European Union environmental policies are based on specific targets for the years 2020, 2030 and 2050. Most important overall targets in an international context are to combat climate change and promote sustainable development (1).

Climate change: The EU and its member countries take part in international efforts to fight climate change under the UN climate convention. These efforts include international agreements, taking part in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings, and participating in other international forums. The EU and its member countries are required to report their greenhouse gas emissions, climate change policies and measures, and progress towards targets to the UN (1).

Sustainable development: The EU policy aims at implementing the UN's 2030 agenda for sustainable development and its 17 sustainable development goals (1).

With respect to the coastal and marine environment the following policies are most important:

1. EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) (adopted in 2008) aims to protect more effectively the marine environment across Europe. It wants to achieve a ‘Good Environmental Status’ (GES) of marine waters and to protect the resource base upon which marine-related economic and social activities depend. (2)
2. EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) (adopted in 2000) aims at a ‘Good Ecological Status’ (GES) in all EU ground and surface waters, namely rivers, lakes, transitional waters, and coastal waters. It is not based on national or political boundaries but on river basins including coastal waters. It became part of the more comprehensive MSFD. (3)
3. EU Bathing Water Directive (BWD) (adopted in 2006) defines the monitoring and classification of bathing water quality, the management of bathing water quality and the provision of information to the public on bathing water quality (4).
4. EU Biodiversity Strategy (adopted in 2011) aims to halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the European Union and to help stopping global biodiversity loss (5).
5. Habitats and Birds Directives – Natura 2000 (adopted in 1992) aims at the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. Natura 2000 is the associated network of protected areas (6).
6. Common Fisheries Policy (introduced in the 1970s) aims to ensure that fishing and aquaculture are environmentally, economically and socially sustainable and that they provide a source of healthy food.
7. Climate Change Strategy (adopted in 2013) aims to make Europe more climate-resilient (8).
8. EU Floods Directive (adopted in 2007) focusses on the assessment and management of flood risks (9).
9. Regional Sea Conventions are cooperation structures set up to protect the marine environment of a specific marine region (10).