As EU Ocean Days kick off (2-6 March), more than 50 civil society organisations are calling on EU policy-makers to ensure the next EU long-term budget delivers real investment in ocean health and thriving coastal communities.
In a new joint position paper, Seas At Risk and partner organisations warn that the EU’s most powerful financial tool for protecting the ocean is missing from this year’s Ocean Days agenda. They also raise concerns that the proposal from the European Commission suggests the ocean’s vital role in supporting livelihoods and a safe environment risks being overlooked in the next budget proposal.
The paper highlights two key priorities.
First, part of the EU budget should be clearly set aside to protect and restore marine ecosystems, while supporting a shift to low-impact fishing.
Second, stronger safeguards are needed to ensure public money is not given to those who break environmental or fisheries rules, in line with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
The call comes as evidence grows that current EU funding can harm ocean health. A recent report by Spanish Seas At Risk member Ecologistas en Acción shows that subsidies still support activities that damage marine ecosystems, undermining the very foundations of coastal livelihoods and the blue economy.
This reflects earlier findings by Seas At Risk, ClientEarth and BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, which identified gaps between current EU fisheries funding and the bloc’s environmental and social goals.
With negotiations on the next EU budget ongoing, NGOs stress there is still time to change course. Rather than continuing business as usual, the EU has an opportunity to invest in a healthier ocean and a more sustainable future for coastal communities.
The message is clear: the next EU budget must stop funding ocean destruction and start driving its recovery.
Posted on: 27 February 2026
