| | Ministerial Monday spotlight on progress: Introducing the Vigo Declaration
This June, the shores of Vigo echoed with a powerful message of unity, urgency, and ambition as ministers from 16 nations and the European Union gathered at the OSPAR Ministerial Meeting. Their mission? To advance multilateral action for the protection of the North‑East Atlantic - action that goes far beyond talk.
The result was the Vigo Ministerial Declaration, a science-driven pact that squarely confronts the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. More than just a statement, it’s a roadmap to transformation, anchored in commitments including:
- A phased ban on scrubber discharge from shipping in coastal waters, with tightened controls by 2027.
- Expansion of OSPAR’s maritime jurisdiction by 2.5 million km², welcoming Macaronesian waters—Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands—under our protective umbrella.
- Bans on plastic pollution from pontoons and buoys.
- New regional action plans on underwater noise, and benthic habitats.
- A commitment to applying the precautionary principle to deep‑sea mining, whilst recognising the International Seabed Authority’s unique mandate.
- Commitment to protect the Arctic marine environment and a welcoming of efforts to strengthen collaboration with the Arctic Council and Indigenous Peoples Organisations.
- A future-proofing process to adapt the OSPAR Convention for emerging challenges—from offshore renewables to space-launch debris.
Hosted by Spain during a pivotal midpoint in OSPAR’s 2030 strategy, this Declaration marks a tidal shift—transforming global ambition into regional action, and ideas into impact. |  | | More information on the Vigo Declaration | | 
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| |  | | Ministers meet in Vigo to take concrete measures to enhance protection of the North-East Atlantic Ocean | | Vigo, Spain – Ministers and senior representatives from the 16 Contracting Parties to the OSPAR Convention gathered today in Vigo for a landmark OSPAR Ministerial Meeting. In the aftermath of the United Nations Oceans Conference in Nice, OSPAR countries adopted a series of collective actions that show multilateralism and international collaboration at its best. | |
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