1. The integrated management of human activities under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive Carlos Berrozpe Garcia European Commission (DG ENV) Greenwich, 3 June 2009

2. Structure (Part I)
Part I - The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (“MSFD”)
Legislative process
Objective
Implementation milestones
Common Implementation Strategy
Part II – Integrated management of human activities under the MSFD

3. Marine Strategy Framework Directive: Legislative process
2002 Sixth Environmental Action Plan
October Commission proposal for a Marine Strategy Directive
November Agreement between Parliament and Council
25 June Directive 2008/56/EC published in the EU Official Journal
15 July Entry into force

4. Objective of the Directive
This Directive establishes a framework within which:
Member States shall take the necessary measures to achieve or maintain
good environmental status in the marine environment
by the year 2020 at the latest.

5. Marine Strategies - Implementation milestones (1)
Preparatory phase: the EU Member States must progressively develop Marine Strategies (action plans) 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

6. Marine Strategies - Implementation milestones (2)
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)

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

9. Structure (Part 2)
[Part I - The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (“MSFD”)]
Part II – Integrated management of human activities under the MSFD
Other EU environmental legislation related to integrated management of human activities in the maritime area
The MSFD as environmental pillar of the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP)
General linkages between IMP and MSFD (and vice-versa)
Ecosystem approach to the management of human activities in MSFD
Focus on marine regions in MSFD and IMP
The initial assessment under MSFD (incl. social and economic assessment)
Some MSFD provisions directly relevant to IMP tools (MSP and data)

10. Integrated management of human activities in EU environmental law
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA)
Natura 2000 network (coastal and offshore)
EU Recommendation on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)
Water Framework Directive (coastal waters)

11. Water Framework Directive River Basin Districts
Marine Strategy Framework Directive Marine waters 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

12. 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”

13. What can that mean?
The MSFD is not a separate development which gives a "green" complement to ongoing IMP efforts.
The implementation of the MSFD is not a mere sectorial development, unrelated to maritime economic activities.
Healthy marine ecosystems will be a condition to realise the potential benefits resulting from the goods and services they provide.
i.e. economic development and jobs.
plus eco-innovation.
The MSFD will help to define more accurately the boundaries of sustainability.

14. Linkages IMP > MSFD
Many activities under the IMP can be useful for the implementation of the MSFD:
Political impetus on seas and oceans.
New cross-cutting tools (e.g. Maritime Spatial Planning, EMODNET)
Other related developments (statistics, funding priorities).
Potential for synergies in the other direction:
The development of IMP will require a closer articulation with all ongoing policy initiatives that can support integrated management.
The MSFD establishes an integrated approach to maritime activities that can contribute to IMP success.
Its legally binding framework will benefit the development of integrated maritime tools (spatial planning, data, etc).
Legal basis for enhanced cooperation in marine regions (as IMP).

15. Ecosystem approach (upfront in the Directive)
Marine Strategies shall apply an ecosystem-based approach to the management of human activities:
ensuring that the collective pressure of such activities is kept within levels compatible with the achievement of good environmental status
and that the capacity of marine ecosystems to respond to human-induced changes is not compromised,
while enabling the sustainable use of marine goods and services by present and future generations.
 Integration of environmental concerns into the different policies which have an impact on the marine environment.

16. First step (2012): initial assessment
Member States must make an assessment of their marine waters: 
analysis of the essential characteristics and current environmental status of those waters (physical, chemical and biological features) 
analysis of the predominant pressures and impacts, including human, on the environmental status of those waters, covering the main cumulative effects
economic and social analysis of the use of those waters and of the cost of degradation of the marine environment 

17. The initial assessment and the IMP
Requirement to develop an integrated understanding of maritime human activities
Such cross-cutting knowledge is required by the IMP for a sound start
And also for a long-lasting success: it must be be updated every six years under the MSFD
Likely Working Group under the CIS for social and economic assessment? (IMP link)

18. Like IMP, strong emphasis in MFSD on co-operation within Marine Regions
MS marine waters form a part of the following marine regions:
(a) the Baltic Sea;
(b) the North-east Atlantic Ocean (+ subregions);
(c) the Mediterranean Sea (+ subregions);
(d) the Black Sea. (MSFD Art. 4)
Duty of regional cooperation (MSFD Art. 6)
At the different stages of Marine Strategies (assessment, targets, monitoring, measures).

19. Regional Sea Conventions
The European Community is a Party to three of the four regional sea conventions (HELCOM, OSPAR, Barcelona Convention)
The EC aims at becoming a Party to the Convention for the Black Sea
Platform for cooperation, also relevant for IMP

20. Different marine regions around Europe
Arctic Council
Black Sea position: COM(2007) 160 final
Black Sea Synergy communication 11 April 2007
Community accession to the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution is a priority.
Arctic position: COM/2008/0763 final 20 November 2008
“Enhance input to the Arctic Council in accordance with the Community’s role and potential. As a first step, the Commission will apply for permanent observer status in the Arctic Council.“
Different marine regions around Europe

21. Provisions of MSFD relevant to integrated maritime data (under IMP)
For instance:
Article 8 – initial assessment
Article 11 – monitoring programmes
Article 20(3)(b) - review of the status of the marine environment in the Community (in coordination with the European Environment Agency and the relevant regional marine and fisheries organisations and conventions)

22. Provisions of MSFD relevant to Maritime Spatial Planning
For instance:
Article 8 – initial assessment
Article 13(3)(2) – for programme of measures: ensure that measures are cost-effective and technically feasible (impact assessments and cost-benefit analyses)
Annex VI point 3 (“Spatial and temporal distribution controls: management measures that influence where and when an activity is allowed to occur”).

23. THANK YOU !