At its meeting in Luxembourg on Monday 3 April, the Council of Ministers of the EU will adopt conclusions on strengthening international ocean governance.
The Council welcomes the recent communication on international ocean governance (see EUROPE 11665). The Commission is asked to propose initiatives to the Council, on a case-by-case basis, aimed at developing ocean partnerships with key international partners, as a means to achieving better global governance and greater policy coherence vis-à-vis the oceans, “in accordance with the relevant procedures of the Treaties”.
The social dimension is not forgotten, with emphasis being placed on the importance of supporting jobs in maritime transport, tourism, fishing and other industries and the need to promote a level playing field in the labour market (complying with international conventions).
Legal framework. The Council reaffirms that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out.
Climate. The conclusions call on the member states, together with the Commission, to work towards the adoption in 2018 of an ambitious initial IMO (International Maritime Organisation) strategy on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships, “thereby taking into account the ‘well below 2°C’ objective of the Paris Agreement”.
Environment. Progress in the fight against illegal fishing is highlighted. The Council restates the need for further measures to prevent marine litter (plastics and micro-plastics) from ending up in the marine environment, “in order to achieve a significant reduction by 2020”. The Commission is called upon to propose measures to reduce the discharge of macro- and micro-sized plastic debris in the marine environment. The Council says the Commission should present: - a proposal for a ban on micro-plastic particles in products which could include personal care products and detergents; - proposals to address other products generating marine litter.
Biodiversity. The Council acknowledges that significant progress is needed to achieve the global target of conserving 10 % of coastal and marine areas by means of protected sites. It welcomes the Commission’s intention to propose measures to extend marine protected areas (MPAs) worldwide. The aim is that “the impacts of fisheries on stocks, species and ecosystems are within safe ecological limits”, the conclusions state.
Maritime security. The Council calls for cooperation between national authorities and the three Agencies (Frontex, EMSA and EFCA) to be put in place without delay to bring into operation the joint maritime surveillance capability based on state-of-the-art technology. This will contribute to better surveillance in areas such as the Central and Eastern Mediterranean area.
The United Nations conference on the oceans will take place in New York on 5-9 June 2017. Then the EU will host the fourth edition of the “Our Ocean” Conference in Malta on 5-6 October. The Council hopes that voluntary commitments for safe, secure, clean and sustainably managed oceans will be made. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)