EU Vows to Protect Oceans and Promote Sustainability with €3.5 Billion Initiatives

At the “Our Ocean” conference in Athens, the European Union (EU) announced initiatives to protect the world’s oceans and promote sustainability. EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevicius, emphasized the importance of the ocean and stressed that it is part of who we are and our responsibility.

The EU has pledged €3.5 billion for initiatives this year to support sustainable fisheries and fight marine pollution. The initiatives include supporting 14 investments and one reform in sustainable fisheries in Cyprus, Greece, Poland, and Portugal, totaling about €1.9 billion. An additional €980 million from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility will be used in Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Italy, and Spain to support four investments and two reforms to combat marine pollution.

The aim of the conference is to promote the “blue economy,” which is defined as the sustainable use of ocean resources to benefit economies, livelihoods, and ocean ecosystem health. Greece strongly supports the idea of the blue economy due to its geographical location and extensive coastline. With thousands of islands and the longest Mediterranean coastline, Greece plans to present its national strategy on marine biodiversity protection at the conference.

Research shows that overfishing is a major threat to marine ecosystems worldwide. The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that ocean temperatures hit a record high in February 2020, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts. The service also warned that plastic pollution is another significant problem affecting our oceans with research indicating that plastics entering the oceans could triple by 2040 without further action if not addressed urgently.

The initiatives announced by the EU aim at addressing these challenges by promoting sustainable fishing practices while combating marine pollution through various measures such as reducing emissions from shipping traffic.

In conclusion, protecting our oceans should be a top priority as they provide vital resources for us all while supporting biodiversity on earth’s largest habitat. By implementing these initiatives announced by EU leaders at “Our Ocean” conference we can work towards a more sustainable future where our planet’s waters can continue to thrive for generations to come.