On Tuesday, March 27, the Brussels office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) hosted the presentation of The Fractured Ocean: Challenges to Maritime Policy in the Wider Atlantic, a report published by GMF in partnership with the OCP Foundation.The presentation was followed by a discussion that delved into the maritime challenges and opportunities in the Wider Atlantic.

The audience was welcomed by Ian Lesser, executive director of GMF in Brussels, followed by a presentation by John Richardson, senior resident fellow at GMF, an analysis from Bernhard Friess, director for Atlantic, Outermost regions and Arctic, Maritime affairs and Fisheries DG, European Commission. 

The paper examines the challenges posed by human activity in the Atlantic Ocean, its coasts and its ports. Overall, the event focused on the common challenge in maintaining the value of the Atlantic Ocean as a foundation for sustained “blue growth” in the years to come.

An engaging discussion followed, on the common Atlantic surveillance and the security and justice make up from a diverse crowd of policymakers, researchers, government officials and private sector representatives. Participants insisted on discussing the rapidly evolving role of the Arctic Ocean, which influences and is influenced by the Atlantic.