The Environmental Impact Assessment in the Foreseen Agreement for Marine Biodiversity Governance beyond National Jurisdiction and Its Expected Application to Marine Renewable Energy Technologies

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) is one of the central elements of the expected international legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), which is currently under negotiation. Considering that marine renewable energy technologies are increasingly being developed in areas further away from the coast and that their de-velopment may have adverse environmental impacts on these ecosystems, this study analyses the regulation of the EIA in the expected agreement, its foreseeable application to marine renewable energy technologies, and provides suggestions for strengthening environmental protection.