On Wednesday 26 March, the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, organised an informal ministerial exchange with the countries of the European Union to discuss the EU’s leadership in global efforts to conserve the oceans, ahead of the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in June and the presentation of the ‘European Oceans Pact’.
The aim of this meeting is to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to preserving and sustainably exploiting the oceans, seas and marine resources, to identify priorities and to implement the conclusions of the European Council of 20 March, which also addressed the subject of the oceans (see EUROPE 13604/6).
Discussions focused on the promotion of a competitive and sustainable blue economy, multilateralism and the implementation of key agreements, such as the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement), with a view to achieving concrete results at UNOC3, to be held from 9 to 13 June in Nice (see EUROPE 13433/8). France wants this treaty to come into force in 2025, so that it can have legal effect at a global level. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)