Today, the European Commission presented the long-awaited European Ocean Pact ahead of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) taking place June 9th to 13th, in Nice, and co-hosted by France and Costa Rica.
The PES welcomes the Ocean Pact as a much-needed response to the rapid decline in the health of our oceans and marine biodiversity. We support the European Commission’s plans to advance ocean knowledge, to strengthen EU ocean diplomacy, to develop the blue economy and resilience of island and coastal communities, and the promise to deliver an Ocean Act by 2027. We also recognise the importance of decarbonising and modernising fisheries fleet and maritime transport and promoting offshore wind and ocean energy technologies to achieve our climate goals.
However, to ensure a healthy, competitive, and resilient ocean, we need concrete commitments and sufficient funding. The Pact must deliver results, not empty promises.
PES Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck said:
“The ocean absorbs 30% of all CO2 emissions and captures 90% of excess heat generated by these emissions, making it an invaluable ally against climate change. However, pollution, unsustainable fishing practices, rising water temperatures, and acidification threaten the health of the ocean.
We welcome the European Ocean Pact and the spotlight on restoring marine biodiversity and building a sustainable, blue economy. However, if we want real results, we need stronger, binding commitments. We look forward to the proposal of the Ocean Act by 2027 to have legislative framework to protect the ocean.”
As the PES, we have a zero-pollution vision and want to reduce plastic litter at sea and microplastics. The proposal in the Ocean Pact to work on an UN-led Global Plastic Treaty is welcomed, but we need to ensure that polluters will be held accountable and that 30% of the EU’s sea is protected by 2030, with 10% under strict protection.
We must end harmful practices, including overfishing, deep-sea mining, and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU). 1 in every 5 fish consumed in the EU could originate from IUU fishing, which has harmful effects on the depletion of fish stocks and causes unfair competition between illegally caught products and law-abiding fishers. Marine biodiversity hotspots, marine protected areas, and seabeds must also be conserved to protect wildlife and habitats.
The EU must now show leadership and tackle harmful fishing practices and unsustainable activities that cause the decline of ocean health. The European Ocean Pact is a positive step, but stronger commitments are needed to reach our targets.
We thank the President of the European Council António Costa for calling for concrete action to save our ocean and for the swift ratification of the UN High Seas Treaty by EU Member States. We also welcome the work of French S&D MEP Christophe Clergeau, S&D co-vice-president for the European Green Deal, PES Presidency member, who has advocated for a European Ocean Pact for the planet and the people with bold action.
