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Euronews
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
EU unveils Ocean Pact ahead of UN conference in France
The European Commission presented a plan aimed at better protecting oceans on Thursday, ahead of the UN Oceans Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, next week. It says the European Ocean Pact is a 'comprehensive' roadmap to protect the ocean, promote a blue economy and support the well-being of people living in coastal areas. The pact brings together EU ocean policies under one single framework to address threats facing the bloc's oceans. It lays out several key priorities, including protecting and restoring ocean health, boosting the EU's blue economy, supporting coastal and island communities, advancing ocean research, enhancing maritime security and defence, and strengthening ocean diplomacy. 'It will not only benefit the planet, but also the people who call the coast their home, and the generations who will steward our oceans tomorrow,' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, added that it wasn't just a 'message in a bottle' but a concrete plan for action. "It also offers immense potential for more investments in a sustainable blue economy, and it is key for our security," he added. Headline pledges include proposing a new European law on the oceans by 2027 and revising two maritime directives to better protect biodiversity. But environmental NGOs aren't so sure. While the pact shows 'tentative steps' in the right direction, they say there are 'critical gaps' which must be addressed. They consider it a missed opportunity for the EU to show leadership at the UNOC, where it will present the Pact next week. In a joint statement, a group of six leading environmental NGOs said the Pact falls short of delivering the urgent action and binding targets that are needed to protect oceans. BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, Oceana, Seas At Risk, Surfrider Foundation Europe, and the WWF European Policy Office welcomed the announcement but warned that to be successful, it must lead to the immediate implementation of existing obligations and include legally binding targets. Vera Coelho, deputy vice-president of Oceana in Europe, said it was a 'missed opportunity' for the EU to show leadership at the upcoming UNOC. 'It proposes to continue the same failed, case-by-case approach that has enabled destructive practices like bottom trawling to continue for decades inside the EU's so-called 'protected' areas,' Coelho explains. 'It opens the door to revising key pieces of EU law, such as the Common Fisheries Policy, rather than proposing an implementation and enforcement strategy to address the real root of the ocean's multiple crises: lack of political will by member states to meet agreed targets and implement EU law. 'By deferring real action, this lacklustre Pact puts at risk the future of Europe's seas and of the people who rely on them.' The NGOs are urging EU institutions and member states to strengthen the pact with concrete measures and ensure that ocean protection becomes central to ocean-related EU laws. 'While the Commission promises in the Ocean Pact to work on enforcement, it falls short, offering no concrete plan for how ocean laws, which exist on paper, will actually be implemented at sea,' adds Juliet Stote, law and policy advisor on marine ecosystems at ClientEarth. 'Currently, EU laws are continuously breached - with destructive activities such as bottom trawling routinely taking place in Marine Protected Areas, and overfishing continuing in EU waters - this must stop.' Paris's Seine could be the next river granted legal personhood under plans announced by Mayor Anne Hidalgo yesterday. Paris City Council has called on Parliament to pass a law giving the River Seine rights, so that "an independent guardian authority' can defend it in court, according to yesterday's resolution. It follows a swell of similar 'rights for nature' breakthroughs since New Zealand first recognised the Whanganui River as a living entity in 2017. And is another step forward in Paris's bid to protect the Seine from pollution. 'From the reclamation of the banks in 2016 to the historic swimming in the Seine during the Paris Games, to the improvement of water quality, we have never stopped acting to restore our river to its rightful place!' Hidalgo wrote in a LinkedIn post yesterday. The foundations of the plan were laid by a citizens' convention on the future of the Seine, which concluded last month. 50 citizens chosen at random questioned experts and took part in weeks of debate in order to reach a collective opinion. They concluded that the Seine should have fundamental rights, including 'the right to exist, to flow and to regenerate.' On the basis of this opinion, the City of Paris is tabling a bill in Parliament to give the Seine the rights to be properly protected. Une publication partagée par Anne Hidalgo (@annehidalgo) 'Recognising rights to the oceans, rivers or the Seine is neither a symbolic gesture nor a legal fantasy: it is a political response to the ecological emergency. It is urgent to act!' Hidalgo added. The Seine must be considered an ecosystem that "no one can claim ownership of", where the preservation of life takes "precedence over everything", according to the convention. Paris has been on a major cleanup mission on the Seine's behalf in recent years, spending €1.4 billion on its recovery. That includes investments like building a giant underground tub to store wastewater so that it doesn't run into the river. It received a boost in the run-up to the Olympics last year, as French authorities sought to get the river clean enough to host water sports events. After much speculation, failed E. coli tests, and one Mayoral swim, some Olympic events were able to go ahead. But a plan to open the Seine for public swimming last summer was delayed until this year. Now, authorities say it will be opened up at three points from 5 July. Despite ongoing issues from pollution, rising water temperatures, and pesticide runoff, the Seine has been getting markedly healthier. As the citizens' convention noted, the river is now home to around 40 species of fish - up from just four in 1970. Opening the river up to the public this summer could present "additional risks", it warned, and so will need to be carefully managed. Communities around the world have campaigned for fragile ecosystems like rivers and mountains to be afforded legal rights in order to better protect them. The legislation protecting the Whanganui River combines Western legal precedent with Indigenous beliefs, as Maori people have long considered it a living entity. In 2022, Spain granted personhood status to Europe's biggest saltwater lagoon, the Mar Menor, marking the first time a European ecosystem gained the right to the conservation of its species and habitats, and protection from harmful activities such as intensive agriculture. Last year, an Ecuadorian court ruled that pollution had violated the rights of the Machángara River, which runs through Quito. It enforced an article of Ecuador's Constitution that recognises the rights of nature. Hidalgo wants to see the Seine join this privileged company. 'Paris is committed to putting the Seine back in its rightful place, in the heart of our city and as close as possible to its inhabitants,' she wrote. 'A new adventure begins!'
The Herald Scotland
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Forget Scotland in Europe. It is the UK which deals with Brussels now
To be clear from the outset, that may not be a consequence of political machination. It may simply be inevitable, a factor of political reality. It may even provide welcome clarity. That has not forestalled SNP protests. In the Holyrood chamber, Angus Robertson noted that the EU deal had been reached 'without the explicit agreement' of the devolved Scottish Government. That was, he said, 'an affront to devolution'. Responding, Labour's Neil Bibby said the External Affairs Minister was 'miserable, opportunistic and inconsistent.' For the Tories, Tim Eagle said the SNP would take Scotland back into the Common Fisheries Policy – an outcome he called a 'horror show'. Read more by Brian Taylor Mr Robertson's objection was that fisheries, as a topic, is devolved to Holyrood. Yet it had featured in the EU deal without any consultation with the Scottish Government. He listed the meetings, cancelled by Whitehall, when the topic could have been raised. UK Government sources say this is limp nonsense. They say the Scottish Government was consulted in generic terms, including at a meeting just prior to the talks, while conceding that there was no specific involvement in the negotiations, not least because the fisheries issue was concluded around midnight on the eve of the London summit. They say the Scottish Government has 'tied itself in knots' over the issue, contriving to end up on the same side as Nigel Farage. To examine this issue, we need to delve back into history – and catch the scent of that devolutionary fudge. As I recall, the aroma first arose in the run-up to the creation of the Scottish Parliament. Importance was attached to a role for the devolved legislature in the European Union. (The UK was, of course, still a member at that point.) The question was how to balance those devolved aspirations with the reality that it was the United Kingdom which was the EU member state. It was the UK which had an audience in Brussels. The result? Fudge. The 1997 White Paper which led to devolution stated that relations with Europe were 'the responsibility of the United Kingdom Parliament and Government'. There is no real role for the Scottish Government in Westminster's dealings with the EU (Image: free) However it added that 'the Scottish Parliament and Executive will have an important role' in areas where EU business affected devolved areas. There were encouraging words about the involvement of Edinburgh. There was talk of the 'spirit of collaboration'. But there was also emphasis upon the need for a common UK position. Upon ultimate UK sovereignty. In the early years of devolution, there was the Sewel Convention: that the UK would not normally legislate in devolved matters without Edinburgh consent. But that eroded over time – and the UK Supreme Court ruled in 2017 that the Convention was just that. A convention, potentially significant but with no justiciable force. Post Brexit, EU laws were repatriated to the UK. Scottish Ministers complained that this was done without the agreement of the Scottish Parliament. Which brings us to today. Fisheries are still devolved. But, arising from the 1998 Scotland Act, relations with the EU are reserved to the UK. (There was no room for fudge in statute.) The 1997 White Paper vaunted UK clout as an EU member state. The UK later left the EU. Politically contentious – but irrelevant to power. It is sovereignty which counts. You may say that EU access to UK (primarily Scottish) fishing waters was sensibly traded for other gains – including speedier market access for salmon and other seafood from our shores. You may say that it was a treacherous sell-out. Either way, it is clear that the lingering Sewel concept is now utterly consigned to history. It is clear that continuing relations with the EU – from outwith the EU – are, in practice, a matter for the UK Government. There will still be talk, as there was in that 1997 White Paper, of consulting and involving Holyrood. But, in the final analysis, little remains of the White Paper concept of collaborative endeavour. Read more Again, to be clear, that applies regardless of the content of the deal. For example, Angus Robertson only launched his attack on the UK Government – after welcoming aspects of the London agreement, other than fisheries. If anything, there is a sharper dilemma for the devolved government in Wales. Led by Labour's Eluned Morgan. Critics there also seized upon the constitutional question, saying that she had allowed the Senedd to be entirely sidelined. Of necessity, Baroness Morgan's response featured caveats. She welcomed the details of the deal, praising the efforts of her party colleague, the Prime Minister. She said it would bring Wales 'more opportunity for jobs and growth'. But she noted, obliquely, that she would have 'liked more discussion' between the Welsh and UK governments over the issue of fishing. Not going to happen, in practice. We are back to statute and sovereignty. Not White Paper fudge. External relations, including with the EU, rest with the UK. Which, to repeat, offers clarity. John Swinney said this week that the only way to protect Scottish fishing now lay with independence. Critics say that rejoining the CFP would involve further concessions. There is, then, a fundamental dispute. Independence versus the Union. Equally, though, there is practical co-operation within the devolved structure. Only this week, the Scottish Secretary Ian Murray announced increasing borrowing powers for Holyrood. He published a report setting out the efforts of UK Departments, such as HMRC and the DWP, to ease devolved tax and benefits functions. In return, the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations work closely and daily with Whitehall, in the common public interest. A straightforward constitutional choice, then. Ian Murray says 'working collaboratively with the Scottish Government' is a key part of the Starmer plan for change. John Swinney says he will govern sensibly and consensually within devolved powers – but invites us to consider how much more could be achieved under independence. All clear? Brian Taylor is a former political editor for BBC Scotland and a columnist for The Herald. He cherishes his family, the theatre - and Dundee United FC
Spectator
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Labour must learn to love Brexit
The problem with Keir Starmer's approach to Brexit is that it fundamentally misunderstands the country. It isn't that the Leave-voting public have realised that they made the wrong choice, foolishly tricked by the slogan on the side of a bus a decade ago. Voters in Grimsby have not suddenly been won round to the virtues of the Common Fisheries Policy. Most Leavers do not suddenly think shorter queues at the airport in Sofia is worth the downward pressure on wages caused by thousands of young Bulgarians who (understandably) will think Britain's £12.21 minimum wage is more attractive than Bulgaria's roughly £3 per hour. The reason people feel dissatisfied with Brexit is not that the UK has diverged from the EU but because it hasn't diverged enough. Leave voters were rejecting a political economy that concentrated wealth in London's financial and creative industries and sucked out meaningful employment from other parts of the country. It's globalisation that voters are fed up with. Brexit was a constitutional 'revolution' in the old meaning of the word – a return to the original state of things. It returned to the government full control of industrial policy – trade, state aid, nationalisation, immigration, procurement, fishing, agriculture. Brexit brought back these powers along with an expectation of a much more active state; this was plain to the public but perhaps less so to the political class. That fundamentally different state was the real test of Brexit's success. Boris Johnson understood this better than most. Levelling up was absolutely the right strategy, but it didn't go nearly far enough.
Irish Examiner
19-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
'Rock-bottom' fishermen urge government to renegotiate Common Fisheries Policy in wake of EU-UK reset deal
The Government has been urged to begin renegotiating the Commons Fisheries Policy (CFP) in the wake of EU agreement with the UK on a reset trade deal. British prime minister Keir Starmer met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa at a summit in Lancaster House, London, yesterday to seal the deal, which covers areas including trade, education, energy, security, and defence partnerships. The deal will see a 12-year extension of fishing arrangements when the current deal ends, allowing European vessels to operate in UK waters under the same terms until 2038. "We are turning a page. We are opening a new chapter in our unique relationship,' Ms von der Leyen said. However the chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers' Organisation, Patrick Murphy warned that without changes to the EU's Common Fisheries Policy, the deal 'doesn't bode well for the future of Ireland's fishing industry'. Mr Murphy said that Irish fishermen sacrificed 40% of fishing opportunities to the UK as part of the original Brexit deal. 'This devastated our fleet to the tune of 25% of our income in key stocks in mackerel and nephrops (Dublin Bay prawns). The solution we were offered was to scrap a quarter of our fleet in response, and the fishing rights went with the boats. We have gone from 400 vessels to 140 in the past two decades and are struggling to survive, with no new entrants coming into the industry. "Our prediction is if there is no rebalancing of the overpayment that Ireland made, we could see our fleet further reduced. The only benefit we see in this deal is there are 12 years of stability - once we reach rock bottom, it can't get worse.' Mr Murphy said the Common Fisheries Policy, first set up 50 years ago, is no longer fit for purpose, leaving the industry 'frozen', while some traditional fish stocks are reducing due to climate change, with no alternatives being made available. He said minister of state at the department of agriculture, food and the marine with special responsibility for fisheries, Timmy Dooley, has engaged positively with sector representatives and urged Government to now push Europe to renegotiate to save the industry in Ireland. Fisheries cover just one element of the deal signed in London on Monday. Other measures covered in the UK-EU deal include: - An open-ended new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to slash red tape on food and drink exports and imports between the UK and EU. - Some routine checks on plant and animal products will be removed completely. - Linking UK and EU emissions-trading schemes which will mean British firms will not be hit by Brussels' carbon tax next year. - A security and defence partnership will pave the way for UK arms firms to bid for work under the EU's proposed new €178bn security action for Europe (Safe) fund. - The UK and EU have agreed to co-operate on a "youth experience scheme", while there is also a commitment to work towards the UK associating with the Erasmus+ student exchange programme. - British steel exports will be protected from new EU rules and restrictive tariffs. The deal requires "dynamic alignment" - the UK following rules set by Brussels - in areas covering the SPS deal, emissions trading and potential cooperation in the electricity market. Additional reporting by PA
Press and Journal
19-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
'Horror show' trade deal for Scots fishing fleet
North-east fishing chief Mike Park and his industry peers have angrily branded PM Sir Keir Starmer's trade deal with the EU as an 'utter betrayal'. EU boats will have had their current level of access to key UK fishing grounds extended for a further 12 years. Details of the trade pact struck between prime minister Sir Keir and EU counterparts emerged earlier today. The UK Government has claimed it will protect British fishing access, rights and areas. There is no increase in the amount of fish EU vessels can catch in UK waters, it said. According to the government, this provides 'stability and certainty' for the sector. But Scottish fishing chiefs are outraged by the package agreed with Brussels. They see it as another blow to the Scottish sector after two-previous major let-downs. The UK's controversial entry into the European Economic Community in 1973 ushered in the much-despised Common Fisheries Policy. And the Brexit trade deal negotiated by former PM Boris Johnson was a big disappointment for the industry. Mike Park, Stonehaven-based chief executive of the Scottish White Fish Producers' Association, said: 'It's an utter betrayal of the fishing industry for the third time. 'Whereas the (EU) exit deal was significantly worse than expected, the mechanisms through which the industry could renegotiate has now also been removed.' Scottish Fishermen's Federation chief executive Elspeth Macdonald said: 'This deal is a horror show for Scottish fishermen, far worse than Boris Johnson's botched Brexit agreement. ''It is clear Sir Keir Starmer made the whole deal on the backs of our fishermen and coastal communities, granting EU vessels 12 years of continuous access to UK waters at the last minute in order secure other objectives.' Ms Macdonald added: 'This highlights the total indifference of the British political establishment to the interests of our fishing sector, with Sir Keir becoming the third prime minister after Edward Heath and Johnson to betray the industry. 'Any attempt by either the UK or EU to portray the new deal as a continuation of existing arrangements would be a lie. 'The Trade and Co-operation Agreement (Brexit deal) paved the way for annual access negotiations from 2026. 'At the weekend, Sir Keir said the deal would be measured against how much it would improve job prospects and allow our communities to flourish. 'Giving away a national asset such as our rich and healthy fishing grounds for no discernible benefit not only fails both of these tests, but is a disgrace that will ensure the enmity of this proud industry for many years to come.' The government pledged to 'back coastal communities' by investing £360 million in new technology and equipment to modernise the UK fleet, training to help upskill the workforce, and funding to support tourism and boost seafood exports. As part of the deal, new SPS measures will make it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported by slashing costs and red tape. Sir Keir hailed the agreement as 'good for jobs, good for bills, and good for our borders'. But Gordon and Buchan Conservative MP Harriet Cross branded it 'Starmer's surrender'. She called it 'one of the biggest acts of betrayal that our fishing industry has seen in Scotland'. Ms Cross added: 'Our fishermen have been used as a pawn by Keir Starmer, which will result in catastrophic consequences for our coastal communities. 'This is a complete abandonment of our fishing fleets, when the industry should be benefiting from the opportunities presented by leaving the EU and the Common Fisheries Policy.' Meanwhile, Orkney and Shetland Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael called the deal 'deeply disappointing'. He added: ' Fishermen were hoping for a reset after the incompetence of the previous Tory government in protecting fishing interests. 'Instead, it seems that the stench of Boris Johnson's bungled 2020 deal will linger over us for a generation. 'If there is a silver lining for fishermen it will be in easements for trade and stability for key export markets – but that is still far from the 'sea of opportunity' that was promised in the past.'
