But Kadis said the new act would go well beyond the scope of the MSPD, providing a framework to implement the wide-ranging goals of the new European Ocean Pact, a policy promise of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s second term.
Those goals include cutting red tape, promoting sustainable aquaculture and fishing, boosting ocean tourism, strengthening maritime defense and investing in ocean science.
“The [Ocean] Act will ensure that existing targets linked to the ocean are identifiable under one roof and will facilitate their coherent and effective implementation, while at the same time decreasing administrative burden,” Kadis said Thursday.
But the announcement was light on detail, opening the way for multiple policy fights between environmental and commercial interest groups.
What we do know
The promised Ocean Act, contained within the broader Ocean Pact released Thursday, will strengthen maritime spatial planning through “improved cross-sectoral coordination at national level” and a more organized approach to managing sea basins, the Commission said.
It will also provide a “single framework” to help implement the European Ocean Pact, while also reducing administrative burden — including by cutting reporting obligations for EU countries.
