MEPAs EU Directive marine data requirements;
current marine monitoring,
collection and infrastructure development
Unit A Environmental Permitting Unit
Unit C Ecosystems Unit
Information Resources Unit
Overview
• Marine data requirements and monitoring
initiatives
– Marine Strategy Framework Directive
– Water Framework Directive
• Marine Data related management, collection and
infrastructure development
I
Marine data requirements and
monitoring initiatives

Marine Strategy Framework Directive
(2008/56/EC)
Objective
To achieve or maintain Good Environmental Status (GES)
in the marine environment by 2020
Defines marine waters as…
waters, the seabed and subsoil on the seaward side of the baseline from which
the extent of territorial waters is measured extending to the outmost reach of the
area where a Member State has and/or exercises jurisdictional rights, in
accordance with Unclos… and
coastal waters as defined by the Water Framework Directive, their seabed and
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
Plan of Action (stipulated by the Directive)
•
By 15 July 2012:
-
Initial Assessment
-
determination of a set of characteristics for Good Environmental Status (GES);
-
establishment of a series of environmental targets and associated indicators.
•
By 15 July 2014:
-
•
By 15 July 2015:
-
•
establishment and implementation of a monitoring programme
development of a programme of measures designed to achieve or maintain GES
By 2016:
-
programme of measures is operational
Initial Assessment
• Analysis of essential features and characteristics to determine current
environmental status of marine waters based on Table 1 of Annex III;
• Analysis of the predominant pressures and impacts on the
environmental status based on Table 2 of Annex III:
-
covering the main cumulative and synergistic effects;
-
taking into account assessments made as per existing Community legislation;
• Socio-economic analysis of the use of marine waters and of the cost
of degradation of the marine environment.
Characteristics, pressures and impacts (Annex III)
•
•
Table 1 (characteristics):
-
physical and chemical features (temperature, salinity, currents…)
-
Habitat types (benthic habitats and water column habitats)
-
Biological features (Seabirds, Fish, Marine Mammals and Turtles)
Table 2 (pressures and impacts):
-
physical loss
-
physical damage
-
other physical disturbance (noise; litter)
-
Interference with hydrological processes
-
Contamination by hazardous substances
-
Systematic and/or intentional release of substances
-
Nutrient and organic matter enrichment
-
Biological disturbance
Definition of Good Environmental Status
•
MS shall determine a set of characteristics for Good Environmental
Status on the basis of eleven descriptors listed in Annex I of the
Directive
•
Criteria and associated indicators for assessing the extent to which GES
is being achieved are stipulated in Commission Decision 2010/477/EU
adopted in September 2010.
Annex I Descriptors of GES
Descriptor 1: Biological diversity is maintained.
Descriptor 2: Non-indigenous species
Descriptor 3: Commercially exploited fish and shellfish
Descriptor 4: Marine food webs
Descriptor 5: Nutrient Enrichment
Descriptor 6: Sea-floor integrity
Descriptor 7: Alteration of hydrographical conditions
Descriptor 8: Concentrations of contaminants
Descriptor 9: Contaminants in fish and other seafood
Descriptor 10: Marine litter
Descriptor 11: Introduction of energy, including underwater noise
Establishment of Environmental Targets
MS shall identify environmental targets and indicators to assess and
guide progress towards achievement of GES
•
established on the basis of the initial assessment;
•
taking into account the indicative list of pressures and impacts set out in Table 2 of
Annex III;
•
ensuring that targets and indicators are compatible with existing environmental targets
laid down at national, Community or international level in respect of the same waters.
Monitoring Programme & Programme of Measures
•
Monitoring Programme: aimed at ongoing assessments of the
environmental status of marine waters on the basis of the elements set
out in Annex III and by reference to environmental targets established
as per Article 10.
•
Programme of Measures: measures to achieve or maintain GES,
determined as per Article 9; The measures shall be devised on the
basis of the initial assessment (Article 8) and by reference to the
environmental targets (Article 10)
Marine data requirements and
monitoring initiatives

Water Framework Directive
(2000/60/EC)
What is the WFD ?
•
Expands the scope of water protection to ALL waters
•
Water management based on river basins (Water Catchments). Smallest water
management unit is the Water Body.
•
Aims at achieving "good status" for water bodies by a set deadline (2015,
2021, or 2027).
•
Allows the use of exemptions
•
Main management tool is the Water Catchment Management Plan ( or River
Basin Management Plan)
•
Concept of Cost recovery
•
Prescriptive where Public involvement is of concern
•
Streamlines all water related legislation
Competencies
2 Competent Authorities:
Legal Notice 194 of 2004
(Water Policy Framework
Regulations, 2004)
•Ministry for Energy and Water Conservation
•Malta Environment& Planning Authority
WATER
Resources
Inland waters
Surface Water
Groundwater
Water Courses
Freshwater
Pools
Transitional, and
Coastal waters
Coastal Waters
Transitional
waters
Stages in preparing for the plan


Identify and
characterise
all water
bodies
Implement
the Water
Catchment
Management
Plan

Create a
Programme of
measures,
particularly
targeting waters at
risk
The
WFD
Cycle

Develop a
programme for
the monitoring
of the status of
all waters and
protected areas

Identify the
most
significant
water
manageme
nt issues

Establish
the status of
the waters
and apply
exemptions
where
applicable
Characterisation
9 water bodies - 7 natural water bodies and 2 heavily modified water bodies
• Exposure (prevailing
winds, water depth,
fetch)
• Mean Water
Temperature
• Water currents
Classification of Water Body Status (Natural waters)
Status of our waters – first WCMP
Coastal Water Status
Classification of water body status
based on:
- P. oceanica data
-Qualitative pressure-risk analysis
Water bodies in good-high status
with three exceptions
Exemptions in 3 water bodies
1 natural and 2 heavily modified
waters
Exemptions relate to both ecological
and chemical status. The exemptions
requested are to extend the
deadline for the achievement of
good status from 2015 to 2021.
Achieving the plans objectives – Programme of
Measures
• The measures described within the plan call for the action of a wide body of
stakeholders: government agencies and various practitioners.
• Measures are the outcome of an intensive public consultation period.
• To ensure the proper implementation of the management measures, an
Interministerial Committee has been set up to oversee the actual
implementation of these measures on the ground.
• Measures include:
•Basic measures (e.g. UWWD, Nitrates, Bathing Water, Basic WFD
measures)
•Supplementary measures (e.g. regulatory measures, studies,
management plans, guidance documents, further monitoring)
Monitoring of water status – WFD Article 8
• Member States shall ensure the establishment of programmes for the
monitoring of water status. Such monitoring shall be in accordance with
the requirements of Annex V of the WFD.
• Three types of monitoring programmes:
– Surveillance monitoring is required to assess long term trends and the
classification of ecological and chemical status.
– Operational monitoring is required for those water bodies at risk of failing
to achieve the objectives of the WFD.
– Investigative monitoring is required to determine the extent and effects in
case of accidental pollution or to determine the reason for exceedances
where it is unknown.
22
Monitoring Coastal Waters – 1st baseline (ERDF
156)
Biological Quality
Elements
Hydromorphological
elements
Chemicals and
Supporting Physicochemical elements
Macroalgae along rocky
shores (CARLIT)
Depth variation, structure
and substrate of the
coastal bed, direction of
dominant currents and
wave exposure
Transparency,
temperature, oxygen,
salinity, nutrients as
measured in water
Diversity of benthic
invertebrates (AMBI)
Seagrass Posidonia
oceanica (PREI)
Phytoplankton (taxonomic
composition, abundance,
biomass and presence of
blooms)
Priority chemical
substances at EU level
and chemicals of national
concern as measured
where most relevant in
water, sediment and biota.
Monitoring up to the 1nmile limit.
Field surveys undertaken during May 2012 – July 2013.
In line with requirements of Daughter directives 2008/105/EC and 2009/90/EC.
23
II
Marine Data related management,
collection and infrastructure development

ERDF 156:
Developing National Environmental Monitoring
Infrastructure and Capacity
Dr. Saviour Formosa PhD
Project Expert
Operational Programme I – Cohesion Policy 2007-2013
Investing in Competitiveness for a Better Quality of Life
Project part-financed by the European Union
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Co-financing rate: 85% EU funds; 15% National Funds
Investing in your future
The Target
Project Title
Developing National Environmental
Monitoring Infrastructure and Capacity
Beneficiaries
Malta Environment and Planning Authority
Partners
University of Malta, Environmental Health Directorate
National Statistics Office, Malta Resources Authority
Budget
€ 4.9 M
co-funded by ERDF (85%)
national Government (15%)
€ 0.2 m MEPA co-financed
Duration
Q3 2010 - Q2 2012
Environmental
Health
Directorate
The Scope
To develop the national environmental monitoring infrastructure and capacity
for Malta, with the focus on monitoring 5 environmental themes:
1.
Air
2.
Water
3.
Noise
4.
Radiation
5.
Soil
IR Factor: Themes are integrated with Information Resources systems
The Outcomes
(1) Strategy for Environmental Reporting in
the areas of air, water, noise, radiation, and
soil.
(2) Baseline Studies conducted in the areas
of water, noise, radiation and soil, together
with 3D terrestrial spatial surveys and
bathymetric surveys of coastal waters
within 1 nautical mile.
(3) Acquisition of Equipment for the
collection of real-time and ad hoc data.
(4) Dissemination Tools for the distribution
and reporting of data to the Public,
Scientific Domains and EU/International
Reporting.
Water
•
Development of a long term monitoring, including coastal
and inland waters, which covers all aspects of
environmental water monitoring, including ambient,
investigative and compliance monitoring.
•
A baseline survey on hydromorphological,
physicochemical and biological parameters in coastal
waters around the Maltese Islands up to 1 nautical mile.
Chemical substances are also being monitored in the
water, in biota and in sediments. As well as seasonal
monitoring on the health status of indicator biota, such as
macroalgae, phytoplankton, Posidonia Oceanica and
benthic invertebrates present in coastal waters.
•
Service tender for the development of a long-term
monitoring strategy for the marine environment, a social
and economic analysis of the use of marine waters and
costs of degradation, and baseline sediment survey in
inland waters.
Information Resources
Bathymetric LIDAR aerial survey for
depths of 0 m to 15m within 1
nautical mile from the Maltese
coastline and a ship-based
bathymetric scan employing acoustic
side scan sonar which will enable the
creation of new nautical charts as
well as bathymetric outputs that will
help in marine spatial planning.
Information Resources
•
SEIS
A Shared Environmental Information System will serve as the conveyor for such
information and outputs from the project as based on INSPIRE, Aarhus and SEIS
Future Drive
•
Compliance with EU obligations for environmental monitoring and
reporting
•
Operational tool
e.g. pre-development reviews, enforcement action
•
Support for environmental policy-making and dynamic feedback: NGOs
•
Enhance environmental research
e.g. River network development, Salzburg EMLF, Vienna access
•
Forecasting of environmental parameters
e.g. predictive air models, risk-maps,
•
Statistical backing for experts – normative stats and spatial stats
•
Increased public awareness on the state of the environment
•
Availability/Usage of environmental data acquired through project - all
environmental datasets will be available for Free