The European Commission has introduced a comprehensive strategy known as the European Ocean Pact. This initiative aims to enhance ocean protection, foster a competitive blue economy, and improve the welfare of coastal communities. The Pact consolidates EU ocean policies into a unified framework, addressing significant threats to oceans, coastal communities, islands, and outermost regions.
The European Ocean Pact outlines six key priorities:
1. **Protecting and restoring ocean health**: The Commission will aid Member States in restoring degraded habitats and managing marine protected areas while revising relevant maritime directives.
2. **Boosting the competitiveness of the sustainable blue economy**: With plans for an Industrial Maritime Strategy and an EU Ports Strategy, the Commission seeks to strengthen maritime industries like fisheries, aquaculture, shipping, tourism, and energy.
3. **Supporting coastal and island communities**: Strategies will be developed for community resilience, including proposals for European blue carbon reserves.
4. **Advancing research and innovation**: An ambitious EU Ocean Observation Initiative is proposed to enhance knowledge through technology and data integration.
5. **Enhancing maritime security**: Efforts include strengthening coast guard cooperation and investing in advanced surveillance technologies.
6. **Strengthening international governance**: The Commission aims to combat illegal fishing through digital measures starting in 2026 while promoting global treaties on biodiversity and plastics.
To ensure successful implementation by 2027, an Ocean Act will establish a framework cutting bureaucratic hurdles. A high-level Ocean Board will guide progress alongside a public dashboard tracking objectives.
The European Ocean Pact will be presented at the United Nations Ocean Conference on June 9 by President von der Leyen. This initiative was previously outlined in political guidelines from the von der Leyen II Commission.
