EU parliament wants members to adopt marine protection plans

The European Parliament called Tuesday on member states to adopt marine protection programs by 2012 in order to ensure its maritime waters are in "good ecological shape" five years later.

In doing so, the parliament plan bumps up by several years target dates set by the European Commission in its own marine protection plan.

Drafted by French Socialist Eurodeputy Marie-Noelle Lienemann, the program calls on members of the 25-member European Union to establish marine protection zones and to establish measures to guarantee the protection and conservation of the block's 70,000 kilometers (45,000 miles) of coastline.

Specific measures include reestablishing biodiversity, progressively eliminating pollution and ensuring economic and tourist activities are environmentally sustainable.

The program, which calls on EU members to launch national marine strategies by 2014 at the latest, will be discussed by EU environment ministers December 17.

The Commission released its own environment strategy in June.