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ClientEarth asserts that the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is a sound framework but suffers from systemic failures in implementation and enforcement. The organization argues that the EU has missed the 2020 deadline to end overfishing in all European sea basins and calls for the strict application of maximum sustainable yield (MSY), the landing obligation, and the integration of environmental legislation. Key recommendations include the deployment of remote electronic monitoring (REM) to combat illegal discards, the use of transparent social and environmental criteria for quota allocation, and the redirection of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) away from harmful subsidies toward small-scale, low-impact fisheries.

From June 11-13, 2024, over 290 million people in Northern Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East are forecast to experience extreme heat made at least five times more likely due to human-caused climate change. Maximum temperatures of 40°C or higher are expected in several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. The document highlights risks including wildfires in Greece, damage to Bulgaria's rose oil production, and increased vulnerability for refugees in Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria.

The document highlights the critical need for effective water governance in the Mediterranean to ensure water security and avoid conflict. It notes that current efforts to create a regional framework are hindered by a proliferation of independent initiatives and advocates for context-specific policies based on multi-level governance perspectives.

The document examines the critical water scarcity and management challenges facing the Eastern Mediterranean, highlighting the stark disparity in water distribution between the northern and southern/eastern regions. It analyzes the compounding effects of climate change, population growth, and political tensions on water security. The author argues for a shift from supply-based infrastructure to integrated water resource management and hydrodiplomacy to mitigate conflicts and foster regional stability.

The document argues that the EU failed its 2020 legal deadline to end overfishing and continues to set Total Allowable Catches (TACs) above scientific advice. The NGOs recommend setting 2024 TACs well below the maximum catch levels advised by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) to build ecosystem resilience against climate change. Key proposals include the mandatory roll-out of remote electronic monitoring (REM), the application of an ecosystem-based approach for forage fish, and the reinstatement of TACs for stocks where limits were previously removed. The report also emphasizes the need for stricter management of deep-sea stocks and the recovery of critically endangered species like the European eel.

A joint response from eleven NGOs arguing that the EU has failed to meet binding obligations to end overfishing and wasteful discarding. The document calls for Total Allowable Catches (TACs) to be set at or below scientific advice, the implementation of Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) to enforce the landing obligation, and the integration of climate adaptation and ecosystem-based approaches into fisheries management.

The document argues that the EU fisheries sector must shift away from carbon-intensive, high-impact fishing to meet the goals of the European Green Deal and the European Climate Law. It recommends a comprehensive approach including the creation of national emission-reduction roadmaps, the transition from active mobile bottom-contacting gears to passive techniques, and the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies. The brief emphasizes the need to quantify all greenhouse gas emissions, including those from seabed disturbance and the removal of fish biomass, and suggests integrating fisheries into the EU Emission Trading System (ETS). It also advocates for fairer funding access for small-scale coastal fisheries and the use of ecosystem-based fisheries management to protect 'blue carbon' habitats.

The report asserts that access to healthy and sustainable food is a fundamental human right embedded within the right to a healthy environment. It highlights that while food availability in the EU is currently stable, intensive agri-food models, biodiversity loss, and climate change threaten future food security. The authors argue that the EU has a legal responsibility to protect this right through its legislative frameworks, specifically recommending that the proposed Legislative Framework for Sustainable Food Systems (FSFS) adopt a rights-based approach, phase out harmful subsidies, and ensure public procurement of sustainable food.

The briefing reveals that small-scale coastal fishing (SSCF), despite representing 75% of the EU fleet, received only 20% of European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) spending between 2014 and 2021. It highlights a lack of transparent reporting by Member States on SSCF action plans and notes that higher public aid intensity has not sufficiently increased investments in small-scale projects. The document argues that funding disproportionately favors larger vessels, particularly in the Mediterranean, and recommends that the European Commission mandate more granular data collection and that Member States provide local administrative support to help small-scale fishers access funds.

The author introduces the 'double duality' framework, arguing that smugglers are simultaneously perceived as problems and solutions by both migrants and states. For migrants, smugglers provide essential mobility but pose risks of exploitation; for states, smugglers undermine border control but provide 'moral capital' that justifies restrictive policies. The paper analyzes how destination states use a 'protection narrative'—casting smugglers as villains and migrants as victims—to maintain political authority while limiting asylum access. It further distinguishes between 'facilitation' and 'exploitation' to show that not all dangers faced by migrants originate from smugglers, and that counter-smuggling measures often shift risks onto the migrants themselves.

The document explains attribution studies—which use climate models to determine if and how much human-induced climate change affected a specific event—and provides guidance on reporting various extreme phenomena. It details how global warming increases the probability and intensity of heatwaves and heavy precipitation globally, while the effects on droughts, wildfires, and tropical cyclones vary by region or specific metric. It emphasizes that while climate change influences the risk and intensity of these events, human factors like land use and water management also contribute to whether an event becomes a disaster.

The document is a letter from a group of NGOs to the Czech Minister for Agriculture, arguing that the EU has failed its legal obligation to end overfishing by 2020. The authors call for the 2023 fishing limits to be based on the best available scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the application of an ecosystem-based approach. Specific concerns are raised regarding the Baltic Sea cod crisis and the fact that 28% of assessed stocks in Northeast Atlantic waters remain subject to overfishing. The NGOs advocate for 'climate buffers' to protect species vulnerable to climate change and the implementation of remote electronic monitoring (REM) to ensure compliance with landing obligations.

The document argues that the EU failed its 2020 legal deadline to end overfishing and continues to set Total Allowable Catches (TACs) above scientific advice. It calls for the strict application of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the precautionary approach, and ecosystem-based management, particularly for depleted, deep-sea, and shared stocks. Key recommendations include setting TACs below maximum catch advice to create 'climate buffers', implementing remote electronic monitoring to enforce the Landing Obligation, and prioritizing the recovery of critically endangered species like the European eel.

A coalition of NGOs urges the European Commission to end overfishing by setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) strictly within scientific limits and transitioning to low-impact, climate-friendly fisheries. The group highlights significant implementation gaps in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), particularly regarding the landing obligation and the failure to meet the 2020 goal of sustainable harvesting for all stocks. They advocate for an ecosystem-based approach that accounts for climate-driven species shifts and the use of remote electronic monitoring to combat illegal discarding.

Russia is employing a strategy of 'hedging its bets' in Libya, maintaining relations with the UN-recognised Government of National Unity while simultaneously supporting Khalifa Haftar via private military contractors and backing Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. By supporting the postponement of elections and denying links to the Wagner Group, Moscow aims to erode Western influence, maintain a Mediterranean naval presence, and ensure a permanent military foothold regardless of the political outcome.

A collective of South African organisations expresses grave concern over the targeting of migrants in homes and workplaces, warning that political calls for forced removals could trigger widespread xenophobic violence similar to the 2008 events. The statement argues that migrants are used as scapegoats for systemic issues like corruption, state failure, and pandemic-exacerbated unemployment. It calls for the South African Police Services to act against vigilantism, the government to initiate a national dialogue, and the implementation of the National Action Plan to Combat Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. The authors note that anti-migrant sentiment is a global phenomenon and highlight that climate change and political instability will necessitate a human-rights-based approach to migration.

The report argues that whales are sentinel species for ocean health and critical for climate regulation, but face imminent extinction risks from cumulative threats. It advocates for 'connectivity conservation' through the establishment of blue corridors and networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to safeguard migratory routes across national and international waters.

The document reviews the history of ocean dumping regulations, focusing on the London Convention and Protocol, and examines the challenges of enforcing these rules against radioactive waste and emerging climate mitigation technologies.

The document traces the path from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the 2017 entry into force of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. It highlights the role of activism and scientific evidence in driving global action and details the treaty's mechanisms for phasing out mercury-added products and regulating artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). The brief also explains that the discrete nature of mercury's industrial sources and a stronger scientific consensus on its global threat allowed it to move toward a binding treaty, whereas lead and cadmium remain managed through voluntary partnerships and regional agreements.

ClientEarth critiques the current EU agricultural and fisheries policies for failing to meet sustainability targets and urges the European Commission to adopt a new, comprehensive legislative framework. The organization argues that existing tools like the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) are insufficient or poorly implemented. It advocates for an 'umbrella law' that covers the entire food value chain, integrates fundamental rights and access to justice, and utilizes public procurement to drive systemic change toward environmentally positive and healthy food systems.