Announcement on the EU vote in favor of the ratification of the Treaty on the High Seas has been issued by Greenpeace.
Analytically:
“The EU was an important player during the Treaty negotiations, so its ratification is a pivotal moment in the fight to protect the sea and marine biodiversity. The 27 EU governments should follow the EU’s example and move to ratify the treaty before the 2025 UN Oceans Conference in Nice.
“The oceans can’t wait any longer. Time is counting down. The science is clear: creatures like whales, turtles and dolphins, which help maintain the global balance, are at risk due to climate change, and to save marine life, it is necessary to protect at least ⅓ of the seas. After this very positive development, it is time for EU governments, including the Greek one, to act immediately.” said Antonis Bougias, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace’s Greek office.
Under EU law, ratification of the treaty by the European Union must then be followed by ratification by each EU member state. As of yesterday, 89 countries have signed the Treaty (including all 27 EU governments), demonstrating global political support to the process. However, only four have ratified (Palau, Chile, Belize and Seychelles), while ratification by at least 60 countries is required for the Treaty to enter into force.
We, as the Greek office of Greenpeace, welcome the ratification of the treaty by the EU and call on the Greek government to proceed with all the necessary actions for the immediate ratification of the treaty by our country and to allocate the required resources for its fair implementation.
In addition, we call on the Greek government to live up to the expectations it created with its 21 commitments at the recent Our Ocean Conference and to declare the Hellenic Trench a protected area, thus proving that these commitments will not remain on paper”.
