From recommendations to action. The EESC’s impact on European ocean policy

The European Union is developing a more integrated approach to protecting its oceans while strengthening its blue economy. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) helped shape the debate from an early stage. At the European Commission’s request, the EESC was the first EU institution to adopt a comprehensive opinion on the future European Oceans Pact, putting civil society participation and balanced ocean governance at the centre of its recommendations.

Adopted in March 2025, the EESC opinion argued that ocean policy should bring together environmental protection, economic competitiveness and social equity, rather than treating them separately. Crucially, it also called for stronger stakeholder involvement in implementing and monitoring the Oceans Pact and recommended that the EESC itself be involved in this process.

This approach is now reflected in the governance architecture established under the European Oceans Pact. The Commission has created a European Ocean Board bringing stakeholders into the implementation of EU ocean policy, with the EESC participating as an observer. A new Ocean Pact dashboard will also monitor progress across the Pact’s strategic priorities, reflecting the EESC’s earlier call for a comprehensive monitoring mechanism.

The same opinion also called for stronger and more coherent maritime spatial planning. This priority was subsequently taken forward in the European Ocean Act, strengthening the link between the EESC’s early recommendations and the EU’s evolving framework for more coherent and integrated ocean governance.

The EESC’s contribution has also gained political traction. Rapporteur Javier Garat Pérez presented the Committee’s recommendations to the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries, bringing organised civil society directly into the interinstitutional debate on the Oceans Pact.

The Committee will continue to advocate an ocean policy that combines healthy marine ecosystems, competitive maritime sectors and resilient coastal communities, while ensuring that civil society has a meaningful role in shaping its implementation.

A sustainable and competitive blue economy must go hand in hand with the protection of marine ecosystems. By investing in innovation, supporting our maritime sectors and strengthening governance, Europe can lead the way in ensuring healthy oceans and prosperous coastal communities.
Javier Gart Pérez, EESC member