EU

22 December, 2022

On 9 December, the EU Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional political agreement on a proposal for a new regulation that aims to create a circular economy for the batteries sector. The proposed legislation will apply to all batteries, including electric vehicle batteries, and regulate the entire life cycle of a battery for the first time. This will ensure that they are sustainable throughout their supply chains, from design and production to reuse and recycling. 

Continue reading The DSCC welcomes EU Council and Parliament’s provisional agreement to create a sustainable life cycle for batteries 

15 September, 2022

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release – 15.9.22

Today’s announcement by Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries will close over 16,000 square kilometers of the deep sea to bottom fishing in EU waters of the Northeast Atlantic. This will bring much needed protection to deep-sea corals, sponges and other habitat forming species off the Atlantic coasts of Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal.

Continue reading EU protects 16,000 km2 of vulnerable deep-sea life

25 July, 2022

Press Release

Six years after the adoption of the EU deep-sea fishing Regulation that prohibited bottom trawling below 800 meters in EU waters, the EU has finally adopted an ‘Implementing Act’ to begin closing coldwater coral and other biologically diverse deep-sea vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) below 400 meters depth to bottom fishing. 

Civil society welcomes this long-awaited protection of VMEs. The adopted protective measures are, however, already under threat.

Continue reading Civil society urges immediate action to protect fragile deep sea ecosystems

1 July, 2022

MEDIA REACTION

For Immediate Release 1.7.22

As resistance to the emerging destructive deep-sea mining industry continues to skyrocket in Lisbon this week at the UN Ocean Conference, French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a stop to mining in the high seas.

Speaking at an official conference side event held at the Lisbon Oceanarium, President Macron stated: “We have to create the legal framework to stop high seas mining and not to allow new activities that endanger ecosystems.”

Continue reading EMMANUEL MACRON CALLS FOR A STOP TO DEEP-SEA MINING AT UN OCEAN CONFERENCE

28 June, 2022

DSCC Reaction

This week, the Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture voted on the European Commission’s proposal to close vulnerable areas to fishing gears which touch the seabed with the majority of EU member states adopted the implementing Act. EU member States had committed to do so in 2016, when adopting the Deep Sea Fisheries Regulation.

The DSCC warmly welcomes this vote and applauds the Commission for steering this process to successful conclusion.

We encourage the Commissioner Sinkevicius and DG Mare to ensure that the implementing act as adopted becomes law without any further delays. Deep sea vulnerable marine ecosystems can not wait any longer for sound protection.

Find out more here.