1. Marine Strategy Framework Directive: implementation process at EU level Gert Verreet – WFD CIS SCG meeting of 11 March 2009

2. Marine Strategies - Implementation milestones
Preparatory phase: the EU Member States must progressively develop Marine Strategies in several steps.
By 15 July 2012:
Description and assessment of current environmental status, including the environmental impact of human activities
Determination of good environmental status
Establishment of environmental targets and associated indicators
By 15 July 2014:
Monitoring programme

3. Marine Strategies - Implementation milestones
Marine Strategies will culminate with:
Programme of measures towards good environmental status – by 2015
Achieve Good Environmental Status – by 2020
Some key concepts:
Regional approach, specific to each sea basin
Building upon existing activities developed in the framework of regional seas conventions
Adaptive management, with regular review (every 6 years)

4. The European Council of 14 December 2007
“welcomes the conclusion of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive as the environmental pillar of the integrated EU maritime policy”

5. Water Framework Directive River Basin Districts
Marine Strategy Framework Directive Marine waters (light blue) in Regions and Sub-Regions
The two framework directives link up in coastal waters, where MSFD will complement WFD for issues not covered by WFD.
Water Framework Directive River Basin Districts

6. Work at different levels, with strong emphasis on co-operation in « Regions »
Strategy elements
Art. 8
Art. 9
Art. 10
Art. 11
Art. 13
Initial Assessment
Determining 'good environmental status'
Setting environmental targets and indicators
Monitoring Programme
Programme of Measures
National level
XXX
Regional level XX
X ?
EU-wide
X: ‘social and economic’ aspects
XX: common criteria and methods -
XX: common reporting (data, information and knowledge sharing across countries and regions)

7. Discussion in two WD meetings of 2008 followed-up
5 February ad hoc marine experts meeting:
confirmed overall EC proposals for work & structure, highlighting some further particular items of interest
discussed challenges of working in regional settings
6 February inaugural meeting of the MSFD Art. 25 Committee:
adopted its Rules of Procedure
discussed work planning of developments falling under the Committee
indicated scope for work on 2 remaining descriptors

8. INITIAL STRUCTURE ( )
COM MS
RSC, …
Input to WG

9. Work Division on descriptors of GES
JRC
1- biodiversity
2 - non-indigenous species
3 (co-lead) - fish populations
5 - eutrophication
8 – contaminants (vs. effects)
SANCO
9 - contaminants (vs. food standards)
ICES
3 (co-lead) fish pop.
4 - food web
6 - sea-floor
11 - energy (noise)
Not covered
7 - hydrographics
10 - litter
Coordination

10. Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS)
The Water Information System for Europe, WISE (left), online since 2007, is a thematic area of SEIS. It is a platform for data and information sharing for all EU water legislation.
The Commission intends to extend WISE to cover the marine Directive needs (hence: WISE-Marine).

11. Simplified data-to-info pyramid for WISE-Marine
Directive core needs
EMODNET
EMODNET will be an important data ‘warehouse’ for WISE-Marine

12. Provisional meeting calendar
Time
Event
9-11 December 2008
Brest Conference '2012 Marine Targets'
- COM informed of planning
5-6 February 2009
Ad hoc expert group meets in Brussels, back-to-back with the Art. 25 Committee
[14+] 15 May ([Brussels and] Leuven)
Marine Strategic Coordination Group [back-to-back with Working group on good environmental status)
- stakeholders present
- Confirm overall work planning (additional needs?)
- Progress report from JRC/ICES/SANCO
19 May in Rome (IT)
Feedback moment with EU maritime policy focal points meeting
[28-] 29 May 2009
Marine Directors
- back-to-back with WD, under CZ Presidency
-approval ToR substructure, policy guidance
June 2009
Working group on data, information and knowledge exchange
- to discuss draft WISE-Marine implementation plan
September 2009
Working group on environmental status
- main interaction moment for work of JRC and ICES on GES
October 2009
Marine Strategic Coordination Group
November 2009
- back-to-back with WD, under SE Presidency
Early 2010
- Finalisation on basis of work of JRC and ICES on GES
First half of 2010
Committee for MSFD Art. 9(3)
- Discuss / approve criteria GES & liaise with EP (scrutiny procedure)
June 2010
- back-to-back with WD, under ES Presidency