1. 16 april 2009
Draft OSPAR’s MSFD Advice Manual on Biodiversity approaches to determining GES, setting of environmental targets and selecting indicators for MSFD Descriptors 1, 2, 4 and 6 Lisette Enserink (NL) on behalf of ICG-COBAM
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2. Aim and contents of this presentation
Inform WG GES on Member States’ MSFD biodiversity work in OSPAR
Contents
Covergence of methods and indicators: process and state of development
Products: Advice Manual and workshop reports
Examples of methods for target setting and candidate OSPAR common indicators
Next steps

3. Process and state of development – what?
MSFD requirements: Member States to deliver
July 2012: Initial Assessment, determination of Good Environmental Status and Indicators and related targets;
July 2014: establishment of monitoring programmes;
2015/2016: development/entry into operation of programme of measures;
2018: first update and review of (1);
2020: aim to achieve GES
2012 product on indicators and related targets: it is possible to submit to the European Commission rough outlines of indicators and targets, which can be further developed until 2014, or even later (next MSFD cycle).

4. Process and state of development – what?
16 april 2009
Biodiversity Descriptors central to GES:
Biodiversity
Non-indigenous species
Food webs
Seafloor integrity
Need for coordinated assessment methods, indicators and targets
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5. Process and state of development – how?
OSPAR acts as platform for coordination between MS
OSPAR
Expert level: Biodiversity Committee (BDC) and its Intersessional Correspondence Group Coordination Of Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring (ICG-COBAM);
Policy level: overall MSFD coordination by ICG-MSFD;
Exchange with HELCOM. EU
Exchange of RSC products: Marine Strategic Coordination Group and related Working Groups, eg. WG on Good Environmental Status.
Examples of products exchanged in WG GES:
OSPAR: terminology, elements of draft Advice Manual on Biodiversity >> approaches for setting baselines and targets;
HELCOM: core sets of (common) indicators >> inspired OSPAR!

6. Advice manual and workshop reports
Two OSPAR workshops (reports available):
Approaches for setting targets and baselines for biodiversity indicators (Utrecht, November 2010);
Comparison of nationally selected indicators and targets and identification of candidates for common OSPAR indicators (Amsterdam, November 2011);
Additional products contribute to common language: terminology, definition of pressures, lists of (protected, threatened) species and habitats, assessment scales, summaries for candidate common indicators (in prep.);
All summarized in OSPAR’s MSFD Advice Manual on Biodiversity – Draft in BDC 2012, living document
Need for coordination: there is much to gain because of:
Central position of biodiversity in MSFD - GES
underdeveloped assessment frameworks for biodiversity
Expensive monitoring

7. Examples of advice Baseline setting methods Target setting methods
Candidate common indicators including baselines and targets

8. Baseline setting methods
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9. Target setting methods 1. Directional or trend-based
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10. 2. Target set at baseline

11. 3. Target as deviation from baseline

12. Candidate common OSPAR indicators for D1, 2, 4 and 6
Proposed by MS and discussed/modified and prioritized in 2nd workshop and ICG-COBAM
41 indicators: habitats (14), fish (8), birds (8), mammals & reptiles (9), NIS (2)
For each indicator: expert judgement on available monitoring, state of development of the metric, level of consensus on baseline and target
Some are operational, but many need further work

13. Next steps On indicators: Summarize info per indicator
Further prioritize towards core set
Establish expert groups for further development towards operational indicators:
metrics, baselines/ targets
taking into account (sub)regional variation
Possible involvement of ICES: contribute to further specification and testing (cf. OSPAR EcoQOs)
Other issues:
Assessment scales

14. Questions?