Posidonia oceanica seagrass with a school of fish underwater in the Mediterranean sea, Catalonia, Llafranc, Costa Brava, Spain
The European Commission has opened a public consultation to overhaul the rules governing the protection of Europe’s seas, following warnings that current measures are failing to halt a decline in marine biodiversity. The initiative seeks to revise the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the EU’s primary legal tool for managing ocean health, after an official evaluation concluded that the legislation has not yet achieved its goal of “good environmental status” for European waters.
The European Commission confirmed that the consultation, launched on 16 December 2025, aims to gather expertise from scientists, industry stakeholders, and the public to strengthen environmental safeguards. While the existing directive has improved regional cooperation and data collection, the Commission stated that “marine biodiversity continues to decline and pollution still harms marine life,” necessitating a more robust and streamlined regulatory framework.
The planned reforms are a central component of the broader European Ocean Pact and are designed to align with the EU’s Nature Restoration Law. A key objective of the revision is to simplify the administrative burden on Member States and maritime industries by improving data management. As reported by the European Polar Board, the evaluation earlier this year found that the complexity of the current rules often hindered effective implementation, leading to a “lack of alignment” with other environmental policies.
The move comes amid increasing legal and public pressure regarding the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Environmental groups have frequently criticized these zones as “paper parks” that lack meaningful enforcement. Recently, the General Court of the European Union upheld the right of Member States to ban destructive fishing practices, such as bottom trawling, within protected areas—a decision that conservationists say provides a clear mandate for the Commission to tighten standards in the new legislation.
Industry bodies, however, have emphasized the need for a balanced approach. The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) has previously stated that economic operations can remain compatible with conservation goals, provided there is a “stable and predictable framework” for long-term investment. The revision will look at how to integrate offshore renewable energy production and sustainable shipping into a healthier marine ecosystem.
The public consultation will remain open until 9 March 2026. The feedback received will inform a formal legislative proposal, which the Commission expects to present in the final quarter of 2026. This timeline is intended to ensure the new rules are in place to support the EU’s 2030 biodiversity target of protecting 30% of Europe’s seas.