Research of the NAS of Ukraine (Prof. Oleksandr Laiko) and the Black Sea Branch of the Ukrainian Ecological Academy of Sciences (Prof. Oleh Rubel). Antonios Mazaris, a professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the lead partner of the RESPONSE project, presented the initiative's findings to the attendees ([https://www.response-project.com/](https://www.response-project.com/)).

🟨 The conference drew over 100 participants from Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, and various EU member states. The European Commission was heavily represented, notably by the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), with Director-General Charlina Vitcheva delivering the opening remarks.

🟪 The morning session wrapped up with a networking lunch and poster presentations showcasing top initiatives for the Black Sea region.

15/10/2026

🏛️ Final meeting of the RESPONSE project – "Establishing response mechanisms to existing and emerging challenges of Black Sea pollution".

🟡 On September 29, 2026, one of the final events of the RESPONSE project – "Establishing response mechanisms to existing and emerging challenges of Black Sea pollution" – took place in Burgas, Bulgaria.

🔵 The event brought together all project partners: the Lead Partner – Aristotle University (Antonios MAZARIS, Anastasia TSAVDARIDOU), the Black Sea NGO Network (Emma GILEVA, Aleksandar SHIVAROV), the Greens Movement of Georgia / Friends of the Earth (Mamuka GILAVA), the National Institute for Marine Research and Development "Grigore Antipa" (Razvan Mateescu), the State Institution "Institute of Market and Economic and Ecological Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine" (Oleksandr LAIKO), and the Black Sea Branch of the Ukrainian Environmental Academy of Sciences (Oleg RUBEL).
The partners discussed the results and impact of the Project, challenges and lessons learned, recommendations, and Black Sea security policy. The event was also attended by a representative of the European Commission, Gema San BRUNO.

🟨 The meeting also covered the results of the BLACK SEA SIERRA project (Utilizing complementary training programs and management approaches to respond to pollution of civilian and military origin in coastal zones, as well as in tributary basins and lagoons of the northern, western, and southern sectors of the Black Sea).

✅ The event was organized by the Institute of Market and Economic and Ecological Research of the NAS of Ukraine with the Black Sea Branch of the Ukrainian Ecological Academy of Sciences.