1. Towards a Joint Monitoring Programme for the North Sea and Celtic Sea
3 Pilot Projects - New Knowledge for an integrated management of human activities in the sea PP/ENV D2/SEA
Start date and end date: 01/10/2013 – 31/03/2015
Towards a Joint Monitoring Programme for the North Sea and Celtic Sea
(JMP NS/CS)
Project Coordinator: Dr Lisette Enserink, Rijkswaterstaat, NL
Grant agreement number: /2013/659567/SUB/C2
Baltic Sea Pilot Project: Testing new concepts for integrated environmental monitoring of the Baltic Sea
Project Coordinator: Johanna Karhu, HELCOM
Grant agreement number: /2013/659519/SUB/C2
The IRIS-SES project: Integrated Regional monitoring Implementation Strategy in the South European Seas
Project Coordinator: Dr Kalliopi Pagou, HCMR, Greece
Grant agreement number: /2013/659540/SUB/C2
PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels

2. Participation of countries in the 3 projects
PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels

3. PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels
Main Objectives:
JMP NS/CS
BALSAM
IRIS-SES
Benefits & challenges of joint monitoring in North and Celtic Sea (potential for multi-use of platforms ships, planes, buoys)
constructive network between institutions for fisheries and environmental monitoring
planning and evaluation tools to enhance monitoring for GES
Options for better integration and coherence across disciplines and countries, for increased efficiency and reduced costs.
Transferability to other (sub) regions: North Sea  Celtic Sea and potentially beyond
Testing new concepts for integrated environmental monitoring of the Baltic Sea to enhance the capacity of the Baltic Sea MSs, to develop their monitoring programmes.
The project will increase and improve cross-border coordination and joint activities especially related to monitoring of biodiversity.
Develop a new concept and decision-making tools for integrated environmental monitoring for MSFD and other environmental legislation, to support management of human activities and their effects in EU marine waters, in Mediterranean and Black Sea.
This new concept will be based on existing sampling across various disciplines and scope the potential for joint programs.
It will demonstrate a practical way in which current effort could be redeployed to more efficiently use of existing resources
PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels

4. PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels
ACTIVITIES / WPs
JMP NS/CS
BALSAM
IRIS-SES
I: Inventory and analysis
II: Integration
III: Towards a Joint Monitoring Programme
IV: Communication & Dissemination
WP1: Coordination and cooperation for integrated monitoring
WP2: Promoting resource-efficiency in national monitoring strategies
WP3: Regional coordination of monitoring of marine mammals and seabirds
WP4: Non-indigenous species-multi-disciplinary monitoring schemes to gain synergies for ballast water risk-management and environmental monitoring
WP5: Tools for optimizing coordinated international use of research vessels for monitoring activities.
WP6: A common standard for mapping and monitoring of Baltic Sea benthic biotopes and habitats, and format for data exchange
1: Analysis of the monitoring programs carried on the framework of European/Regional /National legislation in relation to MSFD requirements
2: Integrating scales of monitoring with those of processes to be monitored
3: Adaptation and development of intelligent tools
4: Optimization and adaptation to MSFD requirements of ongoing joint marine monitoring in the Mediterranean and Black Sea
5: Coordination and Management, Dissemination and Sustainability
PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels

5. PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels
Activities carried out so far and their status, in relation to the expected first deliverables.
JMP NS/CS
BALSAM
IRIS-SES
Part I: Ongoing. Inventory of inventories prepared. Questionnaire for additional info distributed, (some countries still have to deliver)
Part II: Just started after preparatory phase. Questtionnaire on platforms under development. Case studies/topics selected (eutrophication, fisheries, benthos, multi-use of vessels)
Part III: annotated Table of contents under construction
Part IV: Through meetings, WEBEXES,
During the first 5 months, the experts have been gathering and updating information on current monitoring for the Catalogue, as well as identifying gaps in monitoring
Activity 1: Ongoing. Fact sheet for inventory distributed. Information collected (some countries still have to deliver), meta –data base is prepared. Assessment of legislation prepared. To be delivered for 1st progress report. To be updated later
Activity 2: Ongoing. Preliminary assessment of the programs inventory to be submitted with progress report
Activity 3. Ongoing. Preparatory phase concluded. Case studies/topics selected (eutrophication, fisheries pollutants, multi-use of vessels) for GIS and DECYDE tools
Activity 4. Preparatory work ongoing
Activity 5. Ongoing. Meetings, website.
PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels

6. PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels
Deviations from workplan so far and/or updated workplan, if decided.
JMP NS/CS
BALSAM
IRIS-SES
No yet
Project managmenet plan almost ready No
Task 1.3 has been moved to Activity 2 and merged with task 2.1 “Assessing the opportunities to develop multidisciplinary monitoring programs, according to the recommendations of the SC meeting and ABon 5th November in Athens
PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels

7. PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels
Problems and proposed/taken solution
JMP NS/CS
BALSAM
IRIS-SES
Part I:
Issue of partially finished MSFD monitoring programmes.
Decided to allow for a variety of pre-MSFD programmes and new programmes, due to pilot program deadlines.
Not serious problems identified so far, critical point the first progress report
PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels

8. PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels
Interconnection/networking with the scientific community and the stakeholders (so far and foreseen)
JMP NS/CS
BALSAM
IRIS-SES
Close linkages with OSPAR, HELCOM and UNEP processes of developing common indicators, shared data handling and development of integrated monitoring programmes
Builds on templates and guidelines from WG DIKE
Inform policy makers (PCG, WG DIKE, WG GES and relevant groups in RSCs)
Liaise with other networks and projects:
HELCOM, ICES, BEF, OSPAR (ICG MSFD, COBAM, EUT), UNEP, EEA, JRC, BSC, MED-GIG, BENA, HELCOM MORE, CORESET II, ALIENS 3, MARMONI, PERSEUS, MISIS, EMBLAS/UNDP, COCONET, EIONET, ELNAIS, ELNET, EUROMEDLAG, LIFEWATCH, MAREFRAME, EU MED MS…
Meetings
SKYPE, s between 3 sister pilot projects
PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels

9. Final stakeholder workshops: approx. March 2015
MEETINGS
JMP NS/CS
BALSAM
IRIS-SES
PCG meeting12-13/9/2013, Brussels
Joint Kick off, 13/9/2013, Brussels
Participation to BALSAM kick off
OSPAR meetings
An overview of the aims and progress of the three sister projects has been presented in the HOPE 2014 Conference.
24-25 April all partner meeting (Edinburgh)
Kick-off meeting: November 2013, HELCOM Secretariat
Internal meetings within WPs attended and planned
BALSAM presented to the Black Sea commission in a Baltic-to-Black meeting, November 2013
6-8 May back-to-back with MARMONI seminar (Tallinn)
Black Sea Conference, 28-31/10/2013, Constanta
Kick off, 1st SC & AB, 5 November 2013, Athens,
AQUALIRES 2014 conference, 17-18/1/2014, Bucharest
CORGEST meeting (UNEP). February 2014, Athens
2nd SC 5 March Athens
Preparotory meeting for DECYDE 18 March 2014, Cyprus, planned
Local stakeholders (April-June 2014), planned
Final stakeholder workshops: approx. March 2015
PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels

10. Lessons learnt & expectations
Main drivers for joint monitoring: coherent assessment outcomes, geographical coverage and data flows. Cost-effective monitoring
Eagerness to participate from partners, no-one dropped out so far. Understanding of potential benefits and willingness to make it work
Important to use related initiatives and projects
Need for flexibility and courage from all participants to continue after the projects end.
Support from DG ENV on networks and dissemination of results much welcomed
PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels

11. PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels
Expected outputs from the three pilot projects:
The three pilot projects will gather and update information on the current environmental monitoring in the three sea regions.
The experts will also carry out analyses of how well current monitoring responds to the needs of the MSFD and communicate recommendations for integrated monitoring to decision-makers.
This is aimed to assist Member States in their development of monitoring programmes for the MSFD
PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels

12. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
Contact:
JMP NS/CS:
Lisette Enserink
BALSAM:
Johanna Karhu
IRIS-SES:
Popi Pagou
PCG meeting, 10 March 2014, Brussels