A few words on MSFD

The EU "Marine Strategy" Framework Directive (MSFD) aims at protecting more efficiently the marine environment across Europe.

Source: http://msfd.eu/

In order to achieve a so-called "Good Ecological Status" (GES), i.e. maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services with sustainable human influence on the marine environment, it integrates the concepts of environmental protection and sustainable use in a legislative framework requiring each Member State to develop a strategy for its marine waters.

Beside MSFD, other EU Directives aim at managing the marine environment and the ressources it provides to humans (e.g. Water Framework Directive, Common Fisheries Policy). However, MSFD is to date the only environmental Directive considering the marine environment as a whole (i.e. not limited to coastal areas), connections between ecosystem compartments (foodwebs) and with human activities acting on them (including socio-economic impact of environmental degradation).


Marine strategies of each Member State include :

 - an assessment of current environmental status of national marine waters and the environmental impact of human activities in these waters as well as a socio-economic analysis of human activities in the concerned regions,

- a definition of GES for national marine waters,

- environmental targets to achieve GES and indicators to be used in order to evaluate management measures,

- a programme of measures to achieve or maintain GES.


These marine strategies follow an adaptive management approach and must be kept up-to-date and reviewed every 6 years. The second cycle will start in 2018.

Source: http://ec.europa.eu/

The Directive sets 11 quantitative descriptors of GES for the marine environment. These descriptors are set to help Member States interpret the practical meaning of GES:

    Descriptor 1. Biodiversity is maintained

    Descriptor 2. Non-indigenous species do not adversely alter the ecosystem

    Descriptor 3. The population of commercial fish species is healthy

    Descriptor 4. Elements of food webs ensure long-term abundance and reproduction

    Descriptor 5. Eutrophication is minimised

    Descriptor 6. The sea floor integrity ensures functioning of the ecosystem

    Descriptor 7. Permanent alteration of hydrographical conditions does not adversely affect the ecosystem

    Descriptor 8. Concentrations of contaminants give no effects

    Descriptor 9. Contaminants in seafood are below safe levels

    Descriptor 10. Marine litter does not cause harm

    Descriptor 11. Introduction of energy (including underwater noise) does not adversely affect the ecosystem

In line with Regional Seas Conventions (OSPAR, Barcelona Convention, HELCOM), the assessment of GES for each descriptor relies on the use of adequate indicators computed from monitoring data collected by the Member States. Accordingly, GES assessment can necessitate the development of assessment tools/indicators and the implementation of apppropriate monitoring programmes. Different strategies can be used by the Member States to reach these goals depending on the determination of what GES means for their national waters.