An international workshop was held to prepare a Policy Recommendation Document within the scope of the Environmental and Ocean Literacy Project (EOL) in the Black Sea Basin, led by the Yuva Association, of which Turkey, Bulgaria, and Greece are partners. The workshop, which brought together local government and civil society representatives and academics, aimed to develop policy recommendations for the future of the Black Sea and to create a framework that would inform future practices. The document to be prepared is intended to serve as a guide for decision-makers and relevant institutions.
Hosted by Yuva Association in Istanbul, the event began on December 12, 2025, with registration and welcome; the workshop’s objectives and agenda were shared during the opening session. Representatives of the National Authority of the program, @abbaskanligi, spoke at the opening session. Among the partners, the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN) presented training programs and best practices, while Green Balkans shared its policy perspective and assessment of the current situation.
In the second part of the workshop, the purpose, scope, and basic structure of the policy recommendation document were clarified, and policy recommendations aimed at increasing environmental and marine literacy in the Black Sea Basin were discussed and prioritized. In this context, participants conducted group work focused on “current situation analysis” to form the basis for the policy development process; then, in the “policy proposal development” session, they worked together on concrete and feasible proposals. At the end of the day, the group outputs were presented, participant feedback was received, and the policy document process was concluded.
We would like to thank our partners HSPN and Green Balkans, who joined us in the EOL project, which aims to encourage nature conservation by increasing environmental and marine literacy among young people and to strengthen regional solidarity through international cooperation in the field of environmental education.
