Seas At Risk

We welcome the EU Circular Economy Act (CEA) as a potential for a coherent framework for sustainable resource use. However, in its current direction, the proposal risks falling short of this potential. According to the International Resource Panel (2024), global resource use is projected to grow by 60% by 2060, threatening to derail progress on climate, biodiversity and prosperity.

The EU umbrella NGO network of marine organnisations SEAS AT RISK is taking part in the implementation of the second OSPAR's Regional Action Plan on marine litter and actively engaged in a specific action of this action plan addressing single-use plastics.

The Seas At Risk marine NGO network is pleased to share feedback on the draft Implementing Decision laying down rules for the application of the EU Directive 2019/904 as regards the calculation verification and reporting of data on recycled plastic content in single-use plastic beverage bottles.

SEAS AT RISK welcomes a consultation of this implementing act of the Single-use plastics' Directive. First, we would like to underline a problem in the calculation baseline between the proposal under consultation and the SUP Directive. In the articles 3.1 and 4.1 of the proposal, the weight of plastic is calculated based on the amount of plastic collected from economic operators.

Seas At Risk welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the consultation on the European Grids Package. Through the following recommendations, we aim to ensure that the upgrade and expansion of grid infrastructure at sea is done with minimal impact on the marine and coastal environment (please consult the attached document for further details): 1. Halve energy demand by 2040; 2.

As seen in attached policy paper, Seas At Risk highlights nine critical policy areas that the EU will need to consider as part of the review of its EU Arctic Policy. The EU should support the development of a dedicated international governance framework for the Central Arctic Ocean.

Seas At Risk welcomes this opportunity to share its insights on CO2 transportation infrastructure and markets. The past decade, several scientific warnings have been issues about the significant risks that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) poses to the marine and coastal environment. These include risks related to pipeline construction, port expansion, seismic surveys, increased ship traffic, and ocean storage.

Pleasse find attached the full contribution of Seas At Risk to the Call for Evidence on applying the DNSH principle under the next MFF, it notably highlights the need to transform DNSH into a binding, enforceable eligibility condition across all EU funding instruments, ensuring that public spending is fully aligned with environmental objectives.

This Vision for the Future of Fisheries, attached to this contribution, is the result of a three-year multi-stakeholder process involving environmental NGOs, low-impact fishers and scientists, who came together to co-develop a shared vision for a fair, resilient and sustainable future for the sector, under Seas At Risk Future of Fisheries project (2023-2025).

Seas At Risk (SAR) welcomes this opportunity to provide input to the development of guidelines for mapping acceleration areas for renewable energy. Our input focusses on guidelines for offshore renewable energy (ORE) and draws on our paper Planning offshore renewable energy with nature in mind - Seas At Risk (seas-at-risk.org)…

Seas At Risk's response to the European ocean research and innovation strategy consultation, 31 July 2026 Seas At Risk (SAR) welcomes the opportunity to input to the call for evidence on the development of an ocean research and innovation strategy.

At its adoption in 2008, the MSFD offered an ambitious and holistic framework for the restoration of the marine environment and the eco-system based management of human activities at sea. In practice however, implementation by Member States has been weak, due mainly to lacks in political will, poor funding and limited enforcement.

Please find attached the full contribution of Seas At Risk on the Call for Evidence on the revision of fisheries management rules through the proposed Fisheries Omnibus initiative. We consider that the current Multiannual Plans (MAPs) remain largely fit for purpose and that the main challenge lies in their insufficient and inconsistent implementation, rather than in shortcomings of the legal framework itself.

Please find attached the full contribution of Seas At Risk this call for evidence. Seas At Risk strongly supports transposing the WTO fisheries subsidies agreement in the current EMFAF (and the next MFF), however, the revision of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) should not be regarded as a purely technical exercise aimed at transposing the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and…

The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) plays a crucial role in supporting the EUs fisheries policy. However, despite its exclusion of certain activities (such as constructing new fishing vessels or increasing vessel power) and the implementation of safeguards against harmful effects, its decentralised structure allows Member States to finance activities that can be detrimental to biodiversity…

On behalf of 25 NGOs (Baltic Salmon Fund, Baltic Salmon Rivers Association, BalticWaters, BirdLife Europe, BlueMarineFoundation, Coalition Clean Baltic, ClientEarth, Danmarks Naturfredningsforening, Deutsche Stiftung Meeresschutz, DUH e.V., Ecologistas en Acción, FishSec, Irish Wildlife Trust, Marine Conservation Society, North Sea Foundation, Oceana, Sciaena, Seas At Risk, SFACT, SharkProject, SharkTrust, SUNCE…

On December 6, 2023, the European Commission has unexpectedly proposed the removal of Article 4(6) from the Baltic and North Sea Fisheries Multi Annual Plans (MAPs) and Article 4(7) from the Western Waters MAPs.

On behalf of BirdLife Europe & Central Asia, Blue Marine Foundation, ClientEarth, Danmarks Naturfredningsforening, Deutsche Stiftung Meeresschuts, Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V., Ecologistas en Acción, North Sea Foundation, Oceana, The Fisheries Secretariat, Sciaena and Seas At Risk, we present our response to the 2024 European Commissions public consultation on the progress towards achieving more sustainable fisheries…