European Commission pledges €1B to historic Ocean Pact framework – JURIST
The European Commission (EC) announced on Wednesday that it is adopting a landmark policy framework aimed at “protecting marine life and strengthening the blue economy,” pledging an investment of 1 billion euros to support the initiative.
The European Ocean Pact is the first of its kind, aiming to establish a comprehensive, unified framework for EU policies that enables member states to achieve key objectives. The pact will “be updated as needs evolve” and has six main priorities:
- Protecting and restoring ocean health;
- Boosting sustainable competitiveness of the blue economy;
- Supporting coastal, island communities and outermost regions;
- Advancing ocean research, knowledge, skills, and innovation;
- Enhancing maritime security and defense as a prerequisite; and
- Strengthening EU Ocean diplomacy and international rules-based governance.
Within each of the six priorities, the EU aims to develop new strategies and evaluate existing policies. The Ocean Pact will be supported by the Ocean Act, which the EC aims to introduce by 2027. The commission will also introduce a “high-level Ocean Board” and “launch an EU Ocean Pact dashboard” to support transparency and progression.
EC President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted that the pact will protect and support coastal communities, which are adversely affected by climate change and “unfair competition created by illegal and unregulated fishing activities.” She announced that the EU will work closely with regions in the Mediterranean, Western Africa, and the Pacific to address these concerns.
Von der Leyen emphasized the importance of protecting ocean health, stating:
We will strive to cut plastic and nutrient pollution by half within five years …We will restore natural habitats and shelter our coasts more effectively from the impact of climate change. Our goal is to bring 20% of Europe’s marine ecosystems back to life by 2030.
Prominent environmental NGOs responded to the announcement, expressing that the non-binding framework “falls short of delivering enough binding action urgently needed to protect our ocean.” The NGOs welcomed the European Ocean Act and called for “immediate implementation of existing obligations” and “legally binding targets.”
