Commission adopts European Ocean Pact for a healthy ocean, a competitive blue economy and thriving coastal communities

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Today, the European Commission adopted a European Ocean Pact, a comprehensive strategy to better protect the ocean, promote a thriving blue economy and support the well-being of people living in coastal areas. The Pact brings together EU ocean policies under one single reference framework, addressing the significant threats facing our ocean, our coastal communities, islands and outermost regions.

One ocean, one strategy

The European Ocean Pact focuses on six priorities: 

• Protecting and restoring ocean health

The Commission will support Member States restoring degraded coastal and marine habitats. Key actions include encouraging Member States to establish and manage marine protected areas and revise the Maritime Strategy Framework Directive and the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive.

• Boosting the competitiveness of the EU sustainable blue economy

The ocean is crucial for sectors such as fisheries, aquaculture, shipping, tourism and energy. The Commission plans to boost the EU’s maritime industry with a new Industrial Maritime Strategy and an EU Ports Strategy. It will also evaluate and possibly revise the Common Fisheries Policy. To ensure thriving EU fisheries and aquaculture, the Commission will present a long-term vision for these sectors in 2026. The Commission will also foster access to young professionals in marine research, ocean tech, and sustainable fisheries by introducing a Blue Generational Renewal Strategy.

• Supporting coastal, island communities and outermost regions

Coastal communities are the driving force behind a sustainable and competitive blue economy. They provide Europeans with healthy and sustainable food, and with clean and affordable marine renewable energy. Ensuring the future of these communities is therefore crucial. The Commission will present a dedicated strategy for the development and resilience of EU coastal communities and consult stakeholders on a new strategy for islands as well as an updated outermost regions strategy. In addition, the Commission will make a proposal on the creation of European blue carbon reserves.

• Advancing ocean research, knowledge, skills and innovation

The Ocean Pact proposes an ambitious EU Ocean Observation Initiative to improve our knowledge of the ocean. It will be underpinned by an Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy and feed the European Digital Twin of the Ocean. It will maintain the EU as a global ocean leader in ocean science, technology and data. To raise awareness on the importance of the ocean, the Commission will establish an EU Ocean Youth Ambassador Network to engage young advocates in ocean sustainability across the EU and globally.

• Enhancing maritime security and defence

The Commission will strengthen EU coast guard and naval cooperation and maritime border security. There will be a coordinated strategy to remove unexploded ordnance from European waters, starting in the Baltic and North Seas. Investment will be made in a pioneering European drone fleet, leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced sensors for real-time monitoring of maritime activities, strengthening the EU’s maritime surveillance capabilities.

• Strengthening EU Ocean diplomacy and international ocean governance

The Commission will step up its fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing through the mandatory implementation of IT CATCH, the digitalisation of the IUU catch certification scheme, as of January 2026. The Commission will also strengthen European ocean diplomacy to promote the EU’s ocean goals and interests on the international stage. The Commission will focus on priorities such as the swift worldwide ratification and implementation of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, an ambitious Plastics Treaty and the designation of three vast marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean.

Implementation and monitoring

To achieve the Ocean Pact’s targets, the Commission will present an Ocean Act by 2027. This Pact will establish a single framework to facilitate the implementation of the Pact’s key objectives, while cutting red tape.   

It will be based on a revised Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, which will enhance cross-sectoral coordination and sea basin management.

The Commission will also set up a high-level Ocean Board, bringing together representatives from various ocean-related sectors, to guide the Ocean Pact’s implementation, and launch an EU Ocean Pact dashboard, providing a public, transparent and centralised platform to track progress towards its objectives.

Next steps

The European Ocean Pact will be presented at the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference on 9 June, by President von der Leyen. 

Background

The European Ocean Pact was introduced in the political guidelines of the von der Leyen II Commission and called for in the Conclusions of the European Council of 20 March 2025.