alto mare

With 556 votes in favor out of a total of 630, the European Parliament approved the ratification of the UN Treaty for the Protection of the Oceans, aimed at promoting the conservation of marine biodiversity in the so-called "high seas", i.e. the waters found beneath beyond national jurisdictions and covering approximately half of the entire surface of the planet.According to EU law, the Treaty will now have to be ratified by every EU member state.At present, 89 countries globally have committed to signing the Treaty, but only 4 countries – Palau, Chile, Belize and Seychelles – have already done so.At least 60 ratifications are required for it to come into force. As stated on the United Nations portal, the text – which consists of 75 articles in total – outlines a “borderless protection” of the oceans, aiming to make all States responsible for the protection of a global public good.The international agreement which yesterday obtained the app...