On 25 March, Euractiv organised an Agrifood Policy Conference to discuss and reflect on European agriculture and fisheries, on a way for a sustainable and competitive future. Commissioner Costas Kadis opened the discussion on how the EU can balance the sector’s needs while fostering a transition to sustainable and inclusive food systems that benefit all. Then followed 4 panels where different stakeholders (NGOS, MEPs, European Commission representatives etc) discussed various key topics like safe, healthy and sustainable food, research and innovation, reducing carbon emissions and protecting biodiversity.
Our colleague Alexandra Philippe (EBCD) joined the panel on Protecting biodiversity: Examining the EU’s strategy for restoring habitats, expanding protected areas, and promoting sustainable practices to maintain ecological balance. She highlighted the importance of integrating the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) as a whole into EU ocean-related policies, emphasising that it extends beyond the 30 by 30 target and aims at reducing threats while taking into account human needs. Alexandra Philippe stressed that conservation and the sustainable use of marine resources must go hand in hand, calling for balanced marine spatial planning that ensures both conservation and the viability of key ocean ecosystems services such as energy and food security. She also underlined the need to recognise fisheries and aquaculture as strategic sectors in ocean governance, advocating for their role in food security, economic resilience, and the transition to more sustainable food systems. Additionally, she pointed to Fisheries-OECMs as effective examples of how well-managed fisheries can contribute to biodiversity conservation while supporting coastal communities. Her intervention reinforced the message that the EU’s marine policies must align conservation with competitiveness, ensuring that users of the ocean are actively involved in decision-making processes. She also stressed that these priorities should be central to discussions at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) in June, where unity and collaboration must guide global ocean governance.
