Your Excellency, President of France,
Madam President of the European Commission,
Mr. President of the European Council,
Excellencies,
Heads of State and Governments,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Im honoured to present the European Ocean Pact, a key initiative of the European Commission aimed at sustainable ocean management and preservation.

Why do we need an Ocean Pact? Because the European Union is an ocean union.

With the largest maritime area globally, 25 million square kilometres, and a coastline of 70,000 kilometres, 40% of EU citizens live within 50 kilometres of the coast.

The blue economy supports around 5 million jobs, contributing 250 billion euros to our economy.

The EU is a leading advocate for ocean health, facing threats from climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and over-exploitation of resources.

These challenges demand urgent action. The Ocean Pact aims to harness ocean potential through coordinated policies.

Currently, fragmentation reduces policy effectiveness. Based on extensive consultations, weve developed the Ocean Pact.

This framework integrates all ocean-related policies for coherent implementation.

It consists of six building blocks, each with specific initiatives. The first is about protecting ocean health, including expanding marine protected areas.

Protecting ocean health is crucial for boosting the blue economy, focusing on fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and ports.

Supporting coastal and island regions against climate impacts is also vital.

We must build a knowledge framework for ocean policies, advancing research, skills, and innovation.

We need to protect the oceans infrastructure essential for European citizens well-being, enhancing maritime security and defence.

Finally, we aim to strengthen EU ocean diplomacy and governance, promoting sustainable policies worldwide.

This is the Ocean Pact structure. As our President stated, it must be implementable to be meaningful.

We propose a strong governance mechanism centered on the Ocean Act to facilitate implementation.

An Ocean Board will guide us, and progress will be tracked through a public dashboard.

This is the European Ocean Pact.

The Ocean Pact is a promise to our children and future generations.

Today, we start implementing the Ocean Pact!