The Marine Strategy Framework Directive Interim results

Good Environmental Status “Do we have a common understanding?” GES defined in Article 3.5 and Annex I Decision 2010/477/EU gives GES criteria and methodological standards SWP (2011) 1255 looks at the relationship between Annex III and Annex I 2011 Common Understanding Document sets out some aspects on how to approach setting of GES and targets

* 100% = 15 Member States

Percentage of MS which have set F and SSB at MSY levels for all stocks

GES state-of-play / interim conclusions (Art. 12) Not all MS have “determined” GES in accordance with the Directive Limited coherence within marine regions and no coherence across EU Significant differences between GES definitions in terms of level of detail, reference to appropriate legislation or standards and use of criteria and indicators Confusion between Art. 9 (GES) and Art. 10 (targets), limited link to Art. 8 (assessment) GES often not “measurable” – therefore, we do not know current GES levels in the marine waters Monitoring and measures depend on clear and measurable GES

Initial Assessment

Interim conclusions I.A. Only a small proportion of MS have used their GES determination to make a judgment on the level of impact of the relevant pressures in their initial assessment. For D10 and D8, a larger group of MS has used other standards to make this judgement (e.g. RSC standards) For D7, the relatively broad definition of GES can explain why GES determination is more frequently used in the IA.

Planning 30th April deadline updated MS information Ongoing assessment of adequacy, consistency and coherence based on text reports and RS End of May first results from consultant analysis Summer: drafting the art 12 assessment report and country annexes Autumn: ISC, translation, publication

D8: Concentrations of contaminants are at levels not giving rise to pollution effects. Example 1: Concentrations of contaminants in water, sediment, or biota are kept within agreed levels (national/EU/RSC level) and are not increasing; The effects of contaminants on selected biological processes and taxonomic groups, where a cause/effect relationship has been established, are kept within agreed levels (national/EU/RSC levels)   Example 2: Contaminants concentration levels do not cause pollution, meaning in practice that less than 10% of the area under evaluation is subjected to impacts and threats to the ecosystems, i.e. positive deviations to the reference conditions established. Example 3: Set of GES conditions: Concentrations of contaminants for which a threshold is available (WFD and OSPAR) do not exceed these thresholds; Concentrations in biota do not increase over time; Concentrations in top predators do not increase over time; The effects of contaminants are assessed as insignificant. UK: for both concentration and effects = broad reference to national, EU, international (RSC) standards but without details – would point to WFD, OSPAR and any additional national standards. Use criteria and partial use of indicators. Portugal: simple reproduction of GES definition, no reference to any standard, no use of criteria and indicators. France: use criteria and partially indicators, reference to WFD and OSPAR