EU nations are urged to ratify the BBNJ treaty to protect global oceans and marine biodiversity.
[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]
European Union member states are committed to ratifying the historic United Nations treaty on the high seas, aimed at protecting global oceans, with the EU planning to achieve this by the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, in June 2025. As of the reporting date, only France and Spain have ratified the treaty. The treaty, adopted by the UN on June 19, 2023, is the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement, which seeks to protect and sustainably use marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, covering nearly two-thirds of the world’s oceans. The BBNJ agreement addresses issues such as marine genetic resources, benefit sharing, protected areas, environmental impact assessments, and strengthening marine scientific capabilities. Lithuania is actively pursuing the fastest possible ratification process, having been urged by environmental organizations to expedite the treaty’s adoption. Various countries and environmental groups are calling for swift ratification, noting that the treaty requires ratification by at least 60 countries to enter into force. The treaty aims to protect global waters from threats like climate change, pollution, and overfishing.
