The European Commission adopted last Thursday the “European Pact of Oceans”an initiative to protect and restore coastal and marine habitats and at the same time boost the maritime industry, which provides specific measures to help ultraperiferic regions to develop “all their potential.”
The pact recognizes the specific challenges facing the island communities, in particular the ultraperiferic regions, for their remote location, its Climate change vulnerability and its limited economic diversification, mainly around fishing. And underlines the “enormous potential” they have for the growth of the blue economy, since they can combine sustainable traditional activities with innovative maritime industries.
According to the EU, the pact will gather all Sea related policies and coastal areas in a single frame of reference. But environmental organizations and defenders of nature are not completely agreed with what is consigned and believe that a greater commitment is possible and necessary.
A pact for the EU oceans that do not convince
BirdLife Europe, CustomerArth, Oceana, Seas At Risk, Surfridrider Foundation Europe and the WWF European Policy Office warn that the Ocean pact of the European Commission lacks a binding actionnecessary and urgent to protect the ocean.
The six environmental organizations They celebrate the announcement of a European Ocean Law, which seeks to contribute coherence to marine policies. However, they warn that, for the law to succeed, it must include legally binding objectives and thresholds that facilitate the path for conservation and restoration that allows a healthy ocean and solid coastal communities to achieve.
The six NGOs stress that, although the Pact recognizes the importance of ocean protection, lacks concrete measures to address the most harmful activities in European watersincluding overfishing, pollution and destructive activities in protected areas. Although the pact recognizes that the application and compliance with existing legislation will be worked on, it does not present a specific plan to address it.
Main failures of the European Ocean Pact
Of face the next United Nations Conference on Oceans (UNOC3) In Nice, NGOs highlight that the pact fails especially at the following points:
- Concrete steps for Gradually eliminate destructive fishing practicessuch as background drag, in protected marine areas.
- A clear road map to guarantee the implementation of objectives and obligations existing, including those established by common fishing policy, accompanied by adequate financing for compliance.
- Clear Public Financial Commitments For marine conservation and for low impact fishermen, which allow a fair transition.
- Zero pollution. The ocean pact does not introduce significant measures to reduce pollution from its origin, including plastics, nutrients and chemical pollutants, which weakens its commitment to reaching zero pollution in marine ecosystems.
- A roadmap for a fair transition to a regenerative blue economy.
- The commission’s commitment to greater coherence and with expanding the effective implementation of nature directives and the law of restoration of nature.
- Commission’s commitment to a CAUTION APPROACH REGARDING MINING IN PROFIT WATER AND MARINE GEOINGENIERYtwo destructive activities.
- The announcement of International Agreement that establishes additional rules to regulate subsidies that foster overweight.
When the Pact between implementation phase, the NGOs urge EU institutions and member states to strengthen it through concrete monitoring measures and ensure that ocean protection becomes a central axis of European laws related to oceans.
The representatives of the NGOs think
Cyrielle Goldberg, head of Política Marina in Birdlife Europe
“He Ocean pact is a positive sign that shows that ocean protection is a priority and requires greater coherence. But coherence means more than aligning strategies: it means using public money to finance what really benefits people, and ensure that laws are fulfilled.
No dedicated public financing and a clear commitment to eliminate harmful subsidiesthis initiative runs the risk of becoming another well -intentioned promise, lost in the sea.
And The EU is taken seriously the restoration of marine ecosystemssupport for sustainable fishing and the protection of coastal communities, must accompany their words with funds. ”
Juliet Stote, Legal and Political Advisor in Marine Ecosystems in Customer
“Although in The Ocean Pact The Commission promises. Currently, EU laws are systematically breached: destructive activities such as background drag fish continue to occur in protected marine areas, and overfishing continues in European waters.
This must stop. With UNOC just around the corner, the commission must take its role as guardian of the treaties seriously and respect the international objectives that force you to guarantee a healthy ocean for all. “
Vera Coelho, Deputy Deputy Deputy Oceana en Europe
“The Publication of the European Ocean Pact represents a lost opportunity so that the EU shows leadership in the UNOC. It proposes to continue with the same failed approach to the case by case, which has allowed destructive practices such as drag fishing within the alleged ‘protected’ areas of the EU for decades.
Open the door to review key laws such as common fishing policyinstead of proposing an implementation and compliance strategy that addresses the true root of the multiple ocean crises: the lack of political will of the Member States to meet the agreed objectives and apply EU legislation. By postponing real action, this mediocre pact puts the future of European seas and people who depend on them at risk. ”
Monica Verbeek, Executive Director of Seas at Risk
“The ocean pact announced today is a mixture of positive and negative aspects. On the one hand, the commission opposes mining in deep water and marine geo -ngery; On the other, it allows destructive fishing in protected marine areas to continue without control.
And healthy ocean is not something to congratulate the commission For ‘aspiration’ to achieve: it is a necessity, and a responsibility that Commissioner Kadis must fully assume.
The promised law of the ocean must cut confusion and contradiction of the pact presented today to guarantee true protection of the ocean and a firm commitment of the EU with a regenerative blue economy. ”
Gaëlle Haut, European Affairs Coordinator in Europe
“We welcomed with feelings found the announcement of the Ocean Pact. Although we recognize positive steps such as the planned law of the ocean, the inclusion of NGOs in the evaluation of EU objectives, the Action against convenience flags, support for the dissemination of knowledge about the sea and a resilience strategyserious concerns persist.
He Covenant promotes blue carbon business models without safeguardssupport the expansion of desalination without considering its environmental impacts and, most worrying, does not propose concrete or serious measures to achieve zero pollution. ”
Jacob Armstrong, head of Oceanic Policy at the WWF European Policy Office
“He Commission commitment to an ocean law is a powerful signal: If it includes binding objectives, you could finally provide true marine protection. But, although the address is correct, the law must clarify key aspects, including how public financing will be guaranteed to realize the protection of the ocean. ”