Madam/Mister President,

The European Union and its Member States recognize the leading role of the International Seabed Authority established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and its mandate under the Convention not only to organize, regulate and control all mineral related activities in the Area on behalf and for the benefit of all humankind, but also to ensure effective protection of the marine environment as well as of human life.

We would like to reiterate our commitment to continue contributing to its important work.

Madam/Mister President,

We take this opportunity to highlight the important work done by EU Member States to establish a sound regulatory regime on potential future deep-sea mining that is based on the precautionary principle as well as on the highest environmental standards and sufficient scientific knowledge, in order to ensure that such activity would not cause harmful effects to the marine environment in the Area, as defined by UNCLOS.

These steps are essential to achieving a reliable and comprehensive legal regime for deep-sea mining activities in the Area, prevention of damage to the environment being a key obligation under the Convention.

Madam/Mister President,

In this regard, we welcome the inclusion of Item 16 “Proposal for a general policy of the Authority for the protection and preservation of the marine environment” in the Provisional Agenda of the ISA Assembly meeting in July and August 2024 in Kingston.

We also note that calls for a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep-sea mining have been made by 26 ISA Members to date. Many others, without putting a label on their position, have expressed the need for a robust regulatory regime and adequate scientific knowledge base to be developed before any commercial exploitation can begin. Indeed, the Council of the ISA has itself stated that there should be no exploitation in the absence of mining regulations. A large number of scientists, civil society organisations, major multinational corporations and private citizens have also called for deep-sea mining to be halted

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our support for the work of the Authority in fulfilment of its mandate entrusted to it by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and by the Agreement relating to the implementation of Part XI of the Convention. We encourage all States Parties to contribute and to promote the work of the International Seabed Authority and to guarantee the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects originating from seabed related activities so that current and future generations can continue to enjoy the resources and services provided by the oceans.

Thank you, Madam/Mister President.