ECA warns that EU Sea Protection Goals may fail by 2030

O European Court of Auditors (ECA) today warned that the European Union is not monitoring concrete measures to address the loss of biodiversity and must fail the 2030 targets for the protection of the seas.

Regarding a ECA report released today, the European body warned in a statement that “the protected marine areas of the European Union (EU) are often ‘protected’ only in the name and Brussels should not be able to meet the 2030 targets for the protection of the seas”.

“ The audit explains that the EU has made ambitious commitments to halt biodiversity loss and has extended the network of protected areas. But in many places the right conservation measures are lacking and there are no plans to tackle climate change. These sites also demand more staff and funding”, reads in the press release.

The ECA adds that those living from the sea are not always involved in decisions, which compromises “sea conservation efforts”, which “rarely leave long-term results”, warning that “not listening to interested groups can reduce confidence, transparency and public support for conservation measures”, with the risk of increasing when coastal communities “pay a high economic and social price”.

“The ECA warns that the EU should not be able to meet the target of having protected areas covering 30% of the seas (at this time there are 14%) and total protection areas at 10% (currently 1%). The audit also concludes that existing areas do not form an ecological network and that important habitats in the high sea and at the bottom of the sea are still unprotected”, reads the statement.

Underlining that “tracing a protected marine area on the map does not automatically create a shield around it,” the ECA points out flaws such as the absence of a single protection system and the impact of activities such as fishing, prohibited only in very small areas of protected areas.

“The audit recognises that it is difficult to apply conservation measures when they affect the fishing fleets of several EU countries. Nevertheless, it calls for more cooperation in Brussels and countries to proclaim the creation of a “protected marine area” to mean applying common, concrete and practical rules,” the TEC said

The court also identifies “another obstacle: money”.

“Protecting the sea requires high and stable funding, but the funds are spread across national budgets and various European funds.”.

The EU seas occupy an area of about five million square kilometres, “a larger area than all EU countries together”, and approximately 40% of the EU’s population lives in coastal areas less than 50 kilometres from the coast.

“The EU has four marine regions: the North-East Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. These waters accommodate 3 648 sites Natura 2000, covering about 526,000 km2, and 6,610 protected marine areas designated by the countries, covering 244,000 km2. More than half of the latter coincides with Natura 2000 sites”, recalls the ECA in a statement.