1. Marine Strategy Coordination Group 14 November 2011, Brussels
Marine Strategy Framework Directive – proposed reporting package for 2012
Marine Strategy Coordination Group
14 November 2011, Brussels
David Connor DG Environment, Marine Environment Unit 1

2. Outline Separate Articles 8, 9, 10: but with links
General approach
Separate Articles 8, 9, 10: but with links
Framework for reporting
Article 8 characterisation/analysis
Article 8, 9 and 10 status/targets
‘Reporting package’
Interim agreement
Forward process

3. Characteristics reporting sheets
Reports on:
Component A
Component B
Component C
Component D
Component E
Characteristics reporting sheets
List of ecosystem components:
Physical/chemical
Species/functional groups
Habitats
Ecosystem functions
Reports on:
Pressure C
Pressure D
Pressure E
Pressure A
Pressure B
Pressures & Impacts reporting sheets
Reports on:
Activity A
Activity B
Activity C
Activity D
Activity E
Socio-economic reporting sheets
Goods &
services
Impacts
Initial Assessment
List of pressures:
Physical
Hydrological
Chemical
Biological
List of human activities:
Sea-based
Land-based
Reporting for the Initial Assessment is structured around Tables 1 and 2 in Annex III of the MSFD, leading to reports on components of the ecosystem (e.g. a species, a habitat) or on a pressure and its impacts (e.g. physical damage, nutrient enrichment). Under discussion within WG DIKE is also the possibility to structure the economic and social analysis (Art 8.1c) according to the sectors of human activity. These three main types of report are interlinked: activities give rise to pressures, pressures to impacts on the ecosystem components and the ecosystem provides good and services upon which the activities depend, it is helpful to enable cross-reference of individual reports to related reports (e.g. which activities are causing a pressure, which components are impacted by a particular pressure). The reporting sheets facilitate this linkage through use of a common list of activities, pressures and components.
Pressures 3

4. List of GES descriptors
Criteria
Reports on current status of ecosystem components from initial assessment
Reports on current status of pressures & impacts from initial assessment
List of GES descriptors
D1, D2, …… D10, D11
GES
Descriptor ...
Descriptor 10
Descriptor 11
Descriptor1
Descriptor 2
Reports on GES for:
Criterion 1.1
Criterion 1.2
Criterion 2.1
Criterion ...1
Criterion 10.1
Criterion 11.1
Criterion 10.2
Other
Target A
Target B
Target C
Target Y
Target Z
Target ..
Reports on Targets and associated indicators
Targets may be linked to Descriptors, Criteria or ‘Other’
Reporting on the characteristics of GES (Art 9) and the setting of targets and associated indicators (Art 10) can be seen as separate but related tasks, which in turn link to the initial assessment (Art 8). The IA should provide an assessment of the current status of a component or pressure, preferably according to the criteria used to define GES (the desired status) from the Commission Decision; targets should then be defined to bridge the gap between current and desired status and again are likely to be associated to the criteria for assessment of status. 4

5. Framework: pressures and impacts analysis
Topic
Pressure: characteristics
Pressure: levels (at source and/or level in environment)
Pressure: sources (activities)
Impacts: ecosystem components affected, extent
Topic
Description
Summary information
Pressure: characteristics
Summary text description
Pressure: levels (at source and/or level in environment)
Proportion of assessment area with pressure (% categories)
Trend – recent, future (increasing, stable, decreasing, unknown)
Pressure: sources (activities)
Top 3 activities
Rank contribution to pressure
Impacts: ecosystem components affected, extent
Ecosystem components affected: water column, seabed, functional group (select from a list)
Proportion of assessment area impacted (% categories)
Topic
Description
Pressure: characteristics
Summary text description
Pressure: levels (at source and/or level in environment)
Pressure: sources (activities)
Impacts: ecosystem components affected, extent
Topic
Description
Summary information
Supporting data & metadata
Pressure: characteristics
Summary text description
Pressure: levels (at source and/or level in environment)
Proportion of assessment area with pressure (% categories)
Trend – recent, future (increasing, stable, decreasing, unknown)
Pressure:
Distribution & intensity – GIS data
Trends – appropriate data set
Impacts:
Metadata:
date assessed, method, source, limitations
Pressure: sources (activities)
Top 3 activities
Rank contribution - proportion of total pressure
Impacts: ecosystem components affected, extent
Ecosystem components affected: water column, seabed, functional group (select from a list)
Proportion of assessment area impacted (% categories)

6. Framework: characteristics analysis
Topic
Description
Summary information
Component characteristics
Summary text description
Predominant habitats: sub-types
Functional groups: main species
Distribution
Alteration from natural conditions: yes, no, unknown; degree (% categories)
Trend – recent, future (improving, stable, deteriorating, unknown)
Extent (habitat)
Population size (species)
Condition
Pressures affecting component
Top 3 pressures
GES criteria affected
Proportion of component impacted (% categories)
Topic
Description
Component characteristics
Summary text description
Distribution
Extent (habitat)
Population size (species)
Condition
Pressures affecting component
Topic
Component characteristics
Distribution
Extent (habitat)
Population size (species)
Condition
Pressures affecting component
Topic
Description
Summary information
Supporting data & metadata
Component characteristics
Summary text description
Predominant habitats: sub-types
Functional groups: main species
Distribution
Alteration from natural conditions (yes, no, unknown; degree in % categories)
Trend – recent, future (improving, stable, deteriorating, unknown)
Distribution & extent
GIS data
Trends – data set
Condition
Appropriate data sets, with trends
Metadata:
date assessed, method, source, limitations
Extent (habitat)
Population size (species)
Pressures affecting component
Top 3 pressures
GES criteria affected
Proportion of component impacted (% categories)

7. Framework: status/targets
Article
Component assessed
Area assessed
What is GES?
Links to Directive & Decision
Baseline
Current status
Issues to be addressed
Targets to achieve GES
Physical/ chemical features, habitat, functional group, species
Qualitative (normative) description
Quantitative definition or trends
At Descriptor, criterion and indicator levels
Historic, past, present or modelled
Criteria, specific indicator & thresholds used
Impacts identified
Pressures to be reduced
Quantitative, or trends
Art. 8
Art. 9
Art. 10

8. Cover note to Marine Directors
Reporting ‘package’
Cover note to Marine Directors
Elements of agreement for 2012 reporting (Art 8, 9, 10, 5/6)
Example reporting sheets for Art. 8 provide a framework for further elaboration of remaining sheets
Process for finalisation of remaining reporting sheets
Process for identification of priority data and their access (Art. 19)
Reporting ‘package’
Concept paper
Agreed reporting sheets:
Art. 5/6 (Regional coordination)
Art. 8 (selected sheets for Initial Assessment)
Art. 9 (GES)
Art 10. (Environmental targets)
Guidance document

9. Thank you for your attention !

10. MSCG conclusions (draft)
d) MSCG took note of the discussions at DIKE as reflected in Doc 17 (draft minutes) where it was agreed to present a package of documents to the Marine Directors with the view to ask MDs to take note, consider, discuss, give guidance and, where appropriate, endorse the proposed approach and the follow up process, and where appropriate, the documents.
e) MSCG invites WG DIKE members to check carefully the draft minutes presented on 12/11 (doc 17) to ensure that it reflects the outcome of DIKE and use commenting deadline as described (by 19/11).
f) Following presentation of revised documents by 25/11, MSCG invites DIKE members to inform Commission about any outstanding issues with a view to resolving them before MD meeting.
g) Any further work should distinguish between what should be completed for 2012 reporting and what is for later.