Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament – Contribution of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) to the implementation of existing obligations, commitments and initiatives of the Member States or the EU at EU or international level in the sphere of environmental protection in marine waters

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive ("Marine Directive" or "MSFD") aims to achieve Good Environmental Status of the EU's marine waters by 2020 and to protect the resource base upon which marine-related economic and social activities depend. Environmental status will be assessed on the basis of 11 qualitative descriptors, considering environmental state, pressures and impacts on marine ecosystems, and good status is to be achieved via the development and implementation of a strategy for marine waters in each Member State, addressing all impacts and pressures affecting the marine environment. Increased cooperation across borders within marine regions and subregions is also at the heart of the Marine Directive.

The Marine Directive translates a very large number of international and EU commitments related to environmental protection in the marine environment to the legal order of the Union. It also plays an important role in enhancing the coherence of the action of the EU and its Member States under international agreements.

The full breadth of these commitments has been analysed in depth in the "Study on the contribution of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive to existing international obligations". This report focuses on highlighting the MSFD contribution to essential principles established at international level, to some key international commitments, including Regional Sea Conventions and to major EU policies.

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)662: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:662:FIN

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