Open Letter to the College of Commissioners: The EU Must Show Leadership at UNOC3 through an Ambitious European Ocean Pact

Signatories of the Blue Manifesto argue that the draft European Ocean Pact lacks the ambition and enforceability needed to address ocean degradation. They call for binding 2030 targets to protect 30% of EU seas, the phase-out of destructive fishing and offshore oil and gas drilling, the creation of a European Ocean Fund, and the inclusion of civil society in governance structures.

• The authors argue that the current draft of the European Ocean Pact is insufficient in ambition, clarity, and enforceability, suggesting it merely repackages existing initiatives rather than delivering transformative action.
• The letter demands that the Pact include binding 2030 targets to protect at least 30% of EU seas, with a minimum of 10% under strict protection, and the total phase-out of destructive activities within all Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
• To ensure a sustainable blue economy, the signatories call for the phase-out of offshore oil and gas drilling and destructive fishing practices, while supporting low-impact fisheries and low-trophic aquaculture.
• The signatories advocate for the establishment of a European Ocean Fund to finance marine conservation and a just transition, proposing that this be funded by eliminating environmentally harmful subsidies by 2030.
• The letter emphasizes the need for a 'zero-tolerance approach' to EU ocean law infringements and the inclusion of NGOs and civil society in the proposed Ocean Board and governance structures.

APA

ClientEarth (2025). Open Letter to the College of Commissioners: The EU Must Show Leadership at UNOC3 through an Ambitious European Ocean Pact. https://www.clientearth.org/media/5dehvn4p/open-letter-european-ocean-pact.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Open Letter to the College of Commissioners: The EU Must Show Leadership at UNOC3 through an Ambitious European Ocean Pact. 2025. https://www.clientearth.org/media/5dehvn4p/open-letter-european-ocean-pact.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=Open Letter to the College of Commissioners: The EU Must Show Leadership at UNOC3 through an Ambitious European Ocean Pact |date=22 May 2025 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/5dehvn4p/open-letter-european-ocean-pact.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2025open, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Open Letter to the College of Commissioners: The EU Must Show Leadership at UNOC3 through an Ambitious European Ocean Pact}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2025}, month = may, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/5dehvn4p/open-letter-european-ocean-pact.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }