European Oceans Pact Call for Evidence

ClientEarth urges the European Commission to use the European Oceans Pact to move beyond 'paper parks' and policy silos. The organization calls for a systemic approach to enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy and Habitats Directive, the creation of an EU Ocean Fund to replace the EMFAF, and the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies in the maritime sector. It advocates for legally binding targets to protect 30% of EU seas by 2030 and a ban on destructive activities like bottom trawling in all Marine Protected Areas.

• Full implementation of EU environmental laws could provide an economic benefit of approximately EUR 55 billion annually in health and direct environmental costs.
• The EU fishing fleet receives annual fuel tax breaks estimated between €759 million and €1.5 billion, which ClientEarth argues hinders the energy transition and disproportionately benefits large-scale industrial fleets.
• Current EMFAF funding is criticized for inefficiency, with 5% to 12% of funds going toward biodiversity-harming subsidies, which is more than double the amount spent on restoring biodiversity.
• There is a critical lack of transparency in the allocation of fishing quotas; 0% of Member States provide explanations on how social, economic, and environmental factors are weighted in these allocations.
• The European Oceans Pact should establish a legally binding target to protect 30% and strictly protect 10% of EU marine and coastal waters by 2030 to align with the Global Biodiversity Framework.
• ClientEarth proposes the creation of an EU Ocean Fund, requiring at least 1% of the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), to replace the sectorial EMFAF and support a just transition to a low-impact blue economy.
• The document argues for a ban on deep-sea mining in European seas and a ban on all new offshore oil and gas exploration and extraction.
• The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) is identified as the primary tool to achieve good environmental status, but Member States failed to meet the 2020 targets due to poor implementation.

APA

ClientEarth (2025). European Oceans Pact Call for Evidence. https://www.clientearth.org/media/np4pghd2/090166e518c52c57.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. European Oceans Pact Call for Evidence. 2025. https://www.clientearth.org/media/np4pghd2/090166e518c52c57.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=European Oceans Pact Call for Evidence |date=February 2025 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/np4pghd2/090166e518c52c57.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2025european, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{European Oceans Pact Call for Evidence}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/np4pghd2/090166e518c52c57.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }