New report: EU’s performance on the UN sustainable development goal 14
The Von der Leyen Commission has made the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 an integral part of the EU’s political priorities. One of them (SDG 14, ‘Life under water’) is about conserving and sustainably using the oceans and seas. It is at the core of the EU international ocean governance agenda.
Today, the Commission releases a comprehensive assessment of the contribution of EU and its Member States to achieving SDG 14. This study is the first of its kind. It looks both at quantitative indicators as well as at the quality of progress achieved.
The EU has established a significant ‘SDG 14 toolbox’. It contains nearly 600 policy tools (170 at EU level and 417 at national level) that together form a coherent framework. The efficiency of this policy framework is furthermore backed up by considerable financial investments from the EU and its Member States, for example to strengthen ocean knowledge. On this basis, the EU and its Member States are taking strong action to improve the state of the marine environment and can look back at a number of achievements. This includes the restoration of certain fish stocks and the establishment of marine protected areas.