Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in Nice, France
EU Unveils Ambitious 'European Ocean Pact' at UN Conference, Pledges €1 Billion for Global Marine Health
FRANCE
Wednesday, June 11, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)
Brussels outlines an ambitious strategy, backed by significant funding, to tackle ocean challenges and protect marine ecosystems worldwide.
NICE – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the European Ocean Pact at the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, a landmark initiative designed to safeguard the long-term health of the world's oceans. The pact is backed by a robust series of commitments totaling nearly €1 billion, signaling a significant push for international cooperation and sustainable marine governance.
The European Ocean Pact serves as both a pledge and a call to action, addressing critical challenges facing the ocean, including climate change, pollution, and the overexploitation of marine resources. It aims to foster stronger transnational cooperation and innovative ocean governance to ensure the long-term health of our seas.

Ratifying the High Seas Treaty and Global Support
Underscoring its commitment, the EU, alongside several Member States, formally ratified the landmark Treaty of the High Seas (BBNJ Agreement) on May 28 in New York, ahead of this week’s conference. The EU is now actively revitalizing the High-Ambition Coalition to mobilize global support for the treaty's implementation and is advancing legislative work to transpose the BBNJ Agreement into EU law.
To aid partner countries in ratifying and implementing the BBNJ Agreement, the EU is launching a €40 million Global Ocean Programme. Furthermore, it's establishing a strong science-policy interface through the International Platform on Ocean Sustainability (IPOS), allocating nearly €1 million to support its crucial work.

€1 Billion in Commitments and the Power of Knowledge
Beyond the BBNJ-specific initiatives, the EU is tabling more than 50 voluntary commitments, collectively valued at nearly €1 billion. These pledges extend beyond Europe, supporting concrete projects in developing countries. Emphasizing the role of science and innovation, approximately one-third of these financial commitments are dedicated to advancing ocean knowledge.
A key ambition of the European Ocean Pact is to improve our understanding of the ocean and make this knowledge readily available to citizens, entrepreneurs, scientists, and policymakers. This increased insight will help in designing effective strategies for marine and coastal habitat restoration, supporting a sustainable blue economy, and mitigating and adapting to climate change. As part of this effort, the EU will prepare an Ocean Observation initiative and is developing a digital representation of the ocean, known as the European Digital Twin of the Ocean.

At Nice’s Palais des Expositions, the European Digital Ocean Pavilion ("The Whale") is showcasing the EU’s latest innovations in ocean observation, including a prototype of the Digital Twin of the Ocean. The Pavilion highlights the integration of digital technologies, satellite data, AI, and cutting-edge modeling to provide a dynamic view of the ocean’s past, present, and future.
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