Towards a marine information system for
Europe
David Connor
European Commission
DG Environment Unit C.2
Marine Environment and Water Industry
WG DIKE
29-30 September 2014, Brussels
Future perspectives
• Building towards:
• 2018 – second round of MSFD reporting by MS on Art. 8, 9
and 10 (Art. 17)
• 2019 – Commission’s first evaluation report to the European
Parliament and to the Council (Art. 20(1)), in particular Art.
20(3b): the review of the status of the marine environment,
undertaken in coordination with the EEA and the relevant
regional marine and fisheries organisations and conventions
• Based on:
• Revised Decision and Annex III
• Regional reports, incl. RSC ‘roof reports’
• Improved data and assessment methods (e.g. common
indicators of RSCs)
• More focused reporting from MS (incl. via RSCs) to EU level,
with specific ‘products’ to demonstrate current
environmental status and progress towards GES
• Use of other reporting (e.g. fish stock assessments under
CFP), where possible
Towards a marine information
system (MIS) for Europe
• MIS is focused on MSFD (whole marine environment, pressures
and activities – ecosystem-based) and hence on environmental
status and achieving GES, including sustainable uses
• MIS is needed for compliance (Commission) and state of marine
environment (EEA)
• MIS will be a holistic data/information model – but is not a huge
database – and identify where data/information are held and
accessible
• MIS will help structure WISE-Marine (as a front-end portal)
• MIS will build upon data and information from MS/RSC/other
reporting (MSFD reports, RSC roof reports, reports to other
Directives/Conventions)
• MIS will need dialogue with MS and RSCs (and others) to define
its content and what can be made available (e.g. in Art. 8
assessments)
• For MS and RSCs, MIS can define data/information products from
regional and national assessments – and provide a basis for
regional and national information systems
Prevent
deterioration
Programme
of measures
(Art. 13)
Exceptions
(Art. 14)
Are any exceptions
applicable?
Yes
2015
No
Are measures sufficient
to achieve GES?
Yes
2015/16
Achieve and
maintain GES
To assess
effectiveness
of measures
2012
2012
Assessment
(Art. 8)
Good
Environmental
Status
(Art. 9)
Assess current
status in relation
to definition of
GES
Identify cost-effective
measures, in addition to
existing measures
(including MPAs)
Define / adapt
definition of GES
Assess: current
environmental status;
pressures and impacts;
uses and activities;
costs of degradation
Identify targets to
improve and
maintain
environmental
status
2014
Environmental
targets
(Art. 10)
2012
Monitoring
To assess
programmes
progress with
1. MSFD implementation is under-pinned
by
information
reported
for compliance
targets
(Art. 11)
To assess
environmental
status and
distance to GES
checking (Commission) and state of the environment (EEA) needs – WISE-Marine
2. Information at each stage needs
to link to other parts of MS marine
strategies and in WISE-Marine
Exceptions
(Art. 14)
Programme of
measures
(Art. 13)
Good
Environmental
Status
(Art. 9)
Assessment
(Art. 8)
Competent
Authorities
(Art. 7)
Monitoring
programmes
(Art. 11)
Environmental
targets
(Art. 10)
3. Need to avoid double reporting,
drawing upon reporting under
other policies
Integration across policies
MSFD
WFD
UWWTD
Nitrates
BWD
International
Conventions
EQSD
Habitats
Birds
CFP
4. RSCs becoming a key player in
regional reports for MSFD
Integration between MS, RSCs & EU
Contracting
Parties
Convention obligations
Similar
objectives
Similar data
Member States
EU Directives
RSCs
Regional Sea
Conventions
European
Commission/
European
Environment
Agency
5. Complimentary integrated data and information to
meet needs at each level – MS implementation, RSC
objectives, EU compliance, EEA state of environment
EU/EEA data &
information
Italy
Mallta
Slovenia
Croatia
Greece
Cyprus
Bulgaria
Romania
France
Spain
Netherlands
Belgium
UK
Ireland
Portugal
Sweden
Denmak
Germany
Finland
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
RSC roof
reports
National
marine
strategies
30°W
20°W
10°W
0°
10°E
20°E
30°E
Representation of the marine regions and subregions of MSFD Article 4, and the
marine waters of Member States according to Article 3(1) and as reported by
Member States
6. Information linked to relevant
geographic scales
100% shading: seabed, subsoil and water column
66% shading: seabed and subsoil only
33% shading: outside MS marine waters / third countries / WFD transitional waters
Baltic Sea
MSFD outer boundary status
Median line, 200 nm limit or
continental shelf claim
not yet agreed by treaty
North-east Atlantic Ocean
Greater North Sea, incl. the Kattegat and the English Channel
Agreed by treaty
Celtic Seas
Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Coast
North East Atlantic
Ocean region
Macaronesia
Mediterranean Sea
Western Mediterranean Sea
Adriatic Sea
Ionian Sea and the Central Mediterranean Sea
Aegean-Levantine Sea
Black Sea
A. MSFD regions and
subregions – GES
determination,
coherence, largest
reporting scale
Macaronesia
Baltic Sea
region
Baltic Sea
Celtic Seas
Greater
North Sea
Black Sea
region
Bay of Biscay and
the Iberian Coast
Black Sea
Adriatic Sea
Aegean-Levantine Sea
Western Mediterranean Sea
Macaronesia
Draft MSFD regions map
28 May 2014
Ionian Sea and the
Central Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea region
B. MS marine waters
– jurisdictional and
administrative areas
Seabed only
(continental shelf
areas)
Water column
+ seabed
C. Assessment and reporting
areas (Art. 8) –> needs
development:
HELCOM nested system is a
good model
(Art. 10)
Monitoring
programmes
(Art. 11)
Programme of
measures
(Art. 13)
Exceptions
(Art. 14)
Competent
Authorities
(Art. 7)
European Commission
European Environment
Agency
(Art. 8)
Environmental
targets
Member State
(Art. 9)
Assessment
Regional Sea
Conventions
7. Information and data needs to
be synthisized for use at higher
levels
Good
Environmental
Status
Synthesize, summarise
Push systems
Pull systems - INSPIRE
Framework for information system
economic
8. How to organise the information
Art.
8(1c)
Socio-economic
Drivers
CIS
RSCs
MS -CAs
Human Activities
Management
(Policies &
Governance)
Ecosystem
Services
Art.
8(1c)
Measures
Monitoring
Art.
8(1a)
Art.
8(1b)
Pressures
Art.
13+14
State of
Environment
Art.
11
2. Information at each stage needs
to link to other parts of MS marine
strategies and in WISE-Marine
Exceptions
(Art. 14)
Programme of
measures
(Art. 13)
Good
Environmental
Status
(Art. 9)
Assessment
(Art. 8)
Competent
Authorities
(Art. 7)
Monitoring
programmes
(Art. 11)
Environmental
targets
(Art. 10)
Main topic areas
Table 2 : overview of possible information units (level 3)
DPSIR element
Drivers
Pressures
(Activities)
State of marine
ecosystem
Information
Ecosystems
Units
Land based
activities
Extraction of
living resources
Production of
living resources
Extraction of
non-living
resources
Non-indigenous
species
Species and
functional groups
Nutrient pollution/
(from MSFD
Eutrophication
reporting
Hazardous substance guidance)
pollution
Commercial fish
stocks
Transport and
ship building
Marine litter
Man made
structures
Physical damage
Tourism
Energy
production
Habitat type
Noise
Extraction of species
Impacts on
Responses
ecosystem
(Measures)
services and
natural capital
Ecosystem services Marine Protected
Areas
Socio economic
statistics
Sector-specific
measures
Marine Spatial
Planning
More examples
from PoM
guidance
Outline information needs for
EC/EEA
A
Annex III
B
Art. 3(1),
Art. 4
C
Art. 9
D
E
Art.
19(3)
Art. 8
(assessment
against GES)
F
G
H
Art. 8
Art. (assessment
Art. 10
19(3)
against
targets)
I
Art. 13
Assessment of
pressure & its
What is the
Current
Which
impacts
Targets
What is
What is
policy
status?
Progress
area is
to
preventing Actions
being
objective?
(in
with
being
Assessment of
achieve
target (& needed
assessed?
(GES for
relation
target
assessed?
state,
GES
GES)?
MSFD)
to GES)
including
impacts
A
Outline information needs for EC/EEA
B
Pressure: Nutrient enrichment
C
Art. 3(1), Art. 4
Art. 9
Which area is being assessed?
What is the policy objective?
(GES for MSFD)
Region/
Subregion
MS
Subdivision/
assessment
area
1. Policy
objective
2. Descriptor
Art. 9(3) GES Decision
3. Criterion
4. Indicator
Art. 9(1)
5. Regional/ MS
Core Indicator:
N levels in sea
Decision: 5.1
5.1.1
Core Indicator:
P levels in sea
Baltic
Finland
Gulf of
Bothnia
MSFD Art.
Annex I: D5
3.5 definition Eutrophication
5.2.1
Core Indicator:
Chl-a levels
5.2.2
Core Indicator:
Secchi levels
5.3.2
Core Indicator:
O2 levels
Decision: 5.2
Decision: 5.3
Outline information needs for EC/EEA
Pressure: Nutrient enrichment
D
E
Art. 8
(assessment against GES)
Art. 19(3)
C
Assessment of pressure & its impacts
Assessment of state, including impacts
Art. 9(1)
5. Regional/ MS
Art. 11
Core Indicator:
N levels in sea
Data from
monitoring
Core Indicator:
P levels in sea
Core Indicator:
Chl-a levels
Core Indicator:
Secchi levels
Core Indicator:
O2 levels
Data from
monitoring
Data from
monitoring
Dataset
Distribution/
intensity map
(model)
Distribution/
intensity map
(model)
Matrix/
element
Current status?
(in relation to GES)
Output
Status criterion/
indicator
Trend
% of
assessment Below GES
Stable
area affected
% of
Water - P
assessment Below GES Improving
area affected
% of
Elements
assessment
Distribution/
affected:
area affected
intensity map
Below GES Declining
Coastal water,
(below
(model)
offshore water threshold
value)
As above
Below GES
Stable
Status overall
Water - N
As above
Below GES Improving
Below
GES
Outline information needs for EC/EEA
F
Pressure: Nutrient enrichment
Art. 10
Targets to achieve GES
Target
G
I
Art. 8
(assessment against targets)
What is
preventing
Progress with target
target (&
GES)?
Art. 19(3)
Indicator Art. 11 Dataset
Matrix/
Target
Output
element
met?
Dataset
Data
Input
Riverine
for
Land
from
load
input
riverine sources Reduce N
monitori
tonnes/
levels
discharg
N
by X% or to
ng
year
es
Z levels
Data set
(MAI/
Data
Input
airborne
for air
Air
CART)
from
load
input
inputs sources monitori
tonnes/
levels
(modelle
N
ng
year
d)
Reduce P
etc.
As above
by Y
See pressure targets
State/impact targets
can be set according
to Art. 10 - but are in
effect expressions of
GES, so may not add
anything unless
interim values are set.
H
Activity
Agriculture
Yes
Urban
developments
Industrial
developments
No
Transport
(shipping)
Urban
(detergents)
Art. 13
Actions needed
Measure
Reduce
fertilizer use
Source Detail 1 Detail 2
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MSFD
(NECA)
blah
blah
blah
blah
Domestic
products
MSFD
(detergents)
blah
blah
blah
blah
CAP
Waste
water
UWWTD
treatment
Industrial
Air
emission pollution
controls directive
Shipping
emissions
Summary
• Accommodate MSFD needs (compliance, SoE)
• DPSIR framework
• Developing marine information system to
accommodate all elements of MSFD process
• Make effective use of information from RSCs and
other policies (Directives, CFP etc)
• Start to define key information needed at EU level,
what should sit at regional and national level