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Published on 09-03-2022


Support Mediterranean Member States towards Coherent and coordinated Implementation of the second phase of the MSFD

MEDCIS – DG Environment

  • Programme or Providing body: European Commission – DG Environment – Implementation of the Second Cycle of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive: achieving coherent, coordinated and consistent updates of the determinations of Good Environmental Status, initial assessments and environmental targets
  • Project title: Support Mediterranean Member States towards Coherent and coordinated Implementation of the second phase of the MSFD
  • Acronym: MEDCIS
  • Duration: 01/02/2017-31/12/20218
  • Project budget: 999,896.00 €
  • CORILA budget: 155.861€
  • Contact person in CORILA: dallangelo@corila.it
  • Keywords:Maritime Spatial Planning-MSP, Mediterranean Sea, GES, Marine Strategy Framework Directive-MSFD

MEDCIS answered to the 3rd call addressed the implementation of the second cycle of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), achieving coherence, coordinated and consistent updates of the determinations of Good Environmental Status (GES), Initial Assessments and Environmental Targets

It is a follow up of the previous two calls from DG Environment that deal with Joint Monitoring proposals and assistance to the Member States to develop Action Plans for Integrated Monitoring Programmes, Programmes of Measures and Data Management, under the obligations of the MSFD.

MEDCIS addressed most of the descriptors at the Mediterranean level (all subregions) with a focus on Biodiversity (including alien species and seafloor integrity), marine litter and noise. Case studies have been performed in selected areas (e.g. N. Adriatic Sea), in order to test the MSFD implementation proposals.

More specifically MEDCIS

– reviewed and update the 2012 Assessment, the determinations of GES and Threshold values, the Environmental Targets and associated Indicators, at Mediterranean marine region/subregion level, by developing case studies to test the performance of the proposed assessment tools (e.g. NEAT);

– improved the management and access to data from monitoring programmes used in the assessments in accordance with MSFD and the INSPIRE Directive;

– developed a shared approach for assessing the implementation of PoMs by providing the necessary tools and mechanisms towards a coherent reporting and regionally joint or coordinated measures;

– established a network with UNEP/MAP, MSFD competent authorities, policy makers and other stakeholders, as well relevant projects to ensure coordination across regions/subregions, and boost dissemination of results and the direct use of the project’s outcomes in an accessible manner to stakeholders.

1) to provide the methodological standards for the next phase of MSFD, towards coordinated approaches between MSs, by reviewing, comparing, selecting and adapting the appropriate existing methodologies;

2) to focus on Mediterranean regional/subregional cooperation and standardization, taking into consideration its peculiarities and therefore recommending suitable approaches for this region.

– Well-structured and complete catalogue of management measures reported by Mediterranean EU member states.

– Proposals for optimizing the existing MSFD related monitoring plans in the Mediterranean, focusing on alien specie and Marine litter.

Lead Partner :HCMR, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research-Greece

IFREMER, Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer -France

AZTI, AZTI Fundazioa -Spain

USalento ,University of Salento, Italy

CORILA (affiliated CNR-ISMAR,OGS, UNIVE), Consorzio per il coordinamento delle ricerche inerenti al sistema lagunare di Venezia – Italy

IzVRS, Inštitut za vode Republike Slovenije / Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia -Slovenia

IEO, Instituto Español de Oceanografía -Spain

NIB, National Institute of Biology -Slovenia

NKUA, ETHNIKO KAI KAPODISTRIAKO PANEPISTIMIO ATHINON -Greece

IOF, Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries -Croatia

NTUA, National Technical University of Athens- Greece

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MEDCIS Partners

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