boot 2026: EBI adds new members and sets fresh strategy
EBI represents the recreational boating industry in Europe
European Boating Industry (EBI) held its general assembly during boot Düsseldorf yesterday (20 January 2026).
During the meeting, EBI confirmed changes to its membership and presented a strategic framework to guide its activities through to 2028.
EBI announced an expansion of its membership, bringing the organisation to 34 members across 24 European countries. British Marine was accepted as a new full member. In a statement, EBI says that this development reflects ongoing trade links and regulatory cooperation between the EU and the UK. The UK is the largest importer of recreational boats into the EU and the second-largest export destination for EU-built boats.
Lesley Robinson, outgoing CEO of British Marine, says: “EBI membership enables British Marine to engage more directly in EU-level advocacy on regulatory and market issues that are critical to our members, particularly those with significant European export activity. Through EBI’s work in Brussels, we can ensure member perspectives and UK industry expertise contribute to the development of forthcoming legislation, including, for example, the review of the Recreational Craft Directive.”
EBI also confirmed the membership of the Nordic Cluster, formalising cooperation between industry associations in the Nordic region. The cluster includes Danboat in Denmark, Sweboat in Sweden, Norboat in Norway, the Association of Estonian Marine Industries in Estonia and Finnboat in Finland. These organisations are now represented collectively within EBI.
Volvo Penta also joined EBI as a sustaining member. The firm, a manufacturer of engines and power systems for recreational boats, forms part of the Volvo Group.
Hanna Ljungqvist, senior vice president marine business unit at Volvo Penta, says: “We are excited to join EBI as a sustaining member, and we are looking forward to working together to strengthen the future of the European marine recreational industry.”
Jarkko Pajusalo, CEO of Finnboat, says: “I am very pleased to see that the Nordic boating industry has now a much stronger representation in EBI. The Baltic Sea is a very important boating region with plenty of beautiful coastlines and archipelagos. Promoting sustainable boating is one of our top priorities in the Nordics, and together with our colleagues within EBI, we can add much more value to the regional boating advocacy.”
Anni Hartikainen, CEO of the Association of Estonian Marine Industries, says: “Very few national industry associations have the capacity to maintain a strong presence in Brussels. For MERLI, working together through the Nordic Cluster makes clear sense: our marine industries operate in comparable conditions and share the same environmental and regulatory priorities.”
Members also approved EBI’s strategic framework for the period 2026 to 2029. The framework sets out priorities across advocacy, services and collaboration. According to EBI, the strategy focuses on engagement at the European level on legislative matters, strengthening recognition of the sector’s economic contribution and expanding services and cooperation across the value chain.
EBI says its advocacy work will be structured around three clusters covering industry and competitiveness, decarbonisation, circularity and environment, and nautical tourism. Alongside advocacy, EBI plans to continue several initiatives, including the Blue Boat Horizon project on life-cycle assessment in cooperation with NMMA and ICOMIA. Additional activities will include expanded regulatory guidance and increased market data provision, alongside the development of its event platforms.
Robert Marx, president of EBI, says: “The growth of our membership and the launch of our new strategy mark an important step forward for EBI. With British Marine, the five Nordic countries within the Nordic Cluster, and Volvo Penta, EBI is strengthening its representation across Europe at a time when coordinated engagement at EU level is more important than ever. We are delighted to be truly representing the vast majority of the boating industry in Europe and we thank all new members for their trust and support.”
EBI represents the recreational boating industry in Europe, including boatbuilding, equipment manufacturing, marinas and service providers. The sector comprises around 32,000 companies, largely small and medium-sized enterprises, and employs more than 280,000 people directly.
