Report | June 3, 2025

Marine Protected Areas in the EU: ensuring legal compliance and effective enforcement

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the European Union are established under EU laws including the Habitats Directive, to conserve rare, threatened, or endemic animal and plant species, along with their natural habitats. Thriving marine ecosystems within MPAs can better withstand the impacts of climate change, mitigate its effects, and support the regeneration of fish populations, benefiting fishers due to this ‘spillover’ effect. However, this is currently not the reality in the water. Despite the strong legal duties in the EU, destructive fishing activities including bottom trawling still occur in MPAs, putting at risk conservation objectives.