The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has warned that the EU is unlikely to meet its 2030 targets for marine biodiversity, as many designated protected areas offer little real defence against damaging activities such as commercial fishing. While around 14% of EU waters are designated as marine protected areas, less than 1% are under strict protection. The bloc’s goal is to protect 30% of its marine waters by 2030, including 10% under strict protection.
According to the report, simply expanding the network of protected areas will not be enough without tougher restrictions on harmful activities. Fishing limits apply to only a small share of designated zones, and designating areas is politically easier than enforcing the rules that make them effective. ECA member Iliana Ivanova stressed that the real challenge is turning designation into actual protection.
Implementation varies across member states. France and Sweden have made progress through community involvement and new bans on bottom trawling, while Ireland has been held back by major data gaps and legal delays. Enforcement is also hampered by chronic staff shortages, inadequate funding and lengthy administrative procedures, leaving authorities unable to stop harmful or illegal activity even when they identify it.
Fragmented financing is a further obstacle, with conservation efforts depending on national budgets and several EU funding instruments. Measures affecting fishing fleets from multiple countries require lengthy negotiations, and few have been adopted since 2013. Stricter rules could also prove contentious if fishing communities and other industries bear the costs without adequate consultation or support.
The auditors urge the European Commission and member states to move beyond national approaches towards harmonised, enforceable conservation rules, with local stakeholders engaged. NGO Seas At Risk added that Europe does not lack policies or scientific knowledge, and that nature recovers where measures are applied consistently and at scale, but that this is still not happening.
At DMX Associates, we are monitoring developments in EU environmental regulation, marine conservation policy and the fisheries sector. Stay up to date via our website and LinkedIn page.
