The European Union has formally renewed its decade-long ocean partnership with the Pacific, signing a second phase of the Pacific – EU Marine Partnership (PEUMP) that will run from this year through 2030 with a EUR 20 million (about 52 million FJD) budget to bolster ocean governance, sustainable fisheries and regional resilience.
Announced at a signing ceremony in Suva, the PEUMP phase 2 continues work begun in 2018 and will be implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC), the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the University of the South Pacific (USP), in close collaboration with the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC), national governments, civil society and local communities. Activities under the renewed programme will focus on education, research and training, evidence-based policymaking and technical assistance across Pacific Island countries and Timor‑Leste.
Phase 2 sets out four priority areas: strengthening ocean governance; sustainably managing oceanic and coastal fisheries; improving value chains and market access so benefits are equitably shared; and stepping up efforts to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. Implementation is scheduled to begin this year, with programme activities phased through to 2030, providing a multi-year funding stream for regional capacity building and applied science.
EU Ambassador to the Pacific Barbara Plinkert said the agreement underlines long-term European commitment to protecting the ocean. “This agreement between our two regions — which collectively represents almost 40 countries — is a powerful reflection of our shared, long-term commitment to the ocean,” she said, framing the renewal as a symbol of shared responsibility despite different geographies.
FFA Director General Noan David Pakop emphasised concrete benefits for the Pacific’s tuna sector, a cornerstone of many Pacific economies. He said PEUMP phase 2 will translate “our vision of a sustainably managed and economically strong Pacific tuna fishery into tangible outcomes for our members — strengthening value chains, investing in national industries and advancing innovative monitoring and compliance.” Pakop tied the programme to broader goals of maximising sustainable returns and building climate resilience for island communities.
SPC Deputy Director for the Educational Quality and Assessment Programme Seci Waqabaca framed the partnership as a response to persistent capacity and governance challenges across the region. “Capacity gaps, evolving science, climate pressures, and governance complexities are our reefs. Yet it is precisely at these points of testing that we grow stronger,” Waqabaca said, underlining SPC’s role in coordinating technical support and strengthening regional institutions.
USP’s Pro‑Chancellor, the Right Honourable Siosiua Tuitalukua Tupou Utoikamanu, highlighted the university’s contribution to capacity building through its regional campuses and research. He said PEUMP 2 will “weave indigenous knowledge and wisdom with modern science,” boosting ocean science, climate adaptation and fisheries market-readiness to support livelihoods, food security and identity across Pacific communities.
The renewed partnership is explicitly designed to align with the region’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, situating the EU-funded programme within broader international commitments on oceans and biodiversity. The Delegation of the European Union to the Pacific, based in Suva since 1975, will continue to act as the EU’s regional liaison as PEUMP 2 moves into implementation.
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