The European Commissioner for the Environment Virginius Sinkevičius assessed today that the first international agreement on the protection of the open sea is a "historic moment" for the oceans.
The member states of the UN finally agreed on Saturday on the first international agreement on the protection of the open seas, the aim of which is to preserve ecosystems of vital importance to humanity.
Sinkevičius said he was "very proud" of this result.
"We are taking a crucial step to preserve the marine life and biodiversity that are essential for us and future generations," the European official said.
He said the agreement was the result of more than a decade of preparatory work and international negotiations "in which the EU played a key role."
According to the agreement on the open sea, 30 percent of the sea will be in a protected area by 2030.
The agreement was reached late last night, after 38 hours of talks, at the UN headquarters in New York.
Negotiations dragged on for years due to disagreements over funding and fishing rights.
The last international agreement on ocean protection was signed in 1982 - the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The high seas begin at the border of countries' exclusive economic zones, which extend up to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from the coast. Therefore, it does not fall under the jurisdiction of any country.
Although the open sea comprises more than 60 percent of the world's oceans and nearly half of the planet's surface, it has long attracted less attention than coastal waters and a few iconic animal species.
Ocean ecosystems generate half of the oxygen humans breathe and limit global warming by absorbing much of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities.
However, they are threatened by climate change, pollution and overfishing.
Currently, only about one percent of the open sea is protected. When the new treaty enters into force, it will allow for the creation of marine protected areas in these international waters.
The treaty will also oblige countries to carry out environmental impact assessments of proposed activities on the high seas.
A highly sensitive chapter on the sharing of potential benefits from newly discovered marine resources was one of the focal points of contention.
Developing countries, without the means to afford expensive research, have struggled not to be excluded from possible windfalls from the commercialization of potential substances discovered in international waters.
Possible profit is possible from the pharmaceutical, chemical or cosmetic use of newly discovered marine substances that do not belong to anyone.
As in other international forums, particularly the climate negotiations, the debate was ultimately about ensuring equality between the poorer global south and the richer north, observers noted.
In a move seen as an attempt to build confidence between rich and poor countries, the European Union pledged 40 million euros in New York to facilitate the ratification of the agreement and its early implementation.
The EU also announced $860 million for ocean research, monitoring and conservation in 2023 at the "Our Ocean" conference in Panama, which ended on Friday 3 March.
Panama said countries pledged a total of $19 billion.
In 2017, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on nations to establish an agreement on the high seas.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea entered into force in 1994, before marine biodiversity was a well-established concept.
Bonus video:
