EEA support to new EU
maritime policies
Andrus Meiner
2nd BeNCoRe Conference: Geographic Information Systems in Coastal and
Marine Reserch and Management
Leuven, 30 May 2008
2
Fig. 1. Global map (A) of cumulative human impact across 20 ocean ecosystem types
B. S. Halpern et al., Science 319, 948 -952 (2008)
3
Published by AAAS
4
Aegean Sea
Faroe Plateau
Beaufort-
North Greenland
US
East/
South
coast
Canada
/ US
West
coast
Marine Ecosystems of the World (232)
Campbell Island
South Orkney
Houtman
Snares Island
Namaqua
Rio Grande
Guayaquil
Society Islands
Lord Howe and
Bonaparte Coast
Banda Sea
South Kuroshio
Western
Bight of
Gulf of Oman
Gulf of Guinea
Guianan
Magdalena
Central Kuroshio
70
60
50
40
Northern
30
Europea
n seas
20
10
0
Virginian
Number of species
The number of harmful non-native marine species known to be
established in each ecoregion (Molnar et al ., 2008)
Mediterr
anean
Extent of coastal eutrophication and hypoxia
415 areas identified:
169 areas hypoxic and
only 13 “in recovery”
5
Source: World Resources Institute, March 2008
Currently claimed EEZ
6
Source: Vivero and Mateos, 2007
Maritime claims based on continental shelf extension
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
7
Using maritime space
Landuse
Tourism
Oil &Gas
Mariculture
Coastal
Defence
Ports &
Navigation
Military
Activities
Culture
Conservation
Dredging &
Disposal
Submarine
8
Cables
Fishing
Renewable
Energy
Marine
Recreation
Mineral
Extraction
We need an integrated approach for our seas
• Vision of marine ecosystems
– ecosystem-based management approach
– integrated marine monitoring and assessments
• Vision of common maritime space
– holistic approach for development of all searelated activities in a sustainable manner
– better characterization of maritime areas and
introducing maritime spatial planning
9
Recent EU policy developments: management of
coastal, marine and maritime resources
•
Marine Strategy Framework Directive
•
•
•
•
Integrated Maritime Policy
•
•
•
•
•
10
Communication “Towards a Strategy to Protect and Conserve the Marine
Environment” (2002)
The Thematic Strategy on the Protection and Conservation of the Marine
Environment (2005)
Maritime Strategy Framework Directive (adopted 14 May 2008)
Communication of 2 March 2005 "Towards a Future EU Maritime Policy: A
European Vision for Oceans and Seas"
7 June 2006 The Green Paper on a Future Maritime Policy for the European Union
– had 490 contributions in 1 year
Communication of 10 Oct 2007 “An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European
Union” (the Blue Book) and Action plan (34 Actions) and Impact assessment
Endorsement of the MP proposal at the European Council 14 Dec 2007
Global context
•
•
Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)
Towards UN regular process of global assessment of marine ecosystems
(“Assessment of Assessments”)
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive –
environmental pillar of the Maritime Policy
•
Framework for implementing an ecosystem-based approach to the
management of human activities on the marine environment
•
Main legislation requiring by 2020 ”Good Environmental Status” of the
entire ecosystem in all European Regional Seas, through marine
strategies.
»
11
MSFD entry in to force is foreseen after summer 2008
•
Directive provides qualitative descriptors that serve as a basis for
determining a set of characteristics for good environmental status, in
respect of each Marine Region or Sub-Region.
•
Annex III of MSFD provides indicative lists of characteristics, pressures
and impacts e.g. variables/determinants relevant for establishing the
baseline for marine assessments.
Strategic objectives for the Commission
2005-09:
“... the particular need for an all-embracing
maritime policy aimed at developing a
thriving
maritime
economy,
in
an
environmentally sustainable manner. Such
a policy should be supported by excellence
in marine scientific research, technology
and innovation”
12
Integrating EU policies ...
 Environment
 Transport
 Energy
 Fisheries
 Regional policy
 External Relations
 Entreprise
 Home Affairs (JLS)
 Employment
 Research
13
Broader context: overall maritime policy
aims to foster economic and social
sea-related opportunities in the context
of a sustainable use of the seas
14
DG MARE - http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/
Integrated Maritime Policy for the EU
The Blue book vision
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
15
Applying the integrated approach to maritime
governance
Tools for integrated policy-making
Maximising the sustainable use of the oceans
and seas
Building a knowledge and innovation base for
the maritime policy
Delivering the highest quality of life in coastal
regions
Promoting Europe's leadership in international
maritime affairs
Raising the visibility of maritime Europe
MP Blue book: vision areas and actions
16
Vision area
Actions
Integration
policies, guidelines, consultations
3
Tools
surveillance, monitoring, control, data, spatial planning
5
Sustainable growth
transport, employment, environment, fisheries
13
Research and Innovation
research strategy, cross-cutting calls, science partnerships
4
Coastal Life
tourism, regional funding, risks, islands
5
European leadership
shared seas, external relations
2
Visibility - "European Maritime Day" to be celebrated May 20th each year
Atlas of the Seas, maritime identity and heritage
2
Maritime Policy formation until 2010
17
How to organize coastal and marine
information at the European scale?
Is the EEA fit for purpose?
•
EEA mission
•
•
18
The European Environment Agency is the EU body
dedicated to providing sound, independent information on
the environment
EEA mandate
•
To help the Community and member countries make
informed decisions about improving the environment,
integrating environmental considerations into economic
policies and moving towards sustainability
•
To coordinate the European environment information and
observation network (Eionet)
What does the EEA do?
•
Integrated Marine Assessments
• Preparing assessments
–
–
•
Data flow streamlining
•
Support to Marine Strategy Framework Directive –
•
19
Improved framework for the integrated marine assessment in the EEA’s SoER
2010, including existing suite of marine indicators
Considering first starting point for the marine component of the EEA 2012
Ecosystem Assessment
–
–
–
Streamlining information and data flows to the EEA from the relevant member
countries (EIONET NRC ‘marine’ WS 14-15 May)
–
European Marine Monitoring and Assessment informal WG (EMMA)
Develop a ‘converging’ set of marine indicators, in the context of the EMMA
process
WISE-Marine to support the implementation of the MSFD
–
–
–
Support to Marine Core Service Implementation Group
User feedback for GMES downstream services (ocean color CSI023)
Marine in-situ monitoring systems and networks (support ISOWG)
Global Monitoring for Environment and Security cooperation
(GMES)
European Marine Monitoring and Assessment
informal working group (EMMA)
•
EMMA contibuted to development of MSFD monitoring
and assessment requirements, it is co-chaired by DGENV and the EEA
•
EMMA facilitated preparations for MSFD implementation in
terms of the exchange of environmental data and
information across the boundaries of international
institutions
•
EEA hosted a series of three workshops in 2006/2007
under EMMA discussing the availability of indicators/data
for the MSFD Annex III requirements (towards ”initial
assessment”) and EEA pan-European marine asessments
•
20
indicator prioritisation for comparison in order to arrive to a minimum,
common set of indicators at the pan-European level
Preliminary results from
MARCOAST (North Sea):
Remotely sensed chl-a is
being integrated into the
CSI023 indicator to
increase spatial
coverage.
21
What does the EEA do?
•
Regional and territorial development of Coastal areas
• Preparing assessments
–
–
•
Data flow streamlining
–
•
Support to international coastal atlases development (Expert
workshop and EEA conference on 7-11 July)
International cooperation
–
22
support to Commission and Member countries activities on ICZM
indicators
Support to the Commission in coordination of seabed
mapping and European Atlas of the Seas
–
•
Prepare grounds for review of EEA 2006 Coastal report as a
contribution to the EEA’s 2010 integrated marine assessment
Develop capacity to assess vulnerability and adaptation of coastal
systems to climate change
Establishing links to global coastal indicators (UNESCO/IOC, NOAA)
Example: regional assessment of coasts
Focus on
sustainability
23
•
Development of
coastal zones
•
Services of the
coastal zone
•
Climate change
and need for
adaptation
•
Policy responses
ICZM: the sea/land interface in a sustainable
development perspective
Spatial planning, regional
development & cohesion
considerations
Economic
considerations
Social &
cultural
considerations
Environmental
& recreation
considerations
24
EEA support to MP Actions on marine data,
marine mapping and marine atlases (1)
•
Support for Maritime Policy Preparatory Actions
•
Inputs to the development of the Terms of Reference for
–
–
•
European Atlas of the Seas - promoting an information system
–
–
•
using available spatial information and building on the work of a
EMODNET
experience on coastal atlases from the EEA expert network
Maritime Spatial Planning
–
–
25
European Monitoring and Data Network (EMODNET)
multi-dimensional maps of sea-beds in Member States' coastal
waters
Support the action on review of needs and options
Support establishing of system for the exchange of best practice
EEA support to MP Actions on marine data,
marine mapping and marine atlases (2)
•
Water Information System for Europe (WISE)
•
Concept paper on WISE-Marine
•
•
Marine environment indicator development
Pan-European ‘Indicator convergence process’ started under
EMMA
»
»
•
26
preparing a visualization tool for the spatial mapping and EMODNET
data/products
Indicator Scoping Report outlining improvements and additions
SEIS Environmental data centre for Land use
•
•
•
Land and ecosystem accounting in coastal zones
Indicators and data for Integrated Coastal Zone Management
Identifying data needs for maritime space characterisation
and Maritime Spatial Planning
… to achieve
better
maritime
spatial
planning and
sustainable
management
of the sea
areas
27
28
Source: Vivero and Mateos, 2007
The GAUFRE
project (2003-2005)
General objective:
Establish the scientific
foundations for the
development of a spatial
structure plan for Belgian Part
of the North Sea
29
Establishing priorities, integration and
conflict-resolution
30
How can EEA support Maritime Spatial
Planning?
•
Experience from building datasets, indicators and information systems
–
–
–
–
–
31
identifying core sets of indicators for sustainable development and ICZM
effectiveness
identification and mapping of important biotopes, ecosystems and protected
areas
participating in European territorial indicator development (ESPON projects)
building and linking quality assured spatial data sets (Inspire, SEIS)
developing interactive atlases i. a. for coastal zone (also relevant to Atlas of
the Seas)
•
Integrated assessments for SoER in Europe
•
Regional assessments and spatial analysis
•
Methodologies - Accounting and spatial change monitoring
–
–
–
–
integrated marine environment assessments
of environment and economic sectors (maritime transport)
across themes i.e. land-water-biodiversity (incl. climate change adaptation)
across cause-effect relations (DPSIR approach)
–
transposing and adapting the analytical frameworks and methods used for
land-based analysis to the marine/maritime space
–
accumulated and validated experience on terrestrial ecosystems as basis for
characterizing the marine/maritime space
Integrating EU policy for
river basins, marine
regions and coastal zones
Inner waters
Water Framework
Directive
RBD, Water bodies
EU ICZM
Recommendation
Territorial waters
?
Chemical
status
MS sovereignty or
jurisdiction waters
Marine Strategy
Framework Directive
Marine (Sub-)Regions
EU Maritime Policy
High seas
32
Relevant examples from
MESH and BALANCE
projects
• Seabed map showing
EUNIS habitat types
• Benthic marine
Landscape
landscapes  Dominant
Types of the Seas?
Source: searchmesh.net
33
Source: BALANCE Interim Report No. 10
34
The way forward
better characterization of maritime space and marine ecosystems
35
•
Streamline monitoring and reporting obligations; collect
data for the EEA Core Set of Indicators (and other relevant
indicators) to monitor and report the change
•
Underpinning physical environment data with socioeconomical data (spatial statistics)
•
Integration of stratified space monitoring data with
corresponding in situ monitoring of water, biodiversity and
physical-chemical parameters
•
Information systems – support EMODNET formation,
interoperability of national coastal atlases
Thank you!
Maritime policy documents available from
http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/
EEA conference on coastal atlases development
9 July – 10 July
EEA, Conference Room
Contact: Andrus.Meiner@eea.europa.eu
36
Thank you!
Contact: Andrus.Meiner@eea.europa.eu
37