Media reaction: 26 November 2020

Court of Auditors report a 'wake-up call' on marine environment

Environmental lawyers at charity ClientEarth have reacted to a new report from the European Court of Auditors on EU actions and progress to protect the marine environment. The report shows that marine biodiversity is still under threat in Europe.

Anna Heslop, Head of Wildlife and Habitats at ClientEarth, said: “The findings of this report confirm our concerns: the biodiversity of Europe’s seas is at risk, largely because of overfishing and destructive fishing practices. This is unacceptable.

“This report is an important wake-up call for the Commission and Member States. They need to call things as they are and ramp up their efforts to finally comply with EU environmental and fisheries laws – something they’ve been failing to do since their inception.

“To restore our seas to a healthy state, the EU and its member states have to meet the requirements of EU conservation law. This means putting an end to overfishing across the board and improving marine protected areas through ambitious management plans and restrictions on destructive fishing.

“We also call on decision-makers to increase EU funding dedicated to the establishment of marine conservation measures and to limiting the impacts of fishing on the marine environment.”

ENDS

About ClientEarth

ClientEarth is a charity that uses the power of the law to protect people and the planet. We are international lawyers finding practical solutions for the world’s biggest environmental challenges. We are fighting climate change, protecting oceans and wildlife, making forest governance stronger, greening energy, making business more responsible and pushing for government transparency. We believe the law is a tool for positive change. From our offices in London, Brussels, Warsaw, Berlin and Beijing, we work on laws throughout their lifetime, from the earliest stages to implementation. And when those laws are broken, we go to court to enforce them.