Burgas Free University (BFU) has been included in the newly established European Ocean Board by the European Commission, the university announced. The university is the only representative of the Black Sea basin among a total of 25 national and international organizations included in the structure, BFU specifies.

The Board was established by a decision of March 22, 2026, by the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission. It is of a consultative nature and brings together senior experts from the participating organizations, who will assist the Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis.

The selection of members was made after an open procedure with hundreds of applications from international and national organizations, think tanks, and agencies. The selection was carried out in accordance with the requirements for the creation of groups of senior experts and the rules of transparency within the European Union.

The first meeting of the board will take place on March 31 in the "Jean Rey" hall in the central "Berlaymont" building of the European Commission in Brussels, at the invitation of Commissioner Kadis. The representative of Burgas Free University will be the re-elected rector, Prof. Dr. Milen Baltov, whose expertise supported the university's application.