5 days ago
High Seas Treaty gets major boost from EU and 6 member states
The European Union and six of its member states formally ratified the United Nations treaty to protect the high seas on Wednesday in New York.
This international agreement is seen as a critical opportunity to safeguard parts of the ocean that lie beyond national maritime borders. The latest wave of ratifications comes ahead of the landmark UN Ocean Conference, scheduled to take place in Nice, France, in early June.
EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, described the move as a 'historic step towards protecting the world's oceans and preserving the delicate balance of our planet's ecosystem.'
Ratification means that the EU and the six individual member states have formally agreed to the treaty becoming binding international law. This often involves aligning national legislation with what the treaty outlines.
In April, the European Commission presented a proposal for a directive that would transpose the High Seas Treaty into European law.
The High Seas Treaty has the potential to bring about a significant shift in global ocean conservation efforts.
Areas beyond national jurisdiction -including the high seas and seabed -cover nearly two-thirds of the world's oceans. These regions face increasing threats from pollution, overexploitation, climate change, and biodiversity loss.
Currently, only about 1 per cent of the high seas is protected.
Following years of negotiations, a global consensus on the need to protect the high seas was reached in March 2023. The text of the treaty was formally adopted in June 2023 at the UN headquarters in New York.
The agreement paves the way for protecting marine life in areas outside of national maritime boundaries. It allows for the creation of marine protected areas and supports the global goal of safeguarding at least 30 per cent of the world's oceans by 2030.
Classified as a 'mixed agreement,' the treaty needs to be ratified by both the EU and its individual member states separately.
On Wednesday, Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, and Slovenia joined the EU in submitting their ratification. France and Spain had already ratified the treaty earlier this year.
To come into force, the treaty requires ratification by 60 parties. With these latest additions, the number of ratifications has reached 29. A total of 115 countries have signed the treaty, indicating their potential commitment to ratification.
The EU is urging all remaining parties to ratify the agreement without delay, in the hope of securing the 60 ratifications required for it to enter into force by the time of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice.
Nathalie Rey, European Regional Coordinator for the High Seas Alliance, described the EU's action as a 'powerful acceleration' toward meeting the ratification threshold just days before the summit.
'EU leadership is essential in confronting the biodiversity and climate crises. This bold move sends a clear message that ocean protection is not optional - it's a global priority,' she said.
