WG GES: Decision review progress 13th meeting of WG GES, 22-23 April 2015, Brussels WG GES: Decision review progress European Commission DG Environment Marine Environment and Water Industry Unit

GES Decision review – progress JRC and ICES leading technical reviews of Decision per Descriptor – started in spring 2014, supported by expert networks and/or expert workshops Draft 'manuals' presented to WG GES (October 2014) – review of current use of Decision, initial proposals for revision of Decision and criteria (variable level of maturity) MS comments on draft templates to end November 2014 JRC and ICES considered comments and identified outstanding issues Identification of cross-cutting issues that were discussed during a dedicated workshop beginning of 2015 February-March 2015: consultation on revised manuals per descriptor and some meetings of expert working groups to address outstanding technical issues identified 25 March-7 April 2015: all draft documents were uploaded to circabc

Cross-cutting issues workshop 21-22/01/2015, Copenhagen Session themes Integrating descriptors and other cross-cutting issues Consistency with existing legislation and RSC methodologies Scales and aggregation Issues discussed in three sessions by 2 or 3 subgroups Each subgroup discussed same issues Aim was to draw (broad) conclusions to give direction to next phase of technical review Also identify further issues needing more detailed work Workshop was NOT about making decisions, but opportunity to discuss and give direction, based on current state of Decision technical review and practical experience of implementation to date

Follow up of cc workshop: issues to further develop Cross-cutting paper Integrated assessment of state-based descriptors Relationship to pressure-based assessments For D1: link to HBD assessments Scales of assessment Aggregation rules at descriptor level GES Descriptor manuals Boundaries (quantitative where possible, also others) Reference conditions: difficult issue, indicator specific Proposal on available lists (EU and RSCs) and their potential use in assessments Simplification and streamlining: defining overlaps in criteria and indicators across descriptors and proposing methodological standards for streamlining descriptors Aggregation rules below descriptor level (e.g. weighting, OOAO) Recommendations on: i) input for possible revision of Commission Decision, ii) input for 2016-2018 Work Programme Common Understanding document Issue of terminology

JRC workshops/correspondence ICES workshops D3, D4, D6 Focused workshops on specific challenges that arose during the 2014 scientific review of the MSFD descriptors: D3 - 10–12 February D6 - 16–19 February D4 - 24–25 February All at ICES HQ, Copenhagen JRC workshops/correspondence D8/9 - working meeting of MSFD Expert Network on Contaminants: 23-24 February 2015, Ispra, Italy D10 - phone/Skype meetings, ad-hoc meeting of MSFD TG Marine litter Other descriptors: exchange via email

GES Decision review – next steps The process for the review/revision of the Commission Decision on GES should now become a converging process, to progressively close open issues. Those issues which cannot be solved in the short term could be proposed for the CIS work programme 2016-2018. The MSFD regulatory Committee on the 5th of May will take stock of review process and agree forward process for each descriptor, based on outcomes of WG GES in April. After the Regulatory Committee meeting, Commission will have internal discussions on the way forward, will seek the political mandate and will look at coherence with other policies. Commission will report back on the above issues to the MSFD Committee in November 2015. The aim is to finalise this revision by vote in the MSFD Committee before summer 2016. All the relevant documents (technical reports, guidance) have to be finalised by then.

GES Decision review – Review products Sign off Proposal for a revised Commission Decision MSFD Committee Proposal for a revised MSFD Annex III Commission guidance on the application of the Decision and Annex III and on cross- cutting issues Commission via a CSWP Revised common understanding (guidance) on MSFD Articles 8, 9 and 10 MSCG Technical reports on the review process, describing the work done per descriptor and technical and scientific reasoning for the proposals