MEDCIS
Background
MEDCIS project is a follow up of the previous two calls from DG Environment that dealt with Joint Monitoring proposals and assistance on the Member States to develop Action Plans for Integrated Monitoring Programmes, Programmes of Measures and Data Management, under the obligations of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).
The 3rd call addressed the implementation of the second cycle of the MSFD; achieving coherence, coordinated and consistent updates of the determinations of Good Environmental Status (GES), Initial Assessments and Environmental Targets.
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/funding/msfd_2016.htm
Project Objectives
The main objectives of this project are:
- to facilitate and provide the methodological standards for the next phase of Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) towards coordinated approaches between Member States, across the Mediterranean by reviewing, comparing, selecting and adapting appropriate existing methodologies;
- to focus on Mediterranean regional/subregional cooperation towards the standardization of suitable approaches to achieve GES, taking in consideration the specificities of the basin and of the countries
MEDCIS, will address most of the descriptors at Mediterranean level (all subregions) with a focus on the following:
- Biodiversity including NIS and seafloor integrity
- Marine litter
- Noise.
Case studies will be performed in selected areas (e.g. N. Adriatic Sea), in order to test the MSFD implementation proposals.
More specifically MEDCIS will:
- Review and update the 2012 Assessment (MSFD Article 8), the determinations of GES and Threshold values (MSFD Art. 9), the Environmental Targets and associated Indicators (MSFD Art. 10), at Mediterranean marine region/subregion level by developing case studies to test the performance of the proposed assessment tools (e.g. NEAT).
- Establish nested sets of geographical assessment areas for the Mediterranean, to update the 2012 assessment.
- Improve the management and access to data from monitoring programmes used in the assessments in accordance with MSFD Art. 19(3) and the INSPIRE Directive.
- Upgrade monitoring programmes (MSFD Art. 11), towards the coordination of monitoring in a region or subregion, the development/ improvement of joint monitoring programmes to assess the distribution and extent of pressures and their impacts. Special attention will be on NIS and Marine Litter monitoring programs.
- Develop a common approach for assessing the implementation of PoMs by providing the necessary tools and mechanisms towards a coherent reporting (MSFD Art. 18) and regionally joint or coordinated measures;
- Establish a network with RSCs (particular 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 accessible manner to stakeholders.