The EU General Court has confirmed that Marine Protected Areas require meaningful protection from bottom trawling, reinforcing existing conservation laws.
EU General Court confirms that Marine Protected Areas must be shielded from bottom trawling, reinforcing enforceable conservation obligations.
The General Court of the European Union has issued a landmark ruling affirming that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) must be effectively protected from destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling. This legal decision, delivered in May 2025, rejects a challenge by a German fishing association and underscores the enforceability of conservation laws across the EU.
Ruling details
The case arose following amendments proposed by Germany and the Netherlands to bolster MPA protections in the North Sea. A German fishing group, VDK, sought to overturn the European Commission’s regulation adopted on 8 December 2022. On 21–22 May 2025, the General Court dismissed the challenge, explicitly ruling that Member States have the authority under EU law to prohibit harmful fishing practices in vulnerable marine zones.
Significance
John Condon of ClientEarth hailed the ruling as “a critical victory for marine conservation,” emphasising that “science-backed bans on destructive bottom-trawling must be the rule in all protected areas—without exception,” not only to conserve biodiversity but also to benefit coastal communities and sustainable fisheries.
Wider context
Despite the ruling, NGOs warn that bottom trawling remains widespread in MPAs, with up to 80 % of these areas still permitting the practice and several countries lacking comprehensive roadmaps to phase it out by 2030.
Next steps
Environmental groups call for swift enforcement of the court’s ruling and for the European Oceans Pact to include binding measures to eliminate bottom trawling in MPAs. They argue that the tools are already in place; what is needed is political will to apply them across all protected areas.
