European Ocean Pact Marks a Year of Progress
The European Ocean Pact, the EU’s comprehensive strategy to protect marine ecosystems, was adopted on 5 June 2025, and after a year the EU highlights progress.
The EU and its Member States have led the political process and the negotiations of the High Seas Treaty, formally known as the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), which entered into force on 17 January 2026. This agreement to protect the high seas across the ocean was a major success of multilateralism and a historic achievement in international law and ocean governance, says the European Commission.
Essential components of the governance architecture of the Ocean Pact are also in place: a high-level, stakeholder-led Ocean Board has been established and the prototype of the Ocean Pact dashboard has been tested. It will be fully operational by the end of the year, providing transparent monitoring of the EU’s commitments across the Pact’s six strategic priorities.
President von der Leyen’s pledge of €1 billion for ocean conservation, science and sustainable fishing announced at the UN Ocean Summit is being translated into concrete programs.
On the diplomatic front, the EU has stepped up its fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in international waters, and has worked to strengthen ocean governance in multilateral forums.
On ocean observation, the recently adopted OceanEye initiative charts EU action in this strategic domain. The initiative sets ambitious goals: by 2035, make the EU the world’s leading provider of ocean intelligence, secure 35% of the market for ocean observation technologies, and provide 35% of the global ocean observing system.
The Pact's first year also brought tangible progress on boosting the sustainable blue economy. The publication of the evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Regulation provided a comprehensive analysis of the CFP's performance and a foundation for future policies.
At EU Ocean Days, the Commission also adopted the EU Ports Strategy and the Industrial Maritime Strategy, setting out a vision for competitive, sustainable, and resilient maritime industries across Europe.
On 10 June, the Commission will also adopt two dedicated strategies for the EU’s islands and coastal communities. These strategies will provide a coordinated European approach to help these areas thrive, unlocking their long-term potential and improving resilience, competitiveness, and quality of life.