Today, at Our Ocean Conference in Busan, South Korea, the European Union announced €301,485,000 in funding for sustainable blue economy, marine pollution, protected areas, digital oceans, fisheries, and climate change.
This years 10th anniversary conference highlights achievements and best practices from global ocean efforts. Digital Oceans will focus on technologys role in conservation across six key areas.
EU commitments for a safe, secure, clean, healthy and sustainably managed ocean
The European Union is committed to the following actions:
Sustainable blue economy:
- €120 million to support African and Pacific countries in sustainable ocean governance, with €58 million for the Western Indian Ocean, €42 million for Central Africa, and €20 million for the Pacific.
Marine pollution:
- €65.5 million to combat marine pollution, including €18 million for a European aquatic litter strategy, €43.5 million for pollution reduction, and €4 million for community transitions.
Marine protected areas:
- €40 million to help countries preserve marine biodiversity and ratify the BBNJ Agreement.
Digital ocean:
- €30 million through the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters for the Digital Twin Ocean.
Sustainable fisheries:
- €2.5 million to implement the Port State Measures Agreement to combat illegal fishing.
Ocean and climate change:
- €985,000 to enhance the International Platform for Ocean Sustainability (IPOS) for better knowledge exchange and decision-making.
Background
The Our Ocean Conference, launched in 2014, promotes global ocean governance and sustainable development. The ocean covers 71% of Earths surface but faces threats like global warming, unsustainable practices, and pollution.
The EU prioritizes ocean protection and will adopt the European Ocean Pact to unify ocean policies for health and economic growth.
Our Ocean Conference unites global stakeholders to tackle ocean issues, inspiring commitments worth €140,256 billion since 2014. The EU offers a commitment tracking tool for public monitoring.
For More Information
Commission website on international ocean governance
Commission website on actions for Clean and healthy oceans - European Commission
10th Our Ocean Conference 2025