STAGES: connecting science to
policy to support MSFD
implementation
Blue Growth in the Mediterranean:
Perspectives of Spain
Palma de Mallorca
2-3 May 2013
Marisa Fernández- CETMAR
The MSFD
Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)
IMP environmental pillar
Delivery of Good Environmental Status (GES)
in EU marine waters by 2020 applying
the Ecosystem Approach
MSFD Descriptors of Good Environmental Status
1. Biological diversity
2. Non-indigenous species
MSFD phases and actions
Timing
3. Population of commercial fish / shellfish
Assessment of GES in EU waters
2012
4. Elements of marine food webs
Determination of GES
2012
6. Sea floor integrity
Establish appropriate environmental
targets
2012
7. Alteration of hydrographical conditions
Establish monitoring programmes.
2014
8. Contaminants
Development of programmes of
measures
2015
5. Eutrophication
9. Contaminants in fish and seafood
10. Marine litter
11. Introduction of energy, including underwater noise
MSFD Implementation
Achievement of GES
2016-2020
2020
The Challenge
What constitutes GES?
Lack of knowledge that may
hinder full implementation of the
MSFD and the achievement of GES
in EU waters.
Need to develop additional
scientific understanding for
assessing GES in a coherent and
holistic manner
Relevant MSFD research results
should be synthesized and passed
to policy makers
The Project
STAGES (7FP ENV 2012)
Science and Technology Advancing
Governance and GES
Improve the current
scientific knowledge base and
connect science to policy to help
achieve GES in marine waters and
support MSFD implementation
Objectives and partnership
•
•
•
Identify, extract and synthesize the knowledge
generated through EU and national research-funded
activities relating to the MSFD, and make this
information widely accessible to policy-makers and
MSFD stakeholders.
Establish where further research needs to be conducted
to improve the scientific knowledge underpinning
implementation of the MSFD.
Provide pragmatic and ready-to-use recommendations to
establish an effective European science-policy platform
to support GES achievement and implementation of the
MSFD
Budget: 999.692 Euros
Partnership
CETMAR
EurOcean
IFREMER
EU Marine Board
AQUATT
ICES
JRC
IMR
September 2012
August 2014
Working Plan
WP1: Inventory of MSFD stakeholders
•
Organized by categories
•
Facilitate approach to relevant
MSFD stakeholders
•
Draw a first picture of a
potential membership for a
science/policy MSFD Platform.
•
27 coastal countries
>400 organizations
> 540 experts
Competent authorities
EC & Consultants
Regional Seas Conventions
Research funding agencies
Research institutions
Stakeholders
101
114
113
55
9
4
WP2: Identify, extract, analyze and synthesize the knowledge
generated in EU and national research funded activities and make it
available for policy makers and MSFD stakeholders
Comprehensive knowledge collection from EU and national public research
projects
• More than 1500 EU projects and 1200 national projects surveyed
Analysis and classification of the information per MSFD major themes
Expected Results
Lead User(s)
Inventory of relevant
EU and national
research projects
EU Commission
and Member
States
State of the Art
Synthesis Reports
on MSFD Themes
EU researchers
and MSFD
stakeholders
Dissemination
Information will be uploaded on
the On-line “Knowledge Gate
Portal”.
WP3: Knowledge gap assessment and foresight
Identify the needs for further research to improve the scientific underpinning
for the implementation of the MSFD
Synthesis of incoming recommendations: JRC & ICES, RSC, EU and MS reports
Foresight and consultation exercise (3 Workshops)
•Implementation of Monitoring Programmes (13-15 May 2013, Brussels)
•Pressures and their Impacts on Marine Ecosystems (September 2013)
•Socio-economic Analysis (October 2013)
Expected Results
MSFD Knowledge
Gaps
Reports and
Science-Policy
Lead User(s)
Dissemination
EC DG RTD & Horizon 2020
JPI Oceans
National and regional
research programmes
Delivery of STAGES
reports on Research
Gaps and Science Policy
Briefings
WP4: Science-policy Interface planning
Provide Concrete, Pragmatic and Ready-to-Use Recommendations on the
Development of a a European Science-Policy Platform to Support
Implementation of the MSFD
Stakeholders Analysis
• Stakeholder identification / Survey implementation / Consultation Workshop
Elaboration of a proposal for a SPI Platform
• Outputs of Stakeholder Analysis, WP2 and WP3
• Analysis of Existing SPI Structures, Processes and Best Practices
Expected Results
Proposal for a
European sciencepolicy Interface
platform
Lead User(s)
European
Commission
DG ENV
Dissemination
Position paper targeted
at European Commission Services
WP5: Knowledge transfer and communication
•
Outputs will be transfered to primary lead
users who have the capacity to uptake the
knowledge and utilize it.
•
Very targeted and taylor-made transfer of
relevant outputs and materials to specific
end users
•
Inclusion of research project results in the
Eurocean Knowledge Gate (September
2013)
•
Final Conference (July 2014)
Impact and conclusions
•
•
•
•
•
Effective science-based implementation of MSFD
 Science policy interface platform designed to meet the needs of MSFD
 Full access to, and best use of existing scientific knowledge
Optimum use of public research funding in support of MSFD
 Targeting science and technology funding investments towards addressing
critical knowledge gaps
Stakeholder involvement and support to MSFD measures
 Smoother implementation of MSFD through better stakeholder consultation
and buy-in to measures needed to implement MSFD.
A huge work has been developed to achieve the first MSFD targets in Spain
 MAGRAMA with the scientific and technical support of IEO and CEDEX
Coordination, optimization and integration of public and private research
and technological resources will be crucial for the MSFD implementation
• Support from the Spanish Technological Platform for the protection of the
coast and marine environment; PROTECMA (www,ptprotecma.es)
Developing sustainable mechanisms to connect science to policy
will be crucial to promote Blue Growth and implement IMP
Thanks for you attention !
For more information:
Project Coordinator: Marisa Fernandez
Centro Tecnológico del Mar- CETMAR
mfernandez@cetmar.org
Tel. +34 986 247 047