Strong Duo for Marine Protection: Germany and France Agree on Joint Ocean Agenda

The two governments are committed to the rapid ratification and implementation of the UN Convention for the Protection of the High Seas, a UN agreement to stem the tide of plastic waste, a precautionary pause in deep-sea mining, the decarbonization of shipping and strong marine research.

Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

Germany and France are driving forward ambitious marine protection with a joint ocean agenda. Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider and France's Minister for the Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, signed the intergovernmental agreement today at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice. Among other things, the two governments are committed to the rapid ratification and implementation of the UN Convention for the Protection of the High Seas, a UN agreement to stem the tide of plastic waste, a precautionary pause in deep-sea mining, the decarbonization of shipping and strong marine research. Another focus is the recovery of old munitions from the sea. The UN Ocean Conference, the most important international summit for marine protection, is currently taking place in Nice.

Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider: "The Franco-German friendship is alive and well, and in marine protection it is stronger than ever. Oceans know no national borders - neither their vast habitats nor the pressures that affect them. That is why international cooperation is so important for successful marine protection. In future, Germany and France will work together even more than before for strong marine protection in Europe and internationally. A common concern will be the recovery of old munitions that are rusting on the seabed and endangering the environment. We need healthy seas for a good future for us all.”

In the process for a UN agreement against plastic waste, Germany and France are advocating a binding and comprehensive approach that covers the entire life cycle of plastics. After the negotiations in Busan, South Korea, were not concluded at the end of last year, they will continue in Geneva in August. Preparatory talks will be held in Nice. With regard to deep-sea mining, Germany and France advocate strict implementation of the precautionary approach ("precautionary pause”). For the time being, no deep-sea mining is to take place because there is still far from sufficient knowledge about the ecosystems of the deep sea and the possible consequences of mining.

In the Joint Ocean Agenda, both governments commit to the goal jointly agreed by the global community of protecting at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. Accordingly, Germany and France are committed to strengthening marine ecosystems and sustainable fisheries, supporting initiatives for a science-based ocean policy, developing sustainable AI for the ocean, decarbonizing shipping and ambitiously implementing the EU Ocean Pact.

Both governments have also agreed to tackle the problem of dumped munitions. The aim is to develop and test innovative technologies and methods for the safe recovery and disposal of munitions from the seabed. The German government has already launched the world's first program for the recovery and destruction of old munitions in the North and Baltic Seas, which is making good progress and for which 100 million euros have been earmarked. The EU Ocean Pact just published by the EU Commission also provides for the development of an EU-wide strategy for munitions recovery.

The UN Ocean Conference is taking place in Nice, France, until June 13. It is expected that a declaration will be adopted by consensus which, together with a list of voluntary commitments by states, will form the "Nice Ocean Action Plan”.