The High Seas Treaty, formally called the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), enters into force on 17 January 2026.
The agreement creates a framework for joint governance of almost half the Earth’s surface and 95 % of the ocean’s volume.
It allows establishment of marine protected areas in the high seas, regulation of exploitation of marine genetic resources, environmental impact assessment of current and future activities, and support for developing countries through capacity-building and marine technology transfer programmes.
The treaty has been ratified by 81 Parties, including the EU and 16 of its Member States, and signed by 145 countries. The EU and its Member States led the political process and negotiations; the agreement was concluded and adopted in 2023 and reached the necessary 60 ratification threshold on 19 September 2025 to enter into force 120 days later.
As co-chair of the High Ambition Coalition on BBNJ, bringing together 46 countries, the EU says it remains strongly committed at the highest political level.
Preparatory discussions are underway for the first Conference of the Parties (COP), to take place within a year after the treaty’s entry into force.
The EU has pledged support for the treaty’s implementation—especially in developing countries—through the EU Global Ocean Programme, a €40 million (about $46.5 million) programme launched in June with a first phase of €10 million (about $11.6 million) in technical assistance already operational.
The EU also contributes to the initial work of the BBNJ Secretariat hosted by the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea.
The High Ambition Coalition on BBNJ is a coalition of states that coordinated positions during negotiations on the High Seas Treaty; it brings together countries committed to strong measures for ocean biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.