Speech by President von der Leyen at the EU side event on the Ocean Pact

European Commission -Speech Speech by President von der Leyen at the EU side event on the Ocean Pact Nice, 9 June 2025 “Check against delivery” Dear President Macron, Dear President Costa, Dear Commissioner Kadis, Distinguished Guests, Europe is a continent of the sea. We have a particularly close connection to the Ocean, with an extraordinary 70,000 kilometres of coastline. Every fifth European lives at the coast, and so much of our way of life depends on the water that surrounds us. The Ocean gives us sustainable food and an endless supply of clean energy. It connects us to the world, carrying three-quarters of European trade. It moderates our climate and helps in our fight against global warming. The Ocean is our greatest ally, whether you live here in Europe, or anywhere in the world. But if we neglect the Ocean, if we treat it without respect, it will turn against us. And the vast ocean forces that helped our civilisation to grow will start to threaten us. We can already see the first impacts: Ever more violent storms ravage our coasts. Our coastal communities struggle to make a living from the sea. Meanwhile, naval power politics has returned, with hostile fleets and war games on the high seas. On all these fronts, Europe must think like a maritime continent and behave like a maritime power. We must make sure that the Ocean remains our ally – now and in the future. That is why today we present the first European Ocean Pact, a European vision of ocean...