The European Ocean Pact: A Comprehensive Vision for Sustainable Blue Economy

The European Ocean Pact: A Comprehensive Vision for Sustainable Blue Economy

Author: Black Sea Assistance Mechanism

On 5 June 2025, just ahead of World Ocean Day, the European Commission unveiled the European Ocean Pact – a strategic framework designed to safeguard the health of our oceans, strengthen the EU’s blue economy, and support coastal and island communities across Europe.

About the Ocean Pact:

Bringing together a wide range of EU maritime and marine policies, the Pact addresses key challenges facing Europe’s sea-basins and introduces coordinated actions under six priority pillars:

  • Restoring Ocean Health through marine protected areas, nature restoration, and updated maritime legislation.

  • Boosting the Blue Economy with dedicated strategies for maritime industries, ports, fisheries, and aquaculture, including a new generational renewal initiative.

  • Empowering Coastal and Island Regions with tailored development strategies and enhanced support for outermost areas.

  • Driving Innovation and Ocean Knowledge via a new Ocean Observation Initiative and engagement of young ocean advocates.

  • Enhancing Maritime Security through better surveillance, naval cooperation, and advanced technology like AI-driven drone fleets.

  • Advancing EU Ocean Diplomacy to tackle global issues such as illegal fishing, plastic pollution, and deep-sea biodiversity protection.

Areas of action

To support Member States restore degraded coastal and marine habitats, the European Ocean Pact proposes to:

  • Protect and restore ocean health by establishing Marine Protected Areas to rebuild marine life and benefit coastal communities.

  • Boost sustainable competitiveness of the blue economy by integrating energy transition into fisheries and aquaculture sectors.

  • Advance ocean research and innovation to enhance marine environmental knowledge and foster technological development.

From pledge to action: 

To support delivery, the Pact will be followed by a dedicated Ocean Act by 2027, a high-level Ocean Board, and a public Ocean Pact Dashboard to ensure transparency and progress tracking.

The Pact was formally presented at the United Nations Ocean Conference on 9 June 2025, affirming the EU’s commitment to global ocean governance.

🔗 For more information visit the European Commission website:  Full press release | Ocean Pact webpage

Find the Ocean Pact documents at: The European Ocean Pact | Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea