Euroviews. As new MEPs set sail for Brussels, they should consider adopting an EU Ocean Deal

Newly elected and re-elected parliamentarians are embarking on their mandates in Brussels, setting up the European Parliament’s committees before a well-deserved summer break – possibly to somewhere along the coast to relax or maybe to enjoy a mocktail on the beach.

For now, amidst bustling corridors and while navigating the currents of parliamentary sessions, do the EU’s new decision-makers feel the profound environmental shifts lurking beneath the surface?

The European Environment Agency has declared the risks to coastal and marine ecosystems as the most severe to the continent, entailing the highest urgency to act. Europe is already experiencing a rise in sea level and record heat, with the three hottest years occurring since 2020.

European sea surface temperatures reaching up to 5.5°C above average last year isn’t only a coastal concern; the impacts ripple far beyond the shoreline and the millions of people employed in the EU blue economy. Human health and food supply chains, for example, are affected across the continent.

Yet, there's been a lack of decisive action to mitigate or adapt. Given that the combined marine territories of the EU member states form the largest maritime area on Earth, this lack of action is nearly absurd.

It's easy to take the ocean for granted. We admire the beauty of its colourful plants and charismatic animals in countless documentaries, indulge in its bounty of seafood delicacies that seemingly never leave shop shelves or menus no matter how far inland we are, seek solace on its tranquil shores in summer, and experience an inexplicable feeling of appeasement when we bathe in a sunrise or sunset on its horizon.

Behind these postcard moments lies a complex web of life that sustains