Marine conservation lost in submission: the bottlenecks stalling the European Union’s protected areas pledge delivery

Pledge submissions for the EU Biodiversity Strategy’s goal to protect 30% of marine areas by 2030 are severely delayed. A 19-country survey reveals challenges ranging from ambiguous guidance to technical constraints and insufficient time. These hurdles risk delaying submissions and producing inconsistent pledges, thereby hindering Marine Spatial Planning progress. This paper proposes practical recommendations to unlock timely, high-quality submissions and help the EU deliver its marine conservation commitments.