SOS Ocean Conference: Speech by European Council President António Costa

I want to thank President Macron especially for his strong commitment to ocean health and governance, a consistent approach that the European Union has shared since day one.

I would also like to thank Fundação Oceano Azul for organising this event, demonstrating the fundamental role of civil society, science and transnational cooperation in addressing a topic of the utmost importance.

As Jules Verne wrote over a century ago in ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’: ‘The sea is everything’. And yet we humans, as land animals, have long resisted this truth. We have even called our planet ‘Earth’, when in fact it is the oceans that cover most of its surface, shape its climate and sustain most of its life.

It is time to change course. We can no longer turn our backs on the oceans. Because oceans are, above all, a common good for humanity. They capture 90% of the excess heat generated by human activities. They are home to 80% of global biodiversity. They produce 50% of the oxygen we breathe. They absorb 25% of our carbon dioxide emissions.

In terms of trade and the economy, 90% of the world’s goods are transported by sea and 99% of our data transfers and communications flow through submarine cables. So we need to protect and promote oceans as a global good.

Europe was born from the sea, has forged links across it, and now will stand united to protect it. Just ten days ago, and driven by a due sense of urgency, the 27 EU leaders addressed this topic at a European Council meeting for the first time, together with the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres. And for the first time, Europe’s leaders reached very ambitious conclusions on the ocean.

First, the European Council conclusions recognise the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. The decline in the oceans’ health and climate change make our population and our economy increasingly vulnerable to their effects.

To tackle those effects, the European Union has been a pioneer in the field of biodiversity protection, while capitalising on its extensive marine resources, to help achieve climate neutrality by 2050, including the zero-emission target for maritime transport, which will create new job opportunities in green technology and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Climate action must include ocean action, which is a priority for us. Others have chosen going to the moon or to Mars as a priority. Europe must see the ocean as a cause and a mission for 2050.

Second, a healthy ocean is critical to a sustainable, secure and competitive future for the European Union. Europe’s security and prosperity need a strategic and holistic approach to oceans. That is why the European Council conclusions welcomed the fact that the European Commission and Commissioner Kadis, who is here with us, intend to put forward the European Ocean Pact next month to provide an integrated approach to the governance, protection and economic sustainability of the oceans.

We have the largest exclusive economic zone in the world, including overseas territories and the outermost regions, which are home to 80% of Europe’s marine biodiversity. The EU’s economic, energy and food security all depend on the oceans. A total of 40% of Europeans live in coastal regions, which generate around 40% of the EU’s GDP.

The blue economy employs 3.6 million people in the European Union, in sectors such as fisheries, tourism, port activities, shipbuilding and repair, ocean energy and maritime transport. Oceans also play a central role in energy production, in the development of offshore wind farms, and in the recovery of tidal and wave energy.

75% of our external trade and 40% of our internal trade is carried out by sea. Our internal market is the world’s second-largest market in fishery and aquaculture products in terms of trade and the third-largest in terms of consumption. Safe and secure oceans are vital for preserving our interests at sea, including freedom of navigation and the supply of essential materials. Protecting our economic activities, our citizens and our infrastructure must be an essential component of our strategic and holistic approach to oceans.

Third, the European Union has been strongly committed to advancing ocean diplomacy, driven by a sense of urgency, a desire for consistency and a spirit of ambition. We have agreed to protect 30% of our land, waters and seas by 2030 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

We played a decisive role in the conclusion of the High Seas Treaty. Now it is time to move forward with ratifying and implementing it. The European Council conclusions called for increased global action and ambition, including accelerated ratification of the High Seas Treaty.

The European Union is moving in the right direction. But there is no room for complacency. We must move faster and act with ambition. We must discover, preserve and promote. And we must foster a science-based approach at global level, too.

The challenges may seem vast, like the ocean itself. But our capacity for cooperation and our determination to confront global problems must be just as vast. You can count on the European Union as a reliable and predictable partner.

The world needs European engagement, and Europe needs to be closer to its partners. It needs to engage with multilateral institutions to tackle our common challenges. Engage with a wide network of partners to avoid a confrontation between blocs. Recognise that the north and south are both plural. Adopt a scientific approach as the only solid basis for our assessments, our decisions and our actions. Take ocean action, and call for climate and geopolitical solutions as a matter of urgency.

Let us not be the generation that looked away. Let us be the one that chose to act. I hope to see you all in Nice.

Thank you.

Source – European Council