EU Presidency Statement - Marine Science

Mr Co-chairman,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia and the associated countries Cyprus and Malta align themselves with this statement.

Marine scientific research is continuously developing and its findings and conclusions are of importance to all of us. The environmental problems of the oceans and seas are significant and closely interrelated. It is necessary to identify and address the most urgent needs.

It is only in the most recent decades that issues related to the negative impact of human activity on the marine environment have arisen on the international agenda. The European Union considers one of the main goals of the management of the oceans, in a manner consistent with sustainable development, to be the prevention of further deterioration of the marine environment, as well as identifying and protecting particularly sensitive areas. Environmentally deteriorated areas should, as far as possible, be restored. Further effects of human impact should be minimised so that biological balance is achieved.

Human activities have a negative influence on the environment in many ways. They disturb the balances of naturally occurring substances and add foreign substances to seas and coastal regions. Direct and indirect emissions, including nutrients, discharges and losses of hazardous substances and radioactive substances threaten sensitive marine environments.

Discharges from sea transportation constitute a problem to the marine environment and their effects are complex. Uncontrolled discharges of ballast water and sediment from ships have led to the introduction of alien species in various parts of the world and have caused disturbances in the natural biodiversity. Petroleum products are very complex mixtures of thousands of organic compounds, with different behaviour and therefore different effects. Their impact is very difficult to limit, spanning over habitats, species, sediments, water quality and biota.

There are still gaps in the knowledge of causes and effects with regard to pollution, and further research is necessary in order to take even more efficient measures to reduce and control pollution, and effects such as eutrophication. It is essential that existing efforts in this field are co-ordinated at all levels. Effective monitoring, strict regulations and strict enforcement measures are deterrents to pollution and must also be implemented at all levels.

Climate change and variability and their effects on the marine environment are important issues in current marine science. For example, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is affecting Europe both from a marine environment and a climate perspective. It could to some extent be compared to the El Niño and El Niña in the Pacific Ocean. The understanding of such phenomena is still limited and further research in the oceanographic field, as well as appropriate monitoring, are required. Automatic recording stations in selected areas of affected oceans could be one way of trying to predict effects of those climate phenomena both for forecast on fish stocks, weather, or other environmental phenomena.

The risk of global warming is a serious threat to marine life and coastal regions. Large-scale impacts of climate change on oceans include increases in sea surface temperature and global sea level, decreases in sea-ice cover and changes in salinity. All marine ecosystems are sensitive to climate change. Many coastal areas will experience increased frequency of flooding, accelerated erosion, loss of wetland, as well as seawater intrusion into fresh water sources.

To address the problems of climate change, it is important to build capacities, particularly in vulnerable areas, and such capacity-building could be supported through existing programmes. Development and establishment of adequate observation systems relating to climate change should be carried out through the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS).

In addition, the European Science Foundation Marine Board has developed proposals toward a Marine European Research Area aiming to strengthen the coherence of research activities and policies in Europe, inter alia, through a visible component of the Sixth Framework Programme under preparation.

Mr Co-chairman,

Marine biodiversity includes all forms of life in the oceans and seas, from marine ecosystems to species, populations and genetic variability. It is already an area of high priority within the academic community. The protection of habitats, species and ecological processes, both in marine, deep sea and coastal areas, as well as an integrated coastal zone management, are vital in order to ensure biodiversity.

The EU would like to stress the importance of marine biodiversity as an issue that affects people all over the world and where available information needs to be better co-ordinated and disseminated. In this sense, the European Commission has already taken steps to halt the loss of biodiversity by adopting, on 28th of March 2001, action plans in various EU policies, in particular on fisheries and on environment which integrate the protection of biodiversity.

Marine mammals is an area where substantial research is carried out. Marine mammals, in particular small marine mammals, are often by-caught in commercial fishing, which poses a serious threat to some populations. The problems of marine mammals in general is an area where more integrated and co-ordinated efforts are strongly needed.

Coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass beds are dominant environments in many tropical areas and are among the most productive and diverse ecosystems on earth. They are also of utmost importance for the world's biodiversity and for many coastal human communities. Degradation of coastal ecosystems in the tropics is to a large extent due to human activities. The majority of the remaining coral reefs of the world are under immediate threat from human impact.

Sustainable management and utilisation of the seas is central in a long-term perspective and environmental issues must be an integral part of fisheries policies. The scientific basis for fisheries management is fully recognised and the political commitment to use the best scientific evidence is firmly established. In this context, the EU appreciates the co-ordination and dissemination of research findings undertaken by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). In spite of impressive advances in recent decades, however, there is considerable scope for improvements in our understanding of the marine ecosystem and of the way relevant knowledge can be used to promote sustainable management and utilisation of marine living resources.

The application of the ecosystem approach requires the present fisheries management to take into account new types of information. Some of this information is available within the established biological fisheries research and regularly used in the management of several important fish stocks. Additional information, including information on changes in the marine ecosystem and an explanation of these changes are, however, important in order to ensure that decisions regarding management measures are consistent with the complex dynamics of the ecosystems in a long term perspective. Improved co-ordination and co-operation between national and international research institutes is imperative in this respect. The available information also needs to be effectively disseminated, through education and integrated to the relevant decision-making processes.

Monitoring the ocean environment has important short-term implications for controlling the adverse effects of human activities, e.g. pollution. However, there is also a long-term purpose in registering changes taking place over decades or longer periods. Such long-term monitoring is essential in order to separate human influence from natural cyclical phenomena or distinct trends in the changes of the marine environment, that may run over many decades or even centuries. Without that sort of knowledge, managerial measures may be in vain, or have little positive effect on observed changes.

The EU firmly believes that a long-term perspective must be applied to ocean affairs in general. Combined with wide and effective co-operation in these issues, we can develop a holistic approach that is strongly needed. An evaluation of existing organisations is called for, with a view to adjust institutions and methodologies in response to new requirements, when necessary.

Mr Co-chairman,

In conclusion, the European Union recalls the need for respect for and implementation of the legal framework provided in UNCLOS, in interaction with chapter 17 of Agenda 21 and other relevant international instruments. The EU is convinced that all ocean and seas issues are closely interrelated and that the environmental problems in this field are of immediate concern. Marine scientific research, supported by effective monitoring systems, is the main tool to prevent further deterioration of the marine environment and to develop methods to improve it. The EU strongly supports continued focus on the most urgent problems in ocean affairs, and considers those to be, inter alia, fisheries management, climate change, pollution and marine biodiversity.

Thank you, Mr Co-chairman.

| Arriba |

• Intervención de la UE sobre protección y preservación del medio marino (9/4/2002)
• EU Presidency Statement - Marine Science (8/5/2001)