Scientific Support to the European Commission on the Marine Strategy Framework Directive - Management Group Report

• Main Authors: CARDOSO Ana, COCHRANE Sabine, DOERNER Hendrik, FERREIRA João, GALGANI Francois, HAGEBRO Claus, HANKE Georg, HOEPFFNER Nicolas, KEIZER Paul, LAW Robin, OLENIN Sergej, PIET Gerjan, RICE Jake, ROGERS Stuart, SWARTENBROUX Frank, TASKER Mark, VAN DE BUND Wouter, PIHA Henna Emilia
• Language: English
• Published: Publications Office of the European Union 2010
• Subjects: Sion; North East Atlantic
• Online Access: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC58097; https://doi.org/10.2788/86430

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) (MSFD) requires that the European Commis-sion (by 15 July 2010) should lay down criteria and methodological standards to allow consistency in approach in evaluating the extent to which Good Environmental Status (GES) is being achieved. ICES and JRC were contracted to provide scientific support for the Commission in meeting this obligation.A total of 10 reports have been prepared relating to the descriptors of GES listed in Annex I of the Directive. Eight reports have been prepared by groups of independent experts coordinated by JRC and ICES in response to this contract. In addition, reports for two descriptors (Contaminants in fish and other seafood and Marine Litter) were written by expert groups coordinated by DG SANCO and IFREMER respectively.A Task Group was established for each of the qualitative Descriptors. Each Task Group consisted of selected experts providing experience related to the four marine regions (the Baltic Sea, the North-east Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea) and an appropriate scope of relevant scien-tific expertise. Observers from the Regional Seas Conventions were also invited to each Task Group to help ensure the inclusion of relevant work by those Conventions. This is the report of the MSFD Management Group. JRC.DDG.H.5 - Rural, water and ecosystem resources