The EU is ready to ratify the High Seas Treaty

The Commission welcomes the adoption today by the Council of a decision to conclude the United Nations agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the ‘High Seas Treaty’.

With today’s decision, the EU is now ready to formally deposit the ratification instrument, which the EU and its Member States are committed to doing before the next UN Ocean conference in June 2025.

It will enter into force once it receives 60 ratifications. Currently, seven countries have ratified the treaty and 89 have signed it.