Finland Joins EU, Baltic Partners to Strengthen Subsea Monitoring
Finland’s Border Guard is setting up a maritime surveillance centre together with other Baltic Sea states and the European Commission for the protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the Gulf of Finland, it said on Monday."Competent authorities must have the capability and the authority to intervene in situations occurring in the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone," it said in a statement.The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and NATO has increased its
EU Seeks Feedback on Ocean Observation Initiative
The European Commission has launched a call for evidence to shape the European Ocean Observation Initiative, one of the cornerstones of the European Ocean Pact.The initiative will improve access to actionable marine knowledge for everyone who relies on the ocean and aims to make Europe a global leader in ocean observation and the development of related technologies. The call for evidence will be open until February 27, 2026, with the Commission seeking a wide range of contributions from stakeholders, experts and citizens. The feedback collected will feed into the development of the Ocean
Norway Halts Deep Sea Mining Plans
responsible nor legally defensible to move forward with exploration or extraction.To date, 40 countries have taken a clear stance against the industry, and the European Parliament has called for a moratorium. The European Investment Bank has excluded seabed minerals from all financing, while the European Commission is calling for a ban until it can be proven that mining will not harm the marine environment. They are joined by more than 60 major companies, including Google, BMW and Storebrand, and nearly 1,000 marine scientists from 70 countries who also warn against opening the deep sea to mining
Fugro Joins European Seas UXO Cleaning Squad
engineering, the findings will help shape a business case framework for future EU Parliament-supported programs.“CAMMera is designed to develop environmentally friendly, comprehensive, and efficient technologies for the removal, disposal, and neutralisation of underwater munitions. The European Commission is hopeful that the project will pilot UXO cleanup solutions at an industrial scale,” said Christos Economou, Deputy Director for Maritime Policy and Blue Economy at the European Commission's DG MARE. “This initiative is not only about removing hazardous materials but
Subsea Cable Industry Warns of Repair Gaps in Europe’s Digital and Energy Networks
(ESCA) and the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) have warned that regulatory barriers, a shortage of skilled offshore workers and the lack of readily available solutions are compromising the continent’s ability to repair damaged cables.The statement comes in response to the European Commission’s Cable Security Action Plan, which calls for improvements in prevention, detection, response, and deterrence to address threats to submarine cables. Industry leaders welcome the plan but caution that without direct collaboration between public bodies and the submarine cable industry
Europe Moves On as US Lets Science Slide
seven countries - Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden - described joint efforts now in the early stages to safeguard key health and climate data and research programs.LEANING ON THE U.S.As a priority, the EU is expanding its access to ocean observation data, a senior European Commission official told Reuters. Those data sets are seen as critical to the shipping and energy industries as well as early storm warning systems.Over the next two years, the senior official said, the EU plans to expand its own European Marine Observation and Data Network which collects and hosts data
EU Presents European Ocean Pact
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has presented the European Ocean Pact at the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice.The initiative is aimed at safeguarding the long-term health of the world’s ocean. It serves as both a commitment and a call to action, fostering stronger transnational cooperation and innovative ocean governance to ensure the long-term health of ocean.EU actions include:The EU, joined by several Member States, has formally ratified the landmark Treaty of the High Seas to protect the ocean (BBNJ Agreement) on 28 May in New York.The EU is also revitalizing the High-Ambit
Citizens Urge EU to Better Manage Marine Protected Areas
This week representatives of small-scale fishers, scientists, citizens and civil society organisations handed in a petition to the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, signed by over 250,000 European citizens, calling to end bottom trawling in marine protected areas (MPAs).In doing so, they urge Commissioner Costas Kadis to fully implement the existing Habitats Directive, uphold the ambition of the 2023 EU Marine Action Plan and ensure the upcoming Ocean Pact addresses the continuous issue of bottom trawling in EU MPAs.The hand-in by Patagonia, WeMove Europe, ClientEarth and organisations
The Biggest Conservation Commitment in the World
100 countries have signed the High Seas Biodiversity Treaty but so far only 21 have ratified it. At least 60 ratifications are required before it will enter into effect.More ratifications are expected ahead of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference being held in France in June.This week, the European Commission committed €40 million ($45 million) to support partner countries in their efforts to preserve and sustainably manage marine biodiversity areas and swiftly ratify the High Seas Biodiversity Treaty.Also this week, researchers from GEOMAR called for areas with fine-grained sediments, which
February 2026
