1. EU Marine Strategy Stakeholder meeting 8 November 2007
Carlos Berrozpe Garcia & Gert Verreet

2. Timing institutional negotiations
What went before
European Parliament First Reading completed – November 2006
Council
Political Agreement – 18 December 2006
Common Position – 23 July 2007
Recently
Start of second reading EP first week of September 2007
EP ENVI Committee vote on draft amendments 9 October 2007 (63)
Council WP Environment 11/9, 1/10, 18/10, 23/10
Council COREPER 31/10
Ongoing
Informal trilogues 5/11, 19/11, …
Council COREPER 9/11, 14/11
2nd Reading deadline for compromise package
Vote in EP Plenary 12/12

3. Main outstanding issues for second reading
Scope, including interfacing regulatory regime between the Marine Strategy and the Water Framework Directive (Article 3)
also waters beyond national jurisdiction, Arctic
Marine protected areas
Role of the European Commission
(range advisory / requesting additional efforts / deciding on sufficiency)
Good Environmental Status (definition and descriptors)
Joint regional strategies or MS strategies coordinated regionally
Overall ambition and binding nature of the directive
Council: 'with the aim of achieving GES' vs. EP : 'shall achieve GES'
Disproportionate cost (elements of strategies, measures), excemptions
Timetable for implementation

4. Strategies to be developed in regions (and/or) sub-regions
Baltic Sea
(cf. HELCOM, BSAP)
North East Atlantic Ocean
(cf. OSPAR)
Mediterranean Sea
(cf. Barcelona Convention)
Black Sea
(cf. Bucharest Convention)
Sub-regions possible for 2. and 3.

5. Marine Strategy Directive - Implementation milestones (Commission proposal)
Marine Strategies to be progressively developed and implemented based on the following steps:
Description and assessment of current environmental status including the environmental impact of human activities – [4 years] after entry into force at the latest
Determination of good environmental status – [4 years] after entry into force
Establishment of environmental targets – [5 years] after entry into force at the latest
Monitoring programme – [6 years] after entry into force at the latest
Programme of measures towards good environmental status – by [2016] at the latest
Entry into operation of programmes of measures – by [2018] at the latest
Good Environmental Status – by [2021]
Strategies to be devised building upon existing programmes and activities developed in the framework of international agreements, e.g. regional seas conventions + Iterative approach – adaptive management – regular reviews (every 6 years)

6. Administrative start-up of implementation
START, entry into force = OJ publication date + 20 days [best estimate: during 2008].
Then:
a) Competent authorities notification = OJ publication + 20 days + 6 months [during 2008]
b) Legal transposition deadline = entry into force + 3 years [during 2011]
c) Member State’s information on subdivision of Regions, to be submitted by date of transposition + possible revision after initial assessment [2011 or 2012]

7. Timeline for effective implementation (tentative)

8. Elements contribution to implementation
- ongoing EMMA process
- European Environment Agency
- Joint Research Centre (+ own research)
- Existing research funding
FP 7 (& predecessors) marine and maritime
- Water Framework Directive experience
Developing guidance for implementation
- Reinforcement by maritime policy initiatives
- EMODNET -> data systems
- Multidimensional mapping
- Atlas of the Seas ~ features and uses of the seas