With just five years left to meet the EU’s 2030 target of protecting at least 30% of its marine areas – including 10% under strict protection – a new WWF report reveals that Member States are dangerously off track. Without the clear objectives, conservation measures and restoration actions that are provided by management plans in designated MPAs, these sites remain protected in name only, and harmful activities often continue unchecked.

The analysis highlights two other major failings in current MPAs. First, there is a striking difference among Member States’ ambitions: only eight countries have formally submitted biodiversity pledges related to protected areas as committed under the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy. Second, reporting across EU Member States is often inconsistent, delayed, and incomplete, resulting in a fragmented view of marine protection efforts. This finding raises serious concerns about how governments can design and implement effective marine policies in the absence of reliable data.

WWF urges the European Commission and Member States to step up efforts to protect and restore marine biodiversity across all EU seas, and to ensure that all Marine Protected Areas: are strictly enforced; phase out harmful fishing practices that endanger sensitive species and habits; prioritise ecological coherence; are managed in a way that ensures coherence between ocean policies such as the Nature Restoration Law (NRL), Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and Marine Spatial Planning Directive (MSPD); and promote cooperation across national marine borders.