Thank you Charles, dear colleagues,

I am honored to be here today to discuss the challenges and opportunities in preventing and reducing marine pollution. Thank you to co-chairs Germany and Mauritania for their leadership on this crucial issue.

The high interest in our discussions shows how much we value our waters. The ocean, seas, rivers, and lakes bind us together.

They have shaped our history, culture, and well-being. Many economic sectors, like fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism, depend on a clean sea.

This is why polluted waters harm not just the environment, but also our health and prosperity. Businesses require clean water as well.

These challenges know no borders, so it’s crucial we work together to address them.

Recently, the European Union has made significant commitments to preserve the ocean. Under the leadership of my colleagues Raffale Fitto and Costas Kadis, we adopted the European Ocean Pact, aligning our ocean policies.

Moreover, the EU has signed the declaration launching the High-Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean.

Many challenges arise from land-based activities, which is why we must ensure healthy water ecosystems – from source to sea. Our waters are interconnected.

Rivers flow into oceans, carrying the impacts of our land activities. Thus, SDG14 on life below water is closely linked to SDG6 on clean water and sanitation.

My first message is that to protect the seas, we must tackle pollution at its source. Europe exemplifies this with longstanding legislation against chemical, plastic, and nutrient pollution. Yet, only 27% of Europe’s surface water bodies have achieved good chemical status. We must intensify our efforts.

This is why we published our EU Water Resilience Strategy, our most ambitious initiative for addressing water stress and improving water quality.

The strategy aims to restore and protect the entire water cycle, from source to sea.

Investing in healthy ecosystems through nature-based solutions is among the most cost-effective measures.

However, significant additional public and private investments are necessary.

Im pleased the European Investment Bank will provide EUR 15 billion in water funding over the next three years.

My second message is the need to address plastic pollution, which severely impacts our seas. Annually, up to 1.8 million tonnes of microplastics are estimated to enter the EU environment, including at sea.

On a positive note, we’ve seen a 29% reduction in marine litter on European beaches since 2015. We are finalizing new rules to prevent plastic pellet losses.

However, more must be done. We are promoting circularity and new bio-based materials to replace plastics, fostering innovation and new technologies.

We collaborate with neighbors through Regional Sea Conventions and aim for a Global Plastics Treaty. We urge all countries to strive for effective outcomes in the Geneva negotiations this summer.

Lastly, water challenges know no borders. Therefore, we must work together. The EU will continue to lead, but we need our partners.

Our water strategy outlines a path for enhancing global outreach and water diplomacy, building on outcomes from the UN 2023 Water Conference and preparing for the 2026 conference.

A vital aspect is improving governance. The UN Water Conference is a key forum for multilateral action, but we must further mainstream water in international processes.

We will work closely with accession countries and strengthen investments through the Western Balkans and Ukraine Facility.

Additionally, we aim to enhance cooperation through our Global Gateway, focusing on water access, resilience, and sustainability.

Finally, the Commission will host a Water Resilience Forum every two years to unite stakeholders from government, business, and civil society, continuing our dialogue and sharing best practices.

We are ready to act with the international community. No one can do everything, but we can all contribute to improving our waters. Thank you.