The European General Court has ruled in favour of the NGO Bloom by annulling the European Commission’s decision to reject its application concerning drifting fish aggregating devices (FADs), the French NGO said on Monday 28 July (see EUROPE 13686/23). These devices are wreaking environmental havoc in the Indian Ocean, according to the NGO.
Bloom had protested against the European Commission’s objection to a resolution adopted in 2023 by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), which aimed to temporarily ban these devices. This resolution was rejected by the European Union and other countries supportive of the industry. The General Court acknowledged that the Commission had been wrong to declare Bloom’s application inadmissible, without examining its merits.
“The ruling represents a major legal advance: it establishes that the EU’s diplomatic acts can be challenged if they contravene its environmental commitments”, said the NGO. Thanks to this decision, the 2023 resolution could become active again, if the objections are withdrawn.
Bloom is therefore calling on Emmanuel Macron, the French President, and the European Commission to “finally take a courageous decision to protect the oceans”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)