Marine Strategy Framework Directive: the initial assessment and its links to the UN Regular Process UN Regular Process Workshop for the North Atlantic,

Marine Strategy Framework Directive:the initial assessment and its links to

the UN Regular Process

UN Regular Process

Workshop for the North Atlantic, the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, under the auspices of the United Nations, in support of the Regular Process for global reporting and

assessment of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

27-29 June 2012

Brussels

David Connor DG Environment, Marine Environment Unit

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008)

EU’s legal instrument for the protection of our seas

Overall objective: achieve or maintain Good Environmental Status (GES) of all EU marine waters by 2020.

Overarching Goal: Achieve GES of EU’s Marine Waters by 2020

Protected Ecosystems

 Clean, healthy, 

productive seas

Sustainable Uses

of Europe’s marine 

resources

Common Approaches

Cooperation at the EU and regional level 

Regional approach to implementation, through establishment of Marine Regions and Sub-regions

Adoption of an ecosystem-based and integrated approach to the management of all human activities which have an impact on the marine environment.

High-level aspiration - MSFD GES overview

Definition (Art. 3.5) Ecologically diverse and dynamic seas which are clean, healthy and 

productive Use is at a sustainable level Fully functioning and resilient ecosystem Biodiversity decline is prevented, biodiversity is in balance and 

protected Hydro-morphological, physical and chemical state support above No pollution effects

What is GES? – Annex I DescriptorsNo. Topic

1 Biological diversity

2 Non-indigenous species

3 Commercial fish & shellfish

4 Food-webs

5 Eutrophication

6 Sea-floor integrity

7 Hydrography

8 Contaminants

9 Contaminants in seafood

10 Litter

11 Energy, incl. underwater noise

Source: Prescott & Schofield (2005)

MSFD WFD

Marine waters:

Inc. EEZs

Continental Shelf areas

Coastal waters (of WFD)

For marine:

Transitional Waters

Coastal Waters (to 1nm)

Geographic scope of MSFD

Modified from MRAG (2012)

MSFD

1nm

Draft map8 June 2012

MSFD regions and subregions

Light shading are areas of non-MS waters within a region/sub-regionBlue lines are Continental Shelf areas (seabed only) (for IE, PT, UK)White lines are MSFD sub-divisions (for ES)

Celtic Seas

Macaronesia

Macaronesia

Black Sea

Baltic Sea

Aegean-Levantine Sea

Western Mediterranean Sea

Bay of Biscay andthe Iberian Coast

Ionian Sea and the Central Mediterranean Sea

GreaterNorth Sea

Adriatic Sea

30°E20°E10°E0°10°W20°W30°W

40°N

30°N

20°N

• GES is determined at Region or Subregion level (Art. 3.5)• Coherent, coordinated and common approaches (Art. 5.2)• Achieved through Regional Sea Conventions (Art. 6) & CIS

Regional approach/coordination

Implementation Steps

• Initial assessment (IA) of current environmental status of MS waters

• Determination of GES

• Establishment of environmental targets and associated indicators

• Monitoring programme for ongoing assessment and regular updating of targets

• Programme of measures to achieve or maintain GES

• Review of the different steps

Main steps of a Marine Strategy:

Initial assessment

Article 8 – initial assessment of MS marine waters, due 2012, updated 2018:

Characteristics and status of MS marine waters, based on Annex III, Table 1

Analysis of pressures and impacts, based on Annex III, Table 2

An economic & social analysis, and cost of degradation

Annex III, Table 1Characteristics of marine waters (1)

Features Topics

Physical and chemical features

Topography, bathymetry of seabed

Temperature regime

Ice cover

Current velocity

Upwelling

Wave exposure

Mixing characteristics

Turbidity

Residence time

Salinity

Nutrients & oxygen

pH, pCO2

Annex III, Table 1Characteristics of marine waters (2)

Features Topics

Habitat typesPredominant seabed & water column habitats

Special habitat types

Biological features

Biological communities of predominant habitats

Fish

Mammals and reptiles

Seabirds

Species protected by Directives & Conventions

Non-indigenous & genetically-modified species

Other featuresChemicals of concern

Other features/characteristics

Annex III, Table 2Pressures and impacts

Pressure themes Pressures

Physical loss Smothering, sealing

Physical damage Siltation, abrasion, extraction

Other physical disturbanceNoiseLitter

Interference with hydrological processes

Thermal regime changesSalinity regime changes

Contamination by hazardous substances

Synthetic compoundsNon-synthetic compounds

Radio-nuclides

Systematic or intentional release of substances

e.g. CO2 storage, produced water

Nutrient & organic enrichmentInputs of N & P-rich substances

Inputs of organic matter

Biological disturbanceMicrobial pathogens

Non-indigenous speciesExtraction of species (incl. by-catch)

Art. 8.1c - Marine uses and activitiesTheme Use/activity

Energy productionRenewable energy generation (wind, wave & tidal power)Hydrocarbon extraction (oil & gas)

Extraction of living resourcesFisheries incl. recreational fishing (fish & shellfish)Seaweed and other sea-based food harvestingExtraction of genetic resources/bioprospecting/maerl

Extraction of non-living resourcesMarine mining (sand, gravel, rock)DredgingDesalination/water abstraction

Food production Aquaculture (fin-fish & shellfish)

Land-based activities/industriesIndustry (discharges, emissions)Agriculture & forestry (run-off, emissions)Urban (municipal waste water discharge)

Man-made structures (incl. construction phase)

Land claim, coastal defencePort operationsPlacement & operation of offshore structuresSubmarine cable & pipeline operations

MilitaryDefence operationsDumping of unwanted munitions

Recreation Tourism & recreation incl. yachting

Research and survey Marine research, survey & educational activities

Transport Shipping

Waste disposalSolid waste disposal incl. dredge materialStorage of gasses

GES and targets Article 9 – Determination of GES:

11 ‘descriptors’ of GES (Annex I) Each descriptor has criteria and indicators (2010 COM 

Decision) 

Article 10 – Targets to achieve GES:

State, impact, pressure or operational Associated indicators

Pressure ZHabitat disturbance

Pressure

Pressure YContamination

Pressure XUnderwater noise

Economic & social analysis

Art 8.1c

Assessment of pressures

Art 8.1b Table 2

Assessment of stateArt 8.1aTable 1

Activity AOil & gas

Activity BSand & gravel 

extraction

Activity CShipping

Activity DFishing

ActivityComponent A

Cetaceans

Component BFish

Component CSeabirds

Component DPelagic habitat

Component ESeabed habitat

State

IMPACTS

GES - Desired state of environmentAcceptable levels of

impact

GES - Acceptable levels of

pressure

Measures - Focus on pressures –

where, how much, how frequent?

Pressures

ImpactsGoods & services

List of pressures:

PhysicalHydrological

ChemicalBiological

List of human activities:

Sea-basedLand-based

List of ecosystem components:

Physical/chemicalSpecies/functional groups

HabitatsEcosystem functions

Initial Assessment

Reports on: Component A Component B Component C Component D Component E

Characteristics reporting sheets

Reports on:

Pressure C

Pressure D

Pressure E

Pressure A

Pressure B

Pressures & Impacts

reporting sheets

Reports on:

Activity A

Activity B

Activity C

Activity D

Activity E

Socio-economic reporting

sheets

Pressures and impacts analysis Analysis of the pressure:

What are the characteristics of the pressure? What are the sources of the pressure (i.e. the human activities)? What is the level of pressure arising from the human activities 

(the 'input level') and/or found in the environment (the 'output level')?

Analysis of impacts: What are the impacts of the pressure on the environment? 

Distinguish impacts on: water column habitats seabed habitats functional groups (of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles)

Assessment of the pressure and its impacts: Is the current level of the pressure acceptable? Is the current level of the impacts acceptable?

Ecosystem characteristics analysis Characterisation of the component:

What are the characteristics of the component? What is the current situation (state) for the 

component, (e.g. for a habitat: its distribution, extent and condition) and how is this changing over time?

What are the key pressures affecting (impacting) the component?

Current status of the component:

What is the current status of the component?

Uses and activities analysis An economic and social analysis of the uses of marine waters (a sector by

sector report): What are the characteristics of the activity? What is the current distribution and intensity of the 

activity? What are the economic and social benefits of the 

activity (e.g. employment, annual productivity)? What are the key pressures arising from the activity?

Or: report on ecosystem services or other approaches used Cost of degradation of the marine environment

Including costs of reducing the pressures and impacts that are needed to achieve GES.

Annex III, Table 1

Physical & Chemical

Physical seabed

Hydrology

Chemistry

SpeciesSpecies

Functional groups

HabitatsPredominant, Special

Particular areas

Ecosystems

OtherChemicals

Features

Pressure

StatePressure criteria & indicators

Annex III, Table 2

Physical Chemical/Pollution Biological

Physical loss & damage

Hydrological change

Other physical: energy

Other physical: 

litter

Hazardous substances

Nutrients, organic 

enrichmentPathogens

Non-indigenous 

spp.

Extraction of species; by-catch

1.1 Species distribution

1.2 Population size

1.3 Population condition

1.7 Ecosystem structure4.1 Productivity4.2 Proportion of species at top of food web4.3 Abundance of key species/groups

8.1 Conc. of contaminants

8.2 Acute pollution

9.1 Levels, no. of contaminants

7.1 Spatial characteristics of permanent alterations

1.4 Habitat distribution

1.5 Habitat extent

1.6 Habitat condition6.2 Condition of benthos

Annex III, Table 2

Physical Chemical/Pollution Biological

Physical loss & damage

Hydrological change

Other physical: energy

Other physical: 

litter

Contam-inants

Nutrients, organic 

enrichmentPathogens

Non-indigenous 

spp.

Extraction of species; by-catch

Annex III, Table 1

Physical & Chemical

Physical seabed

Hydrology

Chemistry

SpeciesSpecies

Functional groups

HabitatsPredominant, Special

Particular areas

Ecosystems

OtherChemicals

Features

Pressure

StatePressure criteria & indicators

Impact criteria & indicators

Report on state of component, including impacts

Report on pressure, including impacts

MSFD and the UN Regular Process Some key areas of convergence

The ecosystem approach is central in the MSFD and in Part III of the UN Regular process outline

Descriptors 3,4,8 under MSFD are relevant to Part IV ( food security and food safety) of the UN Regular process outline

Assessments of impacts of activities under MSFD could feed in Part V of the UN Regular process outline

Broad/predominant habitat types are assessed under MSFD (Annex III , table 1)  and the UN Regular process in a similar way

Throughout the MSFD, attention is given to economic and social factors, as in the UN Regular Process

Reflections on the costs of environmantal degradation can help contribute to Chapter 47

Some gaps and differences in approach Geographical coverage UN Regular Process – sector by sector (‘individual’ pressures 

and impacts) MSFD – pressure by pressure (cumulative pressure across 

activities)

Mutual synergies: MSFD assessment available in time to feed in the UN Regular 

Process first report UN Regular Process will have relevant information for the six 

year review under MSFD (in 2018)

MSFD and the UN Regular Process

Summary MSFD requires a comprehensive assessment of Member

State marine waters by July 2012 (report to EC by Oct. 2012)

Ecosystem statePressures and impactsUses and activities

MS reports in ‘paper’ and electronic format Possibility to develop regional and EU level ‘aggregated

reports’ on certain topics Coverage of reports equates well to UN RP needs Need to re-use information where possible

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11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

41 42 43 44 45 46 47

Relevance of MSFD Initial Assessment to UN Regular Process chapters

Topics similar Can contribute

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