Preliminary results of a SURVEY of Adriatic region’s Countries’

Competent Authorities on Marin Litter issue

Ognjen Škunca

ognjen@irmo.hr

Conference on regional cooperation in Marine Litter management in Adriatic region, March 25th, 2015, Split, Croatia

IRMO

The objectives of the survey

• European Commission’s Assessment and Guidance of the first phase of implementation of MSFD (February, 2014):

– insufficient coherence … insufficient regional cooperation

– “regional cooperation must be at the very heart of MSFD implementation, and influence national implementation processes, rather than the other way around”

• Use the DEFISHGEAR project to facilitate and support regional cooperation on ML issues in Adriatic region

• FIRST STEP: preparation for regional inter-country discussion -gathering and exchanging data on the current ML-related situation, on-going activities and plans in the countries of the region = Questionnaire

The Questionnaire for countries’ Competent Authorities for ML: structure and content

• In line with Elements for National Biennial Reports specified by the Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean

• Structure / content / scope:

I. Policy, legal instruments and institutional arrangements • MSDF, RP, Waste policy & implement., Fisheries, intersectoral cooperation, …

II. National and local measures to prevent and reduce generation of marine litter;

III. Programmes of removal and disposal of existing marine litter; IV. National marine litter monitoring programmes (summary report); V. Enhancement of public awareness and education; VI. Stakeholder participation; VII. Assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of the

measures; and VIII. Difficulties in the implementation of measures encountered.

General response on the Questionnaire• Ongoing activity:

– 5 submitted (3MS: CRO, SLO, IT; 2 candidate states BiH, MNG) fairly complete, 2 still under preparation (1 MS: GR; 1 candidate state: ALB);

– 4 out of 5 (CRO, SLO, BIH, MNG) either prepared by or formally cleared by the Competent Authority

• In general, rather challenging effort due to

– Multi-sectoral nature of ML Issue (environment, waste, fisheries, …)

– Constantly Busy Agenda in relevant institutions, with higher priority / more urgent matters with attached deadlines …

• Varying responses …

– In some cases very positive response: supporting initiative, actively participating

– In some cases arguably perceived as too pushy, kind of intrusion – more formal stance, which is also understandable in the context of responsible authorities and institutions … (important Lessons Learned)

I. Policy, legislation ...: MSFD

• All MS prepared and submitted all due documents (IA, GES & ET, Monitoring)

• All MS emphasize practically complete lack of data as the major obstacle in all phases: IA not really possible, GES and Targets only qualitative, monitoring defined more as research monitoring that yet have to provide data which will inform eventual definition of optimal regular monitoring

• No coordination with the neighbors in the Adriatic region

• Phase of preparation of Program of measures which is due by the end of 2015: SLO – draft Program prepared; ITA – preparatory phase (discussions, preparation of background material); CRO not yet started

• The main difficulties in preparation: lack of financing, lack of data, lack of experience in marine litter research and training in marine litter monitoring (CRO); Difficulties in the standardization of methodologies among Regions (ITA); Lack of data, lack of knowledge, lack of regional coordination (SLO)

I. Policy, legislation ...: MSFD (cont.)

• Candidate countries: some preparatory work on transposition, NO activities resembling those required by MSFD …

• MNG: Preparation of various relevant studies; Draft Law on Environment (expected to be adopted during 2015.) foresees Regulation on the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems (in plan to be proposed in 2016.)

• BIH: a number of laws relevant for marine pollution (and ML), on various levels (e.g. Water Law of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Law on inland and maritime navigation of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina). Law on Waste management of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina DOES NOT recognize ML as special waste category.

I. Policy, legislation ...Activities driven by Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean

• SLO, IT, BIH, MNG: Nothing to report …

• CRO: … MENP, as responsible coordinative body for both MSFD and MED POL, integrated revision of NAP into the process of development of the national Program of measures in line with the MSFD requirements

• OSkunca: all countries, especially MS already dealt with many requirements from the Regional plan (legislation, prevention, removal), but not intentionally and in systematic way.

Inter-ministerial coordination and cooperation on ML issue

• SLO, IT, MNG: NO

• BIH: Inter-entity environmental body; Inter-entity Advisory Commission for the Coordination of Water Management

• CRO: National Committee for elaboration and implementation of documents of the Strategy for Marine Environment and Coastal Area Management (40 institutions, all relevant ministries, institutes, county level bodies …)

I. Policy, legislation ...Waste legislation:

• MS: full-fledged EU waste legislation

• Candidate states: EU waste legislation is THE priority areas for transposition, however: not yet completed; early phase of establishment of network of sanitary landfills (location studies …), preparation of communal WMPs for selected regions, … no strategic planning related for investments in this sector

ML recognized as special waste category?

• CRO: Yes, however not yet prepared foreseen by-law on Marine litter

• IT: No. In reality, ML on beaches treated as MSW, from FfL activities as special waste from fisheries, however, free from fee for disposal (according the Act implementing Directive 2000/59/EC on port reception facilities)

• SLO: No, however, several relevant Acts (port reception facilities; Decree on the concession to perform mandatory state public utility service for seabed and coastal land maintenance)

I. Policy, legislation ...Effectiveness of the Waste Management System in reality:

• Candidate states: MNG: circa 40-50% of waste ends at illegal dumpsites; 10-20% in coastal areas; BIH over 50% at illegal dumpsites; <5% in coastal area

• MS: significantly less dramatic – no official estimate available

• MS municipality is responsible for regular cleaning up of the dumpsites in some reasonable time (e.g. CRO: 6 months after the dumpsite has been reported)

• Candidate states have mandatory cleaning up od dumpsites by municipalities, but it is not obeyed

System for selective collection of the plastic packaging waste?

• Candidate states: early phase, larger urban centers

• MS: significant percentage (e.g. Italy over 90% of population covered)

Assessment of waste infrastructure on beaches:

• E.g. IT – almost everywhere (=3); (for comparison: NGO assessment: between „only few major beaches = 1 and all major beaches = 2)

I. Policy, legislation ...

Legislation for ALDFG and Fishing for Litter:

• Only SLO reported legislation on management of Derelict Fishing Gear (separate collection of old nets, etc): Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with CFP

• No country has legislation specially regulating management of ML from FfL

Operative Program for Fisheries 2014-2020

• CRO: draft Operative Programme includes ML-related provisions, in line with Article 40 of EU Regulation No 508/2014on EMFF: The Programme shall support the protection and restoration of the marine environment (through) collection of lost fishing gear and marine litter.

• SLO, IT: draft Operative programme prepared – NO ML related measures

• SLO explanation: not sufficient data to justify inclusion, but Defishgear project pilots will serve as base for possible subsequent inclusion of these measures

II. Measures to prevent and reduce generation of ML

• General comment: Information provided in questionnaires of anecdotal type …

• SLO emphasized measures dealing with installment of waste collection infrastructure on beaches and initiation of FfL practices; more measures under preparation (within MSFD framework)

• IT reported on activities introducing biodegradable plastic bags, and decree that establishes fines for stores that sell customers single-use plastic shopping bags

• MNG reported nothing;

• CRO still waiting response from MENP Waste division

• BIH reported regular cleaning of the illegal dumpsites that are source of ML due to the run off or wind (however: Čapljina’s official dumpsite ADA, which is practically within river Neretva riverbed, 15km upstream from Neretva delta, is unsolvable problem …)

III. Programs of removal and disposal of existing ML

• General comment: Information provided in questionnaires of anecdotal type …

• All countries has established at least seasonal beach clean-up: e.g. SLO – coast cleaned regularly by Javna vodnogospodarska služba za varstvo obalnega morja(SVOM) (as mandatory state public utility service for seabed and coastal land maintenance); municipalities; and occasionally by public campaigns

• IT additionally reported FfL activities and removal of ML from sea floor in specially valuable areas. According to art. 8 of the Legislative Decree n. 182/2003 “Implementation of Directive 2000/59/EC on port reception facilities … each commercial port must be equipped with facilities for the collection and storage of … ML accidentally trawled up by fishermen during their normal fishing activity.

• BIH emphasized intensive sea-floor clean-up by local diving center in recent years

IV. National marine litter monitoring programs

• SLO: fairly developed monitoring practice, in all segments (beaches, floating, seafloor, microplatics) since 2007; major actor: Institute for water of the Republic of Slovenia; activities within DEFISHGEAR are natural development of these activities, in line with protocol developed in line with EU recommendations

• IT: Since 2014, monitoring activities have been committed to Regional Environmental Protection Agencies (ARPAs). Each Region subscribed a special agreement with MATTM for the implementation of the monitoring programs including beach litter and microlitter. + Legambiente Golleta Verde monitoring (www.legambiente.it/marinelitter). Currently, regarding ML, within MSFD monitoring, only microplastic and beach litter analysis are performed

• BiH reported monitoring activitie in December 2014 initiated within Defishgearproject and commitment to proceede with it after the project ends

• CRO: reported no ongoing program; MFSD ML monitoring foreseen initiatlly as a framework for further elaboration of detailed and applicable monitoring of ML.

• MNG: No monitoring programme

V. Enhancement of public awareness and education

• IT: reported a number of Legambiente initiatives / activities (in more details in their presentation …)

• SLO: besides a number of public campaigns, they also reported „national level” systematic programme, i.e. proposal for performance of public awareness activities, prepared by the Institute for water of the Republic of Slovenia, waiting for confirmation of the Ministry of the Environment and spatial planning

• CRO; MNG, BIH: nothing that they were aware, looking from national level, although every clean-up campaign is also enhancement of public awareness and education …

VI. Stakeholder participation

• All countries listed impressive number of stakeholders, from all sectors …

• clearly, lack of recognition of someone as stakeholder is not an issue

• Scattered comments …

VI. Assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of the measures

VIII. Difficulties in the implementation of measures encountered

IT SLO CRO BIH MNG

Lack of clear legislative

framework regulating ML issue

X X X X X

Lack of enforcement X X X

Lack of financing X X X X

Lack of awareness of the problem

among the key stakeholders

X Xtourism

X, DM all

levels

X

Lack of coordination among the

institutions

X X X X

Marine Litter is not problem in

our country

Other …