Cyprus News Agency

Trump’s executive order came just weeks after the UN’s International Seabed Authority (ISA) concluded its 30th session in Jamaica without finalizing a rulebook for the safe and sustainable use of mineral resources, effectively extending the global moratorium on seabed mining.

The European Commission told Euronews on Monday that it was “deeply concerned” about the US president’s decree bypassing negotiations at the ISA, established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

A spokesperson for the Commission said that the 1982 Convention “sets the legal framework under which all activities in the oceans and seas must be conducted” and “reflects a balance reconciling the protection of the international community’s and humanity’s common interests with those of individual states.”

The US has never ratified UNCLOS, and attempts to join have been repeatedly blocked by a minority of Republican senators.

Nonetheless, the Commission shares the widely held view that the Convention constitutes fundamental international law, built on decades of recognized norms and practices, and is binding on the US through customary international law.

In a statement emailed to Euronews, the Commission stressed: “It is important to remember that its provisions reflect customary international law and are binding on all states, regardless of whether they are parties to the Convention.”

The Commission added: “By establishing the legal order for the seas and oceans, the Convention contributes to sustainable development, as well as peace, security, cooperation, and friendly relations among all nations.”