1. MSFD – WFD assessment European Commission DG Environment
Marine Environment and Water Industry Unit
October 2013

2. Legal requirement linking assessments
Article 3.1.b MSFD:
“coastal waters as defined by Directive 2000/60/EC,
their seabed and their subsoil, in so far as particular aspects
of the environmental status of the marine environment are
not already addressed through that Directive or other
Community legislation”

3. WFD CIS work programme 2013-2015
1. Follow-up of the intercalibration exercise, mainly concerning coastal and transitional waters, but also lakes, large rivers and, to a lesser extent, rivers linking the exercise to the assessment methods for the marine environment (in particular for descriptors 5, 6, and 7)
2. Improving assessment coherence:
a) Eutrophication assessment and nutrient standards including assessment and coherence with descriptor 5 for “good environmental status” and the assessment of eutrophic waters under the Urban Waste Water and Nitrates Directives;
b) Hydromorphological parameters including assessment and coherence with descriptor 6 and 7 for “good environmental status”;
c) Invasive alien species (IAS) including the assessment and coherence with descriptor 2 “non-indigenous species” for “good environmental status.

4. MSFD Monitoring Recommendation
Area
Part of MSFD 'marine waters'
GES descriptors that could be sufficiently covered by monitoring requirements under other EU law
GES descriptors for which there is partial coverage by monitoring requirements under other EU law
GES descriptors insufficiently covered by monitoring requirements under other EU law 1
Coastal waters (WFD)
D5, D8, D9
D1, D2, D3, D4, D6, D7
D10, D11 2
Territorial waters
D8, D9
D1, D3, D4, D6
D2, D5, D7, D10, D11 3
EEZ or similar designation D3
D1, D4, D6, D9
D2, D5, D7, D8, D10, D11 4
Continental shelf beyond EEZ (or territorial waters) – seabed and subsoil only
(relevance to seabed/subsoil to be assessed)

5. WFD – MSFD assessment links
Area
Part of MSFD 'marine waters'
GES descriptors sufficiently (?) covered by WFD
GES descriptors which could use WFD assessment 1
Coastal waters (WFD)
D5, D8, D9
D6, D7 2
Territorial waters
D8, D9
D5, D7 3
EEZ or similar designation
D5, D6, D7, D8 4
Continental shelf beyond EEZ (or territorial waters) – seabed and subsoil only
(relevance to seabed/subsoil to be assessed)

6. Questions for discussion (in coastal waters)
What assessment of D5, D6, D7 is not covered in coastal waters?
How can the WFD be used – which quality elements can be used?
How can the intercalibration results be linked to the MSFD
assessment in coastal waters?
Question of scale: Water bodies vs. marine (sub-)regions

7. Headline Question for eutrophication
Are the coastal and marine waters “eutrophic”?
The answer to this question must be the same independent
on the (sound) assessment method used or the Directive applied.

8. Eutrophication status of the Baltic Sea 2007-2011
Coastal = WFD
Offshore=HELCOM

9. Questions for meeting
Discussion on how to improve linking WFD, Regional Sea Conventions,
MSFD assessments, using eutrophication as example
How to streamline, make best use of works done and
experience gained in both processes
Do we need joint guidance
Joint coastal and marine group: facilitate the intercalibration process
and link up with RSC process
Joint WG GES and ECOSTAT meetings