GRAAL launches the Atlantic Policy Lab and its Atlantic Area Community of Practice
A new collaborative framework to bridge the gap between European project results and Atlantic public policies — open for contributors across the Atlantic Area
The GRAAL project has officially launched the Atlantic Area Community of Practice (AA CoP), a new collaborative platform designed to bridge the gap between knowledge generated by European-funded projects and its effective integration into public policy processes across the Atlantic Area.
Addressing a persistent gap in Atlantic governance
Across the Atlantic Area, a wide range of projects, initiatives and policy frameworks contribute to addressing key environmental and blue economy challenges. Yet despite the valuable knowledge, tools and solutions they generate, their integration into policy processes remains uneven across sectors and governance levels.
The AA CoP has been established within the GRAAL project to address this structural gap. It provides a structured space for dialogue and collaboration, supporting the interpretation, alignment and uptake of project results in relation to EU and Atlantic policy priorities.
Five thematic areas, one common ambition
The Atlantic Area Policy Lab is structured around five thematic areas reflecting the most pressing challenges facing the Atlantic region:
- Sustainable Tourism — including seasonality, working conditions, environmental monitoring and accommodation regulation
- Disaster Resilient Coasts — addressing coastal erosion, flooding, climate adaptation and integrated risk management
- Marine Energy — covering energy supply security, regulation, value chains and social acceptance
- Nature Preservation — supporting MPA targets, blue economy sustainability and governance frameworks
- Ocean Pollution — focusing on monitoring harmonisation, pollution assessment and nature-based solutions
Three cross-cutting priorities — digitisation and innovation, circular economy and governance — connect and reinforce the work across all thematic areas.
A three-phase methodology
The AA CoP operates through a structured and iterative process combining technical evidence with participatory dialogue:
- Baseline diagnosis — identification of key challenges, gaps and needs across thematic areas
- Integration — alignment of findings and validation of solutions at Atlantic scale
- Strategic match-making and scaling — promotion of uptake, replication and policy integration of solutions
An inclusive and diverse community
The AA CoP brings together a broad range of stakeholders from across the Atlantic Area: public authorities, research and academic institutions, private sector actors, civil society organisations, and project partners. This diversity reflects the complexity of environmental governance and supports inclusive, evidence-based dialogue.
The community operates through a flexible structure combining a core coordination team, thematic facilitators supported by GRAAL project partners, and policy actors including Managing Authorities and public institutions ensuring policy relevance and uptake.
Open call for contributors
Experts, policymakers and stakeholders involved in environmental policies and initiatives in the Atlantic Area are invited to join the AA CoP and contribute their institutional expertise and field experience to the development of coordinated Atlantic responses.
More information and registration: www.graal-project.eu/en/projet/policy-lab