Press Release: Commission proposes environmental strategy to protect the Mediterranean Sea

The European Commission has proposed a long-term environmental strategy for cleaning up and protecting the Mediterranean Sea, 6 September 2006. This unique ecosystem is deteriorating as environmental pressures such as pollution and construction increase. The major oil spill that occurred during the recent conflict in Lebanon has dramatically highlighted the vulnerability of the region's environment. The Mediterranean's decline threatens the health of the 143 million people living on its shores as well as the long-term development of key economic sectors that depend on the sea, such as fishing and tourism.