Source: European Parliament
14.10.2024
Question for written answer E-002038/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Carola Rackete (The Left)
In June 2022, the Commission published the EU agenda on international ocean governance, announcing its intention to ‘prohibit deep-sea mining until scientific gaps are properly filled, no harmful effects arise from mining and the marine environment is effectively protected’. In total, 11 Member States support a similar stance in relation to deep-sea mining. Recent findings emphasise the irreversible damage deep-sea mining could cause to biodiversity, the disruption of marine ecosystems, and the threat to the ocean’s role in regulating the climate, so the Commission’s 2022 position is welcome.
However, the recently published Draghi report entitled ‘The future of European competitiveness’ identifies deep-sea mining as a potential growth opportunity, despite increasing scientific evidence that it poses significant environmental and financial risks.
What effect, if any, has the Draghi report had on the Commission’s position on deep-sea mining, as stated in the 2022 EU agenda on international ocean governance?
Submitted: 14.10.2024