REMEDIES: Three Days of Innovation and Action in Porquerolles for a Plastic-Free Mediterranean
April 2025 · Seas and waters
La 6ª Assemblea Generale del progetto REMEDIES a Porquerolles, isola al largo della Costa Azzurra
📍 Porquerolles, France | April 1–3, 2025
From April 1st to 3rd, 2025, the island of Porquerolles hosted the 6th General Assembly of the REMEDIES project, part of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters.” The event brought together project partners, local stakeholders, and international experts for three days of collaboration, innovation, and real-world environmental action.
🧩 Cluster Meeting and Solutions Forum
The event opened with the 5th REMEDIES Cluster Meeting, organized by SMILO, under the theme: “United for a Plastic-Free Mediterranean.” Participants shared strategies to fight plastic pollution at the European, regional, and local levels, with contributions from institutions, researchers, and civil society.
Highlights:
- Philippe Bernardi (Porquerolles Island Committee) and Maxime Prodomides (SMILO) emphasized the island’s commitment to sustainable waste management.
- Claudiane de Corbiac (Ifremer) outlined funding and innovation opportunities within the EU Mission.
- Antoine Boudin, designer and REMEDIES ambassador, gave an inspiring keynote on moving beyond plastic, showcasing eco-designs using Provençal reed.
Local impact and action: Organizations such as MerTerre, Ecoscience Provence, Explore&Preserve, and the Port-Cros National Park presented hands-on initiatives across southern France — from plastic-free charters to awareness campaigns and sustainable branding strategies.
🔗 A Stronger Mediterranean Network
The Cluster Meeting strengthened cross-sector collaboration and highlighted replicable solutions to tackle marine plastic pollution.
Sylvain Petit (SMILO) closed the session with a call to maintain momentum and continue working collectively for a cleaner Mediterranean.
The Solutions Forum, held in the afternoon, showcased REMEDIES innovations and complementary technologies, while exploring policy pathways to tackle plastic litter at sea.
📊 General Assembly: Updates and Vision
During the 6th General Assembly, all Work Packages (WP1–WP7) shared updates on progress, challenges, and performance indicators.
Special sessions addressed key themes:
- Gender perspective in research and innovation
- Commercialization and long-term sustainability
- Citizen Science strategies
Workshops and focus groups encouraged co-creation and alignment across the project’s technical and social innovation components.
In addition, representatives from Infordata presented developments in the digital platform for the Remedies project.
🧼 Clean-Up at La Courtade Beach
On the final day, participants engaged in fieldwork with a Clean-Up and Monitoring Session at La Courtade Beach, in collaboration with Explore & Preserve and SMILO.
Activities included litter categorization and community engagement, using tools and methodologies developed under the REMEDIES project.
💬 “Porquerolles reminded us of the power of combining science, innovation, and community.”
🔗 Learn more about REMEDIES clean-up actions here