The next EU budget: Investing in ocean resilience and thriving coastal communities

EU ocean and coastal communities currently face multiple challenges, from the loss of marine biodiversity, climate change and pollution to competition for access to resources and limited support for a just transition at sea. For these reasons, the next European Union (EU) Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) should not be another box-ticking exercise aimed at maintaining the status quo, but should deliver real policy choices to invest in the changes needed. To achieve this, EU decision-makers should focus on two priorities:

1. MFF money should benefit all EU citizens, through: 1) the conservation and restoration of our common good that is the ocean and 2) support for small-scale, low-impact fishers;

2. MFF money should be protected against abuses and used in a transparent and accountable manner.

These two very clear priorities would actually support the simplification of the implementation of the EU budget. Indeed, if adopted, they will ensure that:

• Money is exclusively spent on activities which support the implementation of the EU’s objectives;

• Money is not spent on those who violate EU law.