On Sunday 14 May, EU DG MARE staff, including Director General João Aguiar Machado, were joined on the Belgian coast by hundreds of EU colleagues and their families for the first major beach clean-up organised by the European Commission.
EU embassies around the world have also been invited to host similar events and help raise awareness about the increasing challenges marine litter pose to Our Ocean.
Every year millions of tons of trash end up in the ocean. It is estimated that by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in its waters. The European Union is determined to prevent this bleak prospect from becoming a reality and is committed to protecting the oceans and seas, while ensuring their sustainable use.
The beach clean-up took place ahead of the Our Ocean conference, hosted for the first time by the EU (Malta, 5-6 October), where global leaders, including from industry, will present ambitious and measurable commitments to ensure cleaner, healthier and safer seas.
We welcome this great initiative of the European Commission and in the meantime we are busy with the preparations of our side events at the OurOcean conference in Malta. Stay tuned!
Marine litter is a global challenge that needs the collective effort of everyone at every level to be addressed. The beach clean-up on Sunday 14 May underlines the readiness of EU staff to take concrete action as concerned citizens against a growing and alarming phenomenon.
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