“A wave of accountability that no government can ignore”: ERF grantees join forces for Europe’s seas

A new coalition of environmental organisations has launched a coordinated legal initiative to strengthen protection for Europe’s marine ecosystems, bringing together several Ecological Restoration Fund (ERF) grantees to help ensure that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are protected not only in law, but in practice.

The newly established MPA Legal Coalition brings together eleven organisations, including ERF grantees Blue Marine Foundation, ClientEarth, Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) and Oceana. The coalition will use scientific evidence, legal advocacy and strategic litigation to hold governments accountable for allowing destructive fishing practices, particularly bottom trawling, within protected areas. It will pursue coordinated legal action at both EU and national level, including calling on the European Commission to begin infringement proceedings against Member States that fail to meet their obligations under the Habitats Directive and wider EU biodiversity law.

MPAs are intended to safeguard Europe’s most important marine habitats and wildlife. However, despite some of the world’s strongest environmental legislation, destructive fishing practices continue in many protected areas. According to European Commission data, around 79% of Europe’s coastal seabed is physically disturbed, primarily by bottom trawling, while approximately 93% of Europe’s marine ecosystems face multiple human pressures.

“The MPA Legal Coalition exists to ensure that Europe’s protected seas are protected in practice, not just on paper,” the coalition said at its launch. “By connecting national legal action into a single, coordinated European strategy, the Coalition is building a wave of accountability that no government can ignore.”

The coalition builds on coordinated complaints submitted to the European Commission last year against six Member States for allowing destructive fishing inside Natura 2000 marine protected areas. With little progress since those complaints were filed, member organisations have now established a permanent coalition to coordinate legal action, share expertise and strengthen enforcement of existing environmental law across Europe.

The timing is significant. As the European Commission reviews the EU Birds and Habitats Directives and develops new ocean policy, the coalition argues that achieving Europe’s commitment to protect at least 30% of its seas by 2030 depends less on introducing new legislation than on fully enforcing the laws already in place. It notes that banning destructive fishing practices within protected areas would simplify, rather than complicate, fisheries regulation. “Given the European Commission’s new political drive to reduce administrative burdens, prohibiting destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling in EU MPAs provides a clear and straightforward rule for all EU fishers, which would greatly simplify and reduce the costs of monitoring and implementation,” the coalition stated.

The initiative reflects the complementary strengths of several ERF grantees. Blue Marine Foundation has led legal challenges to protect marine protected areas from destructive fishing; ClientEarth uses environmental law to hold governments and industry accountable; Oceana combines science, advocacy and policy expertise to secure stronger marine protection; and EJF works to expose destructive and illegal fishing through investigations while advancing reforms in fisheries governance. Together with their partners, they hope to accelerate enforcement of Europe’s nature laws and ensure that marine protected areas deliver meaningful protection for biodiversity and ocean ecosystems.