EU fact of the week
date: 05/10/2017
Our Ocean conference: EU leading action for cleaner and safer seas
With over 10 million tonnes of litter ending up in the sea each year, by 2050 our oceans could contain more plastic than fish.
This is one of the reasons why the EU has announced 36 initiatives to foster healthier, cleaner and safer seas at an international conference which took place on 5 and 6 October in Malta. The European Commission announced over €550 million of EU-funded initiatives to tackle global oceans challenges which add to commitments by 112 countries around the world to a total exceeding €6 billion. The resources will be invested to strengthen the fight against marine pollution and enlarge protected areas, reinforce security of the oceans, foster blue economy initiatives and sustainable fisheries and intensify the EU efforts against climate change. The full list of commitment can be found here. The conference was co-hosted by the EU High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini and Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. HRH The Prince of Wales addressed the conference on the opening morning. The next such forum will be in Indonesia in 2018.