Towards integrated marine environmental information David Connor European

Towards integrated marine environmental information David Connor European Commission DG Environment Unit C. 2 Marine Environment and Water Industry WG DIKE 26 February 2014, Brussels

INTEGRATION AND STREAMLINING AGENDA

Nature, Water & Marine Directors’ mandate • Copenhagen, June 2012: • Future joint work to focus, inter alia, on: • cooperation on an integrated approach in the implementation of the EU legislation on nature and water, including coherent interpretation of definitions, • streamlining and harmonisation of reporting and monitoring under the directives in order to avoid duplication.

Nature, Water & Marine Directors’ mandate • Vilnius, December 2013 • Invited the Commission, in close collaboration with the Member States and the EEA, to: • continue work on the streamlining of data management between BISE and WISE (including marine) based on the results of the on-going project and • to make recommendations as to how existing procedures and timetables could be streamlined and made more cost effective within the existing legal framework. • This should be done in clear recognition of the difference between binding reporting obligation and sharing informally other information and data to increase our common knowledge base.

Joint workshop q. Call in February for MS to help prepare q. Preparatory meeting in Spring q. Topic: suggest focus on Part 1 of Director’s conclusions: q q Objectives (links via review of GES Decision) Monitoring, measures, data management MPAs Links with CFP and other policies q. Tentative date: December 2014

MSFD AS A DRIVER

MSFD and policy integration • MSFD Art. 1(4): “This Directive shall contribute to coherence between, and aim to ensure the integration of environmental concerns into, the different policies, agreements and legislative measures which have an impact on the marine environment. ” • MSFD explicitly mentions the following: • Water Framework Directive • Habitats Directive • Birds Directive • Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive • Bathing Water Directive • Environmental Information Directive • INSPIRE Directive • Regional Sea Conventions & other international agreements

Need for integrated systems Marine Strategy Framework Directive: 1. Broad geographic scope a. b. c. WFD Coastal Waters EEZs (or similar) Continental Shelf areas (seabed and subsoil only) 2. Broad topic scope a. b. c. d. All aspects of marine environmental quality All pressures and impacts All human activities Ecosystem-based approach 3. Seeks integration with other policies 4. Requires cooperation with Regional Sea Conventions

Integration across policies MSFD WFD UWWTD Nitrates BWD International Conventions EQSD Habitats Birds CFP

State Air Water Species Seabed CO 2 Quality Nutrients Oceanography Plankton Birds Mammals Reptiles Fish Physical seabed Hydrology Communities Birds Habitats Policies WFD Regional Sea Conventions MSFD EQSD UWWTD Nitrates CAP CFP BWD EIA/SEA Pressures Energy Chemical Biological Physical Noise Heat Light Electromagnetic Hazardous substances Nutrients/organics Greenhouse gases Oil spills Litter Species extraction, injury, disturbance Introductions - nonindigenous, genetic Microbial pathogens Change/loss infrastructure Damage Extraction

BRINGING TOGETHER EU AND RSC PROCESSES

Integration between MS, RSCs & EU Convention obligations Contracting Parties Regional Sea Conventions Similar objectives Similar data Member States EU Directives RSCs European Commission/ European Environment Agency

Aim towards shared data/ information systems: RSCs CPs/MS EC/EEA

FROM AMBITION TO REALITY

Aim: Better results with less effort Effective • leads to consistent & improved assessments • informs management actions and policy Efficient • for MS, RSCs, EC, EEA - report once, use many times • reduces administrative burden, easy access to multiple data Accessible, informative • to stakeholders, public Integrative • allows interrogation across policies Dynamic • up-to-date systems

Integrating data & information systems • Content • Bring together into common framework (schema) • Consistent data across policies • Processes • • Improve efficiency of data flows Reduce administrative burden of reporting (report once) Gain agreements on content with MS Agreements between policies (e. g. on timing) • IT systems • • Web-based systems Dynamic reporting (pull systems) Integrated data from/for multiple policies User-friendly interfaces for interrogation

Phased approach • Phase I: Review existing reporting (Directives, RSCs) • MRAG/UNEP-WCMC/URS reports • EU/RSC data project • Phase II: Define EU-level needs via a holistic Marine Data and Information Schema • Based on DPSIR • Already embedded in MSFD 2012 reporting • Accommodate reporting of other policies • Phase III: Assess scope for streamlining & harmonisation • E. g. at data level, timing • Phase IV: Develop IT solutions • Improved data flows (MS-RSC-EU), INSPIRE, linking EU/RSC systems

A COMMON FRAMEWORK: BASED ON DPSIR MARINE DATA AND INFORMATION SCHEMA

Socio-economic Drivers Ecosystem Services Human Activities Management (Policies & Governance) Measures Monitoring Pressures nt al im stem pa cts Ecosy State of se vir ts En efi on ice be n me Environment rv Framework for information system economic ben o i c efits So

Characteristics reporting sheets Reports on: Component A Component B Physical/chemical Species/functional groups Habitats Ecosystem functions Reports on: Pressure B Pressure C Pressure D Pressure E Component D List of ecosystem components: Pressures & Impacts reporting sheets Pressure A Component C ts ac mp I Initial Assessment Component E Socio-economic reporting sheets Reports on: Go o se ds & rvi ce s Activity A Activity B List of pressures: Physical Hydrological Chemical Biological Pressures List of human activities: Sea-based Land-based Activity C Activity D Activity E

Pressures: framework per component Policy Objective Assessment of state Activities affecting GES Targets to achieve GES Measures MSFD GES – Descriptor + characteristic s/ thresholds Criteria e. g. level of pressure Level of impact ->Status/ trend e. g. agriculture, fisheries, offshore developments Reduce impacts/ pressures by XXX On specific activities, spatial measures, etc. Based on: Data/ monitoring WFD Nitrates Directive Shellfish Directive Art. 9 GES Art. 9 Decision Art. 10 Targets Art. 8 Assessment Art. 11 Monitoring Art. 19. 3 Access to data Art. 13 Measures

MSFD Policy integration WFD UWWTD BWD Eutrophication Nitrates International Conventions EQSD Habitats Birds CFP

Similarities in eutrophication reporting Topic Objective N/P Pressure output N/P Impacts Water column Common date/information framework Pressure input MSFD WFD GEn. S D 5 GEc. S Nitrates UWWTD HELCOM OSPAR No eutro Bar. Con Buc. Con EIONET Scope for streamlining & consistency (with regional specificities) Seabed Status Targets Measures Based on MRAG/UNEP-WCMC/URS 2013

Summary 1. MSFD provides incentive to improve integration of data and information systems 2. Need efficient and effective reporting 3. Complex - broad scope and multiple policies 4. Success depends on: a. Technical solutions b. Policy integration c. Cooperation at MS, RSC and EU levels

http: //ec. europa. eu/environment/marine Thank you for your attention