EU Thematic Strategy for the Protection and Conservation of the Marine Environment Outline of impact assessment François Wakenhut – European Commission Stakeholder Meeting – 2 June 2006 Background to why EU development of MS. We have the WFD and CFP but no strategy for the marine environment Present the main elements of what could be the MS Common approaches and ecosystem approach Target audiences and possible out put Regional development Necessary steps to take some examples Delivery tools in EU Some important international instruments Time schedule Some of my own conclusions

Reference Accompanies the proposed Marine Strategy Directive: SEC(2005)1290

Approach Diagnosis – rationale for action – magnitude of the problem Assessment of costs of non-action Different policy options considered Costs and benefits

Added value of flexible legal obligation (option retained) Objectives will be achieved (does it work now with softer approach?) Monitoring and Assessment (coherent, consistent, efficient) will be implemented (no duplication of efforts and costs – efficiency gains – reduction of cost of regulation – informed policy-making). Pressures, Impacts, Assessments will be undertaken in an integrated manner Transboundary Issues –eutrophication, chemical pollution, exotic species etc will be addressed. Programmes of measures will be developed and implemented consistently. Related EU policies will deliver their contributions.

Cost analysis Analysis of administrative and monitoring costs of implementation – extrapolations from U.S. and Irish Sea cases about €70 million annually (€90 million during the inception phase) Impossible to measure impact of measures to be taken as a result of the proposed Directive at this stage: Marine Strategy Directive will only set general objectives and framework for cooperation - no significant costs incurred in the first phase beyond administration (monitoring/reporting). Costs and tradeoffs between different options will only be measured in a second stage, when devising implementation plans

Cost dimension in draft Marine Strategy Directive Article 7 (Assessment). « Member States shall make an initial assessment of their European marine waters, comprising the following: (c) an economic and social analysis of their use and of the cost of degradation of the marine environment » Article 12.3 (Programmes of measures): « When drawing up the programme of measures pursuant to paragraph 2, Member States shall give due consideration to sustainable development and, in particular to the social and ecnoomic impacts of the measures envisaged. Member States shall ensure that measures are cost-effective, technically feasible and shal carry out impact assessments, including detailed cost-beneft analysese, prior to the introduction of any new measure. »

Some sources used Sources used: International scientific reports: eg FAO’s state of world fisheries 2004, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment etc Relevant pilot projects (Irish Sea Pilot etc) Literature on valuation of global commons (Costanza etc) MS reports and studies – Charting progress (UK); Net benefits (UK), RSU report on Baltic/North Sea (Germany); Turning the tide (UK) etc NGO reports (WWF, English Nature, RSPB on marine spatial planning etc) Commission studies and reports (ICZM, ship recycling etc) National marine strategies (UK, Sweden, U.S., Canada etc) Industry associations reports (shipowners, dredging etc)