1. ‘Work of the EEA aimed at streamlining marine assessment processes’
EMMA meeting
‘Work of the EEA aimed at streamlining
marine assessment processes’ or

2. EEA member and participating countries

3. The EEA's Mission ... is to deliver
timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information
to policy-makers and the public for the development and implementation of sound environmental policies in the European Union and other EEA member countries.
Coastal and marine environment (Regulation amendment 1999)

4. European regional seas

5. Objectives of the Inter Regional Forum (IRF) since 1995
To facilitate the exchange and possible integration of existing data and information produced by regional Marine Conventions/Action Plans with the EEA and ETCs
To improve working relations and task sharing to avoid duplication of work
All IRF reports at

6. Fields of cooperation (I)
Identification of common research priorities for the regional conventions (i.e. ecosystem properties, species and habitats, transport pathways, processes and biological effects of contaminants) and subsequent submission to DGXII to be taken into account for the 5th FP => BEEP project
Technical workshops on:
Combined Effects of contaminants (organised by AMAP)
Transport models (organised by AMAP)
How remote sensing data could offer solutions to meta data requirements of Regional Conventions (organised by JRC, Ispra)
REPORTING: a matrix table on “Reporting requirements and linkages to political agendas” was regarded a instrument in the process of harmonisation and synchronisation of assessment products. Problem of different time scales.

7. Fields of cooperation (II)
ASSESSMENT: Geographic Information Systems, Indicators, Statistical tools were identified as relevant tools and analysed. Ad-hoc working groups were set-up to start harmonising assessment products
INDICATORS: Common issues and related DPSIR indicators were identified by a working group on indicators (lead EEA). A joint workshop on indicators with countries in 2001 resulted in a set of recommendations on water quality indicators
DATA EXCHANGE: Availability, Access/Ownership and Management were analysed by a working group (lead OSPAR) and resulted in a set of recommendations
GIS: EUMARIS, a prototype of a marine GIS focussing on Eutrophication was developed by ETC/MCE. Common use and application of a marine GIS were analysed by a working group on GIS (lead ETC/MCE). The Kiev report formed a test case for common GIS application.

8. Joint Assessments Published: Planned:
Joint EEA – UNEP/MAP report on Mediterranean Sea, published 1999
Joint Arctic Report with UNEP-Grid Arendal and AMAP, to be published in 2003
Planned:
Joint Black Sea report
Joint Mediterranean Sea Report

9. Streamlining indicators (EEA with MC, EEA with Fisheries Organisations)
3 testing reports based on OSPAR data (Technical Reports 84, 85, 86)
IRF workshop on marine indicators with EIONET and Marine Conventions, 2001, Ispra
Scoping study on fisheries and aquaculture indicators (Technical Report 87)
IRF workshop on fisheries indicators with Fisheries organisations, 2002, Brussels
Water core set, fisheries core set – review 2003
Water core set (20 marine out of 46)
Fisheries core set (9 marine, 7 socio-economic)
Indicator graphics: 1. Europe, 2. by regional sea

10. Streamlining dataflow
Big ETC questionnaire in 1999 – basis for indicator testing and MARINEBASE
Letter of EEA in 2000 to EIONET ‘permission of use of Convention data’
OSPAR: 10 permissions out of 14
HELCOM: 7 permissions out of 8
UNEP/MAP: 3 permissions out of 5
Change of OSPAR data policy in 2002
Joint meeting EEA + UNEP-MAP countries, 2000
Joint workplan, MoU EEA/BSC, 2003
Priority dataflow t/c/m start October 2002
Reporting guidelines t/c/m = Technical Report 97
Guidelines QA = Technical Report 98
Further work required: Harmonisation of different MC reporting guidelines, EEA guidelines, WFD guidance, etc.

11. Develop jointly spatial assessment
EMARIS prototype (IRF working group on GIS)
EUNIS habitat mapping:
EUNIS marine habitat classification
OSPAR done, UNEP/MAP 2003, HELCOM 2004?, BSC 2005?
EUNIS marine habitat mapping: dot maps of priority habitats
EUNIS marine habitat mapping: holistic maps based on physical descriptors
Development of joint GIS based approach: meetings (MC, ICES, EEA) in Oct 2002, July 2003, Oct. 2003
WFD typology – link to EUNIS and biodiversity not established yet

12. Streamlining activities of MC + EEA with WFD
Internal EEA report on overlap between MC monitoring and WFD
EEA development of biological and hydromorphological indicators and related dataflow – JRC lead intercalibration exercise
WFD reporting working group – EEA chair of assessment subgroup

13. Conclusions on EEA streamlining activities
Streamlining with international organisations within IRF is/was 1st step, but achievements not 100%
Streamlining at country level is 2nd step to reach/implement an agreed procedure (EMMA)
Streamlining for issues eutrophication, hazardous substances, oil: now ready for country level (2nd step)
Streamlining for issues biodiversity (EUNIS habitat joint group meeting 20 October) and fishing impact (joint group on fisheries): at 1st step, international level