STAGES: connecting science to policy to support MSFD implementation

Blue Growth in the Mediterranean: Perspectives of Spain

Palma de Mallorca 2-3 May 2013

Marisa Fernández- CETMAR

The MSFD

Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)

IMP environmental pillar Delivery of Good Environmental Status (GES) in EU marine waters by 2020 applying the Ecosystem Approach

MSFD Descriptors of Good Environmental Status

1. Biological diversity 2. Non-indigenous species 3. Population of commercial fish / shellfish 4. Elements of marine food webs 5. Eutrophication 6. Sea floor integrity 7. Alteration of hydrographical conditions 8. Contaminants 9. Contaminants in fish and seafood 10. Marine litter 11. Introduction of energy, including underwater noise

MSFD phases and actions

Assessment of GES in EU waters Determination of GES Establish appropriate environmental targets Establish monitoring programmes.

Development of programmes of measures MSFD Implementation Achievement of GES

Timing

2012 2012 2012 2014 2015 2016-2020 2020

The Challenge



What constitutes GES?



Lack of knowledge that may hinder full implementation of the MSFD and the achievement of GES in EU waters.



Need to develop additional scientific understanding for assessing GES in a coherent and holistic manner



Relevant MSFD research results should be synthesized and passed to policy makers

The Project

STAGES (7FP ENV 2012) Science and Technology Advancing Governance and GES

Improve the current scientific knowledge base and connect science to policy to help achieve GES in marine waters and support MSFD implementation

Objectives and partnership

• • • Identify, extract and

synthesize the knowledge

generated through EU and national research-funded activities relating to the MSFD, and

make this information widely accessible

to policy-makers and MSFD stakeholders.

Establish where

further research needs

to improve the scientific knowledge underpinning implementation of the MSFD.

to be conducted Provide pragmatic and ready-to-use recommendations to establish an effective

European science-policy platform

to support GES achievement and

implementation of the MSFD

Budget: 999.692 Euros

Partnership CETMAR EurOcean IFREMER EU Marine Board AQUATT ICES JRC IMR

September 2012 August 2014

Working Plan

WP1: Inventory of MSFD stakeholders

• Organized by categories • Facilitate approach to relevant MSFD stakeholders • Draw a potential first picture membership of for science/policy MSFD Platform.

a a • 27 coastal countries >400 organizations > 540 experts Competent authorities Regional Seas Conventions Research institutions 101 114 EC & Consultants Research funding agencies Stakeholders 113 55 4 9

WP2: Identify, extract, analyze and synthesize the knowledge generated in EU and national research funded activities and make it available for policy makers and MSFD stakeholders

Comprehensive knowledge collection from EU and national public research projects • More than 1500 EU projects and 1200 national projects surveyed Analysis and classification of the information per MSFD major themes

Expected Results Lead User(s)

Inventory of relevant EU and national research projects EU Commission and Member States State of the Art Synthesis Reports on MSFD Themes EU researchers and MSFD stakeholders

Dissemination

Information will be uploaded on the On line “Knowledge Gate Portal”.

WP3: Knowledge gap assessment and foresight

Identify the needs for further research to improve the scientific underpinning for the implementation of the MSFD Synthesis of incoming recommendations: JRC & ICES, RSC, EU and MS reports Foresight and consultation exercise (3 Workshops) •Implementation of Monitoring Programmes (13-15 May 2013, Brussels) •Pressures and their Impacts on Marine Ecosystems (September 2013) •Socio-economic Analysis (October 2013)

Expected Results Lead User(s) Dissemination

MSFD Knowledge Gaps Reports and Science-Policy EC DG RTD & Horizon 2020 JPI Oceans National and regional research programmes Delivery of STAGES reports on Research Gaps and Science Policy Briefings

WP4: Science-policy Interface planning

Provide Concrete, Pragmatic and Ready-to-Use Recommendations on the Development of a a European Science-Policy Platform to Support Implementation of the MSFD Stakeholders Analysis • Stakeholder identification / Survey implementation / Consultation Workshop Elaboration of a proposal for a SPI Platform • Outputs of Stakeholder Analysis, WP2 and WP3 • Analysis of Existing SPI Structures, Processes and Best Practices

Expected Results

Proposal for a European science policy Interface platform

Lead User(s)

European Commission DG ENV

Dissemination

Position paper targeted at European Commission Services

WP5: Knowledge transfer and communication

• Outputs will be transfered to primary lead users who have the capacity to uptake the knowledge and utilize it.

• Very targeted and taylor-made transfer of relevant outputs and materials to specific end users • Inclusion of research project results in the Eurocean Knowledge Gate (September 2013) • Final Conference (July 2014)

Impact and conclusions

• • • • •

Effective science-based implementation of MSFD

 Science policy interface platform designed to meet the needs of MSFD  Full access to, and best use of existing scientific knowledge

Optimum use of public research funding in support of MSFD

 Targeting science and technology funding investments towards addressing critical knowledge gaps

Stakeholder involvement and support to MSFD measures

 Smoother implementation of MSFD through better stakeholder consultation and buy-in to measures needed to implement MSFD.

A huge work has been developed to achieve the first MSFD targets in Spain

 MAGRAMA with the scientific and technical support of IEO and CEDEX

Coordination, optimization and integration of public and private research and technological resources will be crucial for the MSFD implementation

• Support from the Spanish Technological Platform for the protection of the coast and marine environment; PROTECMA (www,ptprotecma.es)

Developing sustainable mechanisms to connect science to policy will be crucial to promote Blue Growth and implement IMP

Thanks for you attention !

For more information

:

Project Coordinator: Marisa Fernandez Centro Tecnológico del Mar- CETMAR [email protected]

Tel. +34 986 247 047