Marine Strategy Framework Directive: Goals and Challenges

Johanna KarhuEU Marine and Fisheries Policy Officer

Birdlife Europe

• MSFD adopted in July 2008• Transposed into national law• Aim: Take measures to maintain or achieve good

environmental status (GES) by 2020:

Protect, preserve, restore and prevent deterioration

of the marine environment

Prevent and reduce inputs in the marine

environment, with a view to phasing out pollution

Apply an ecosystem-based approach to managing human activities, and

ensure collective pressures don’t

compromise GES

Good Environmental Status

“the environmental status of marine waters where these provide ecologically diverse and dynamic oceans and seas which are clean, healthy and productive within their intrinsic conditions, and the use of the marine environment is at a level that is sustainable, thus safeguarding the potential for uses and activities by current and future generations” (Art 3[5])

...by 2020 at the latest

• First legislative instrument for marine biodiversity policy in EU

• Member States have to develop Marine Strategies applying ecosystem approach to the management of human activities

• Regional cooperation required at each stage• EC decision on criteria and methodological

standards on GES

What does this translate to?• 11 EU Descriptors • 29 EU Criteria• Lots of subtargets

and indicators

11 Descriptors• Descriptor 1: Biological diversity • Descriptor 2: Non-indigenous species • Descriptor 3: Population of commercial fish / shell fish • Descriptor 4: Elements of marine food webs • Descriptor 5: Eutrophication • Descriptor 6: Sea floor integrity • Descriptor 7: Alteration of hydrographical conditions • Descriptor 8: Contaminants • Descriptor 9: Contaminants in fish and seafood for human

consumption • Descriptor 10: Marine litter • Descriptor 11: Introduction of energy, including underwater noise

Regional Seas

• Coordinating work regionally• Working to deliver GES for

Marine Regions• A role for Regional Seas

Conventions, e.g. HELCOM• MS have to consider

implications beyond their boundaries

MSFD Marine (Sub-)Regions

July 2008

Directive transposed

Initial assessment of national marine status

Determine GES for each region, targets and indicators

Monitoring programme established;(& MPAs progress report)

Programme of measures designed

Programme of measures operational

GES is achieved

2010 2015 2020 2012 2014 2016

Agree GES descriptor criteria, etc

Developing Common

Implementation Strategy

State of our Seas• Initial assessment of the current state of the

EU’s seas – due 15/10/2012• Monitoring• Regular review – every 6 years

Spatial Tools• MPAs are specifically mentioned• MSs are to report on MPA implementation

progress • Marine planning is inferred, new Maritime

Spatial Planning Directive just adopted by EC

Integration

• Environmental concerns must be integrated into other relevant policies and legislative measures, e.g. the CFP and the Integrated Maritime Policy.

• The Commission is required to ensure that fisheries measures (particularly the reform of the CFP) meet the requirements of GES.

Costs vs GES

Action is not required where the costs would be disproportionate

Caveats• taking account of the risks to the marine

environment• provided that there is no further deterioration• Must also look at the costs of doing nothing or

of allowing environmental degradation• Must justify lack of action to the European

Commission

Where are we now?• Member States had to submit their Art. 8

Initial assessment, Art. 9 Determination of GES and Art. 10 Environmental targets & indicators by 15/10/2012

• Bulgaria, Ireland, Malta and Poland have not yet submitted their reports and Portugal, Slovenia and UK have only partially submitted

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/marine/eu-coast-and-marine-policy/implementation/scoreboard_en.htm

Results of ESEC survey on NGO experiences

• 31 NGO responses• Concerns: not enough financial resources, lack of

awareness among NGOs and stakeholders, lack of concrete targets, MS relying on existing commitments to reach GES,

• Main gaps in reports and knowledge: biodiversity and food web, non-commercial fish, energy/noise impacts, marine litter, contaminants etc..

• Main concerns with reports: targets too generic, lack of data used for not setting clear targets, insufficient coordiantion between authorities, lack of precautionary approach

• Public consultations in MS: 59% indicated that they were involved at the end of reporting process and 26% from the start of the process

Remaining challenges• Attaining necessary scientific knowledge for

defining the state of marine environment• Financing• Integration of sectoral policies• Dissemination and communication on the

marine environment• Enhanced stakeholder participation at all

levels

What happens next?• The Commission has 6 months to review the MS

initial assessments, determination of GES and setting targets and indicators

• The work will focus on developing monitoring programmes for assessments by 15/07/2014

• Programme of measures to achieve/maintain GES 15/07/2015

• Entry into operation by 15/07/2016• Only 4 years to achieve GES

Thank you – any questions?