European Commission chief von der Leyen unveils EU ocean pact at UN conference

Published connected 09/06/2025 - 14:51 GMT+2•Updated 14:58

The EU has struck a caller water pact meant to protect Europe's coasts and "life successful and astir nan sea", European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said connected Monday astatine nan United Nations Ocean Conference successful Nice.

The EU’s extremity is to bring 20% of Europe’s marine ecosystems backmost to life by 2030, she explained.

“We will strive to trim integrative and nutrient contamination by half wrong 5 years,” von der Leyen announced, adding: “We will reconstruct earthy habitats and shelter our coasts much efficaciously from nan effect of ambiance change.”

The European Commission adopted nan pact past Thursday. The strategy intends to heighten water protection and restoration by supporting personnel states and revising respective European laws related to maritime areas.

The EU’s executive besides wants to boost nan competitiveness of nan maritime manufacture pinch a caller strategy for nan assemblage and a strategy for EU ports.

“Our fishers activity tirelessly to provender us, time and night, successful each conditions. Yet utmost upwind and unfair title are pushing excessively galore of them retired of business,” nan Commission president said, announcing immoderate grants to support small-scale fisheries.

Von der Leyen besides promised that €1 cardinal would beryllium allocated for 50 projects astir nan world for scientists and conservationists, a 3rd of which is owed to finance investigation and technological projects.

The pact should lead to circumstantial authorities that will beryllium projected by 2027, nan Commission said.

France's High Seas Treaty connected nan table

Eight years aft nan inaugural version successful New York, France is hosting nan 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) successful Nice from Monday to Friday. Around 60 countries are coming together to support nan protection and restoration of water spaces damaged by quality activity.

Unlike nan United Nations' ambiance alteration conferences, aliases COPs, nary general statement tin beryllium negotiated during nan UNOC3.

However, France hopes to unafraid arsenic galore signatures arsenic imaginable for nan High Seas Treaty, which requires 60 countries to ratify it for it to participate into force. The pact intends to alteration nan creation of protected marine areas successful world waters.

“Today, we are inches distant from nan 60 signatures for ratification,” von der Leyen said, announcing €40 cardinal for nan Global Ocean programme designed to fortify protection of oceans successful slightest developed countries.

“Please velocity up ratification. Because our water needs america to play its part,” she added.