WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment Introduction Uli Claussen (WG GES co-lead)

Five reasons for the workshop Need to understand the extent to which GES has been achieved Need to make conceptual assessment frameworks work in practice To validate the technical assessment aspects of the draft revised COMDec To agree on comparable assessment outputs for presentation by MS and RSCs To understand how national and regional assessment aspects link Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 2

Mandate (MSCG 17) Technical guidance on Art. 8 assessments Assessment steps (Art. 8.1a, 8.1b): Phase 1 Integrated presentation of assess-ment results (Part I of the guidance) By July 2016 Use in relation to 2018 reports Phase 2 Technical guidance on the individual assessments (Part II of the guidance) Following Phase 1 Use in future Art. 8 assessments 1. Distribution and intensity of human activities 2. Distribution and intensity of pressures resulting from human activities 3. Impacts of pressures on the ecosystem elements 4. Status of ecosystem elements 5. Integrated presentation of assessment results from 1. to 4. to judge the extent to which GES has been achieved 6. Change in status and progress towards GES and environmental targets Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 3

Assessment framework 1 Integrated scheme for organising and presenting the assessment relating to pressure/impact and to the state of ecosystem components (see ‚cross-cutting-issues‘ paper) Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 4

Aims of the workshop Validate the descriptor-specific technical assessment aspects of the draft rev COMDec Are the assessment process and the degree of integration for the descriptor agreeable? Are the integration methods appropriate, taking into account consistency with EU-legislation and any regional assessment frameworks? What integration rules, if any, apply in cases of missing information on indicators or criteria? Are the assessment scales appropriate? Do any additional issues need addressing? What is the recommended option for high level assessment outputs (presentation)? What is the recommended approach for linking national indicators to regional assessments? Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 5

Scope of the workshop Workshop: Higher level integration across indicators and across criteria Indicator assessment based on EU legislation or RSC indicators Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 6

Assessment process Assign indicators to the criteria Determine the criteria for assessment (primary and secondary) Determine spatial scale for the element assessment Determine elements for assessment (see rev COMDec): Elements lists under EU legislation, RSCs and any complementary national element Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 7

Integration Rev COMDec: Each criterion is within threshold value Each element is within threshold value Decisions for assessment: Degree of integration to communicate extent of GES achieved Integration rules in relation to the individual integration nodes Integration node 3?1 Integration node 2? 1 Integration node 1? 1 Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 8

Geographic scales Nested approach Generic spatial scales Specific assess-ment areas Example HELCOM Example OSPAR Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 9

Presentation Priority for the workshop: one main output option on extent of GES achieved per descriptor at the relevant integration level Green / red for ‚good‘ and ‚not good‘ status Blue not relevant for GES Distance to good status: e.g. x of y assessment elements are within / outside threshold values Example: assessment output for D8 Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 10

Presentation RSC assessment products: Pyramid of outputs serving different regional and national purposes Balancing communication and management needs Example for possible HELCOM assessment outputs Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 11

National and regional assessment results Member States may assess complementary national indicators because Regional indicators are not ready for assessment but national assessment are available There is no regional indicator on the element because there is no agreement An element is only of national relevance. Decisions for assessment: What are the options for combining national indicators with regional assessments in terms of a judgement on the extent to which good environmental status is achieved? Can a generalised approach be agreed or does this need a case-by-case decision for each indicator / criterion? Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 12

Organisation of the workshop Presentations per descriptor with worked examples Note contribution of ICES to guidance on D1 (species) and D3 (commercial fish stocks) Discussion of the technical aspects in break-out groups for the descriptors 5, 8, 1 (habitats) & 1 (species) Break-out group D10 replaced by break-out group on cross-cutting issue (TG Litter to review D10 section) Presentation of break-out conclusions Tease out any general principles for application across descriptors Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 13

Timetable Details of follow-up to Workshop see next presentation End of May: revised draft guidance based on outcome of Workshop send to WG GES, MSCG and TG Litter 21 June 2016: WG GES meeting End of June: finalised draft guidance based on comments from WG GES, MSCG and TG Litter Endorsement by WG GES on 11/12 October 2016 Endorsement by MSCG on 10 November 2016 Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 14

Thank you and good discussions! Brussels, 20/21 April 2016 WG GES Workshop Art. 8 MSFD Assessment 15