The European Parliament and Commission will host a conference covering global ocean governance, a sustainable blue economy, and healthy, clean seas and oceans on Tuesday 19 March.
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European Parliament to host high-level oceans conference
The President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, and the Commissioner for Environment and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, will open the High-level conference in Brussels.
The conference programme is available online here, and it will be streamed live here.
Tajani said: “The European Parliament wants to respond immediately to the millions of young people who have taken to the streets to attract attention to protecting the environment. We are with you. The European Parliament is at the forefront of the fight for our planet. We face a crisis with historic social, economic, political and environmental consequences…
“By 2050, plastic waste could outweigh the fish in our oceans. A zero-tolerance policy against marine plastic pollution is essential and it is why the European Parliament voted to ban single-use plastics. Using non-plastic substitutes means cleaner oceans and billions of euros in savings.”
Vella added: “The state of our ocean calls for determined action, at local, regional and global level. Over the last years, the European Union has developed ambitious policies, from banning single use plastics to fighting illegal fisheries. We have agreed on 50 actions to create ocean governance that are already well on track. These actions will help us to reduce environmental pressures, but also to foster the blue economy and create sustainable growth. There is still a great deal to do, and the EU will continue to demonstrate leadership in ocean policy.”
The EU’s policy to restrict certain single-use plastic products and thereby reduce plastic pollution will also cover the issue of lost fishing equipment, which accounts for 20% of marine litter in Europe.
More than 10% of Europe’s marine and coastal areas are now designated as Marine Protected Areas, two years ahead of the EU’s international obligations.