1. D2 NIS REVIEW PROCESS March 2014: Draft Manual endorsed by WG GES
June 2014:
Manual prepared by Milieu.
Filled by DG ENV and EC JRC.
September 2014:
Amended with comments from MSFD CC Expert Group on NIS
February 2015:
Amended with comments from GES considering also the directions from the cross-cutting workshop
April 2015:
Amended with comments received from Expert Group and DG ENV
April 2015
Final report to CIRCABC for the WG GES meeting.
2 December 2018 1

2. D2 NIS Key recommendations
Criterion 2.1
Retained with some important modifications
Improve quality of species inventories
Link regional and national NIS inventories
Coherence across policies
Align in particular with IAS Regulation, including agreement on definitions
GES threshold values
Qualitative, e.g. increasing trend in the presence and abundance of NIS, qualified as negative, whereas negative trends or stable situations, considered at least acceptable, but no agreement

3. D2 NIS Outstanding issues
Criterion 2.2
Needs to be further considered, i.e. is it needed? If yes, agree on a revised version
This requires considering links with other descriptors, in particular D1, D4 and D6
Exchange of information on indicators/ methodological standards
Work ongoing to develop indicators at national and regional levels
New criteria dealing directly with “propagules pressure”?
Current criteria address pressure and impact exerted by the already established IAS
GES threshold values

4. D2 NIS Way forward Workshop with D2 expert group
(+ thematic experts: D1, RCSs)
Tentative:
end of June 2015
(back-to-back with D1)

5. D2 NIS Issue Way forward Timeline
Harmonization across Descriptors on assessment elements and integrated assessment across them
Links of the D2 (as a pressure) with the state Descriptors
Interaction with state descriptors’ expert groups, RSCs
End 2018