With the deadline for EU Member States (MS) to submit the Initial Assessment of their seas and to define Good Environmental Status (GES), including targets and indicators passed the implementation of the MSFD has entered a new important phase.
During this second phase MS have to establish their monitoring programmes with a deadline of July 2014. CEDA as chair of the Marine Strategy Navigation Group (MSNG) has kept the members informed of the MSFD developments and drew their attention to relevant issues as those emerged. A wealth of information is available on the CEDA website , including the Initial Assessment reports prepared by the member states, some of them also in English language.
Until recently the European Commission’s official MSFD document Library which includes meeting minutes and documents, the so called CIRCA platform, was only available to authorised users. In line with the principle of transparency all sections of the library are now accessible to the public except from the MSFD Regulatory Committee.
The Marine Strategy Navigation Group (MSNG) is a ‘thematic cluster’ of nine navigation and dredging sector bodies that coordinates the responses of the participating associations to the European Commission’s MSFD Common Implementation Process process based on their collective knowledge, experience and views. MSNG members include: CEDA ] Central Dredging Association, EBA ] European Boating Association, EBI ] European Boating Industry, ECSA ] European Community Shipowners Association, EuDA] European Dredging Association (Corresponding Member), ESPO ] European Seaports Organisation, ICOMEA ] International Council of Marine Industry Associations, ISU ] International Salvage Union and PIANC ] International Navigation Association.
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Press Release, March 1, 2013