1. OSPAR – Intermediate Assessment 2017 (IA2017)
Prof Colin Moffat
Convenor of ICG MAQ
Dr Jo Foden
OSPAR Secretariat

2. OSPAR Commission OSPAR Maritime Area and Regions:
16 Contracting Parties
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Iceland
Ireland
Luxembourg
The Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
The United Kingdom
European Union
OSPAR Maritime Area and Regions:
Region I: Arctic Waters
Region II: Greater North Sea
Region III: Celtic Seas
Region IV: Bay of Biscay/Iberian Coast
Region V: Wider Atlantic
Not an EU Member State

3. Dual Procedures – Single Track
JAMP
MSFD
clean & healthy
The North East Atlantic Strategy. OSPAR Agreement
EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) (Directive 2008/56/EC)
dynamic oceans and seas which are clean, healthy and productive
JAMP
OSPAR Agreement
Commission Decision 2010/477/EU concerning MSFD criteria for assessing GES

4. NEAS OSPAR Strategies and Committees
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Strategy
BDC and EIHA
Offshore Industry Strategy
OIC
Eutrophication Strategy
HASEC
Radioactive Substances Strategy
RSC
Hazardous Substances Strategy
HASEC
NEAS
A Strategy for the Joint Assessment and Monitoring Programme (JAMP)
Theme A – CoG; BDC, EIHA, OIC, RSC, HASEC for their respective Theme

5. Joint Assessment and Monitoring Programme (JAMP)
Section I: overall strategy, objectives for and the longer term, guiding principles, the means to ensure scientific quality, the relationship with marine research, and the programme management
Section II: for each of six themes, details the issues to be addressed, the monitoring programmes to be implemented, the monitoring and assessment tools to be developed, the information and data collection to be undertaken and the assessments reports or products to be produced.
OSPAR Agreement

6. DX General Assessments from OSPAR Strategies and MSFD GES Y Criteria
Z Indicators
MSFD
D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6
D7 D8
D9 D10
D11
Good
Env
Status
(GES) DX
Indicator development and implementation of monitoring programmes
Not
GES
MSFD Descriptor Definitions For GES Descriptor X
OSPAR Strategies/CEMPs for relevant OSPAR Theme
Assessments
e.g. IA2017

7. Comparison of Areas OSPAR Region MSFD Subregions I
Celtic Seas (small %) II
Greater North Sea
III
Celtic Seas IV
Bay of Biscay and Iberian Coast V
Macronesia, Celtic Seas, Bay of Biscay and Iberian Coast
Representation of the marine regions and subregions of MSFD Article 4, and the marine waters of Member States according to Article 3(1) and as reported by Member States

8. NOW!!! YIKES Committee/ group Product/decision Date ICG-MAQ
Guidance provided on
Structure of the IA2017
The Assessment sheet structure/ template with explanatory notes
Assessment units
Timetable for delivery of assessment products
Spring 2015
Thematic committee meetings e.g. BDC, HASEC, EIHA
Thematic committees recommend to OSPAR Commission which indicators and other thematic assessments will feature in the IA 2017.
For the identified assessments develop detailed work plans to ensure delivery of a draft assessment sheet to the 2016 committee meeting.
ICGs/ Working groups
Start assessment process
COG
Review contents and structure of the IA2017 from committees
May 2015
OSPAR 2015
Conclusion on which indicators/ thematic assessments will feature in the IA 2017
Decision on overall structure and outline of content of the IA 2017
29th May (document deadline)
OSPAR June 2015
ICGs and working groups
Finalise draft assessment sheets
Between OSPAR and thematic committee meetings in Spring 2016
NOW!!! YIKES

9. Committee /group
Product/decision
Date
ICG-MAQ
Initial outline draft of “top and tail”
Autumn 2015
Thematic committee meetings e.g. BDC, HASEC, EIHA
Review and agree completed assessments sheets
Identify any data gaps and address deficiencies. Make arrangements to address these.
Spring 2016
ICGs and working groups
Finalise assessments if necessary
By end August 2016
OSPAR 2016
Decides on final draft content based on completed assessment sheets and other contributions
June 2016
TBC (CoG? Committees ’ written procedure? Or Webex?)
Sign off of any revised/ updated assessment sheets.
September 2016

10. Committee/ group
Product/decision
Date
ICG-MAQ
Oversee compilation and finalisation of IA 2017 (supported by thematic committees and ICGs/working groups – checking drafts, providing updates where new data are available.)
Thematic drafts to be finalised for submission to Committees in spring 2017
June 2016 to thematic committees in Spring 2017
Final editing of text IA 2017
Spring 2017
Thematic committee meetings e.g. BDC, HASEC, EIHA
Sign off of final relevant sections of IA2017
Final review, compilation and preparation for publication
Late spring 2017
OSPAR 2017
IA2017 adopted
June 2017
Contracting Parties
IA2017 sent out for national consultation as part of Article 8 assessment
Autumn 2017
ICGs, working groups and Thematic committee meetings e.g. BDC, HASEC, EIHA
Review consultation responses and provide update if required. New assessments to be considered for inclusion
Spring 2018
Editorial adjustments of IA 2017 if required
OSPAR 2018
Post consultation IA2017 adopted
June 2018
Time for a rest – Ah, but, what about the EEA State of European Seas Report in 2019 and QSR 2021?

11. Link to HELCOM Core (30) Indicators
OSPAR Common Indicators
OSPAR Region
Number
Descriptors
II, III, IV 17
D1/6, D5, 8, D10, D11 IV 4
D1, D4, D5
III 6
D1, D4 II 14
D1, D1/6, D5, D8, D10
Link to HELCOM Core (30) Indicators
Total = 41

12. OSPAR Wide Common Indicators
D1/6 BentHab2
Multi-metric indices
D5 nutr conc
Winter nutrient concentrations
D5 chlorophyl
Chlorophyll concentration
D5 oxygen
Oxygen
D8 metals (biota)
Metal (Hg, Cd, Pb) concentrations in biota
D8 metals (sedim)
Metal (Hg, Cd, Pb) concentrations in sediment
D8 PCBs (biota)
PCB concentrations in biota
D8 PCBs (sedim)
PCB concentrations in sediments
D8 PAHs (sedim)
PAHs concentrations in sediments
D8 PAHs (biota)
PAHs concentrations in biota other than fish
D8 Organotin (sedim)
Organotin concentrations in sediments
D8 PBDE (biota)
PBDE concentrations in biota
D8 PBDE (sedim)
PBDE concentrations in sediments
D8 imposex
Imposex/intersex
D10 on beach
Beach litter
D10 on seabed
Litter on the seabed
D11 impulsive noise
Impulsive noise
OSPAR Wide Common Indicators

13. Geographical Scales for assessment and reporting
Level 0 OSPAR Maritime Area (As of 5 days ago) Level 1 OSPAR Regions (I – V) Level 2 subdivision of OSPAR Regions Level 3 offshore areas of coastal influence Level 4 Country specific – can be WFD waterbodies if CP desires(As of 5 days ago)

14. Level 0 OSPAR Maritime Region

15. Level 1: OSPAR Regions

16. Level 2: sub division of OSPAR Regions

17. Level 3: Area of Coastal Influence

18. Level 4: Country Specific, Can be WFD Coastal Waters

19. Level 4: zoom in on North Sea

20. Anomalies still to be addressed

21. NOT A MINI QSR Building blocks of IA2017
Chapter 1 Introduction, including:
North-East Atlantic Environment Strategy
Intermediate Assessment 2017
How the IA2017 contributes to the MSFD
Common Indicators
Chapter 2 Climate change/Prevailing Physiographic Conditions
Chapter 3 Socioeconomic characteristic of the OSPAR area
Chapter 4 Human Activities
Chapter 5 Biodiversity Status
Chapter 6 Ecosystem assessment
Chapter 7 Conclusions and Recommendations
NOT A MINI QSR

22. Assessment sheets Online report only
2-page summary assessments, underpinned by extended data and information
Content
Example
Sheet reference
Assessment ID (to be completed by Secretariat)
Contributing countries
Countries that have contributed to the assessment. Complete using two letter ISO country codes.
Title
Assessment XXX: NAME e.g. ‘Common Indicator PH-1: Plankton Life Forms’.
Subtitle 1
Component from a list (TBC) descriptor (e.g. food webs, marine litter) or thematic assessment (e.g. radioactive discharges, MPAs)
Subtitle 2
MSFD criterion e.g. ‘1.2 Population size’
Subtitle 3
Region of the assessment (using the ‘hierarchical’ scales unique identifier, if adopted)
Area of applicability – shown as a small map
Key message
Describe what the indicator shows (what is the headline trend) – 50 words maximum
Background (brief)
A clear introduction to the topic, with an image, 250 words maximum.
Describing why it is an indicator and of what [insert textual ref to OSPAR Agreement]
Include a brief description of key drivers/pressures

23. JAMP - An Area for Development
Integrated environmental assessment: assessments that link human activities, their pressures, the state of the marine environment and management responses with the inclusion of the relevant physics, chemistry and/or biology.

24. OSPAR Data and Information Management System

25. Watch this space: www.ospar.org
Thank you
Watch this space:
Photo: NOAA