COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS The European Ocean Pact

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 5.6.2025 COM(2025) 281 final COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS The European Ocean Pact EN EN The European Ocean Pact The ocean and seas are crucial for life on Earth, prosperity, competitiveness, security and a sustainable future. The ocean is critical for energy, data, and strategic resources as well as regulating Earth’s climate. The European Union stewards the world’s largest collective maritime area, with 25 million km² of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) across its Member States, outermost regions1 and overseas territories. With about 70,000 km coastline and 40% of its population living within 50 km of the sea, the EU has a critical interest in maritime matters. The Union’s maritime borders extend to the Caribbean, the Atlantic and the Indian ocean thanks to its outermost regions. Its blue economy directly supports close to 5 million jobs and contributes over €250 billion in gross value added annually to the EU economy2. Maritime routes carry some 74% of the EU’s external trade, and underwater communication cables carry 99% of inter-continental internet traffic. At the same time, the health of our ocean is deteriorating due to the cumulative impacts of climate change, pollution, and overexploitation of marine resources. These environmental challenges are compounded by growing geopolitical...