On Wednesday 24 April, the European Parliament decided to give its consent to concluding the ‘Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction’.
The report by Silvia Modig (The Left, Finnish) on this ‘high seas treaty’ was adopted with 556 votes in favour, 36 against and 38 abstentions.
The agreement covers four areas: marine genetic resources, including fair and equitable sharing of benefits; measures such as area-based management tools, including marine protected areas; environmental impact assessments; and capacity building and transfer of marine technology.
The EU Council has yet to adopt the decision approving the conclusion of this agreement on behalf of the EU (see EUROPE 13367/18). Ratification of the treaty will begin once national parliaments have given the go-ahead for countries to transpose the treaty’s obligations at national level. The treaty will enter into force once it has been ratified by 60 States. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)