A recent spill of plastic pellets on the Spanish coast has highlighted the need for regulation at EU level, with environmental groups pushing for a zero tolerance approach to plastic pollution.
Britain has announced its backing for a moratorium on commercial deep-sea mining, after criticism from scientists, MPs and environmentalists of its previous stance in support of the emerging industry. Euractiv's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
A cross-party group of lawmakers in the European Parliament have issued a joint call for the establishment of an ambitious "European Blue Deal" to protect water resources from climate stress and promote ocean energies.
Nearly 70 countries at the United Nations on Wednesday (20 September) signed a first-ever treaty on protecting the international high seas, raising hopes that it will come into force soon and protect threatened ecosystems vital to the planet.
Nations opposed to deep sea mineral mining and those in favor of exploiting the oceans' depths butted heads in Jamaica on Wednesday (26 July), with both sides arguing their position would help protect the planet.
The European Commission on Sunday (5 March) hailed a first international treaty to protect the high seas agreed by UN member states as a "historic moment".
A global conference to save the world's oceans kicked off Thursday (2 March) in Panama with urgent calls to adopt an international protection treaty, along with billions of dollars in US and EU pledges for research, monitoring and conservation.
UN member states on Monday (20 February) open two weeks of negotiations aimed at finally reaching a treaty meant to protect and preserve vast areas of the world's oceans.
EU countries will be required to reduce the harmful impacts of fishing on sensitive species and their habitats, under a draft EU biodiversity plan seen by EURACTIV.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his opposition to deep-sea mining permits but confirmed his support for exploration at the recent COP27 summit in Egypt, settling the matter of France's stance once and for all.
The UK’s increased dumping of raw sewage in the Channel could be a breach of its post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, the European Commission told MEPs on Thursday (1 September).
A campaign to examine the abundance and distribution of cetaceans in European Atlantic waters has been underway since 27 June and is scheduled to run until the end of August, with results potentially influencing European decision-making.
Environmental groups on Friday (1 July) urged world leaders to keep promises they made at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon this week, to do everything in their power to save the world's seas.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday (30 June) a legal framework was needed to stop deep-sea mining from going ahead and urged countries to put their money on science to better understand and protect the world's oceans.
When COVID-19 lockdowns shut down much of the world, images of animals roaming city streets and dipping air pollution levels led some to believe the pandemic might mark a turning point for global action on climate change.
While in Portugal for a youth conference, UN Secretary-General António Guterres apologised on Sunday for the lack of attention older generations and policy-makers give to the oceans, stressing that it is still a slow process to reverse the problem.
A total of €4 billion will be allocated to combat plastic pollution, according to the so-called "Brest Commitments" adopted at the end of the One Ocean Summit Friday (11 February), where they also agreed to create a global coalition to preserve high seas biodiversity. EURACTIV France reports.
International cooperation to tackle global challenges facing marine resources is strongly needed as problems such as ocean warming cannot be solved by a bunch of countries only, Portugal's minister of the Sea Ricardo Serrão Santos said in an exclusive interview.
The transition to a greener, more sustainable economy will be impossible without the support of industries based around the ocean and coasts – known as the blue economy – according to the European Commission.
The European Commission’s offshore energy strategy, presented in November, set the bar high for tidal and wave power, aiming for a total installed capacity of 1 GW by 2030 and 40 GW by 2050. The industry is now rolling up its sleeves to try and deliver on that promise.
Though the French institute for sea exploitation known as Ifremer appeared optimistic when presenting its 2020 report on the state of fish populations caught in France, they, however, called for continued efforts, particularly in the Mediterranean where the situation is more worrying. EURACTIV France reports.
Efforts to protect the European Union seas are failing to slow biodiversity loss or prevent overfishing, with the Mediterranean under particular threat, a report by auditors said on Thursday (26 November).
While focusing chiefly on wind power, the European Commission’s upcoming offshore energy strategy also seeks to boost other ocean energy sources like wave and tidal, according to a draft policy document seen by EURACTIV.
Offshore wind capacity in the EU "should be multiplied by 25 times by 2050" as the European Commission looks for all possible ways of boosting the share of renewables in energy consumption, according to a draft policy document seen by EURACTIV.
