The integrated management of human activities under the Marine Strategy

Framework Directive

Carlos Berrozpe GarciaEuropean Commission (DG ENV)

Greenwich, 3 June 2009

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

Marine Strategy Framework Directive:Legislative process

2002 Sixth Environmental Action Plan October 2005 - Commission proposal for a

Marine Strategy Directive November 2007 - Agreement between

Parliament and Council 25 June 2008 - Directive 2008/56/EC

published in the EU Official Journal 15 July 2008 - Entry into force

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.

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

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)

Committee: MS only

JRC/ICES/SANCO

Task groupDescriptor X

Y Z

Marine Directors

Marine Strategy Coordination Group

MS, neighbouring countries relevant international organisations,

stakeholders

Working group on good

environmental status

Working group on … information …

exchange

Maritime policy: experts, focal points

… Other relevant groups e.g. Nature Directors

COM MS RSC, …

Input to WG

INITIAL STRUCTURE (2009-2010)

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)

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)

Water Framework DirectiveRiver 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.

The European Council of 14 December 2007

The European Council (…)

“welcomes the conclusion of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive as the environmental pillar of the integrated EU maritime policy”

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.

What can that mean?

1. 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).

2. 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).

Linkages IMP > MSFD

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.

Member States must make an assessment of their marine waters: 

(a) analysis of the essential characteristics and current environmental status of those waters (physical, chemical and biological features) 

(b) analysis of the predominant pressures and impacts, including human, on the environmental status of those waters, covering the main cumulative effects

(c) economic and social analysis of the use of those waters and of the cost of degradation of the marine environment 

First step (2012): initial assessment

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)

The initial assessment and the IMP

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).

Like IMP, strong emphasis in MFSD on co-operation within Marine Regions

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

Arctic Council

Different marine regionsDifferent marine regionsaround Europearound Europe

For instance:Article 8 – initial assessmentArticle 11 – monitoring programmesArticle 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)

Provisions of MSFD relevant to integrated maritime data (under IMP)

For instance:Article 8 – initial assessmentArticle 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”).

Provisions of MSFD relevant to Maritime Spatial Planning

THANK YOU !