One of the main purposes of the IO is to support policy and decision makers at national, regional and EU level regarding marine policies and regulations, especially considering societal and economic issues. The IO provides support to the Ministry of Environment and Energy as is the main public research institution implementing the monitoring activities for the Water Framework (WFD, 2000/60/EC) and the Marine Strategy Framework (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) Directives in Greece. The IO supports the implementation of the MSFD through EU projects funded mainly by the DG-ENV (IRIS-SES; ActionMEd; MEDCIS; INDICIT). It has also contributed significantly to the implementation of the Marine Spatial Planning through its participation in projects, coordinated by the Institute of Biological Resources and Inland Waters, like MESMA and ADRIPLAN.

The IO participated also in the FP7 project CoCoNET towards the networking of the marine protected areas (MPAs) in Greece and the enhancement of an effective environmental management. Its important contribution to the new marine Natura 2000 network, and the Marine Spatial Planning, incorporating Integrated Coastal Zone Management, was disseminated to policy makers and other stakeholders. The Hellenic Integrated Marine Inland water Observing, Forecasting and offshore Technology System (HIMIOFoTS) is expected to further enhance the implementation of EU policies.