By and large, member states have set measures in place to alleviate the many pressures on the marine environment, as EU legislation stipulates. Nonetheless, states a report published by the European Commission on Wednesday 1 August, unless efforts are considerably stepped up, they will not be sufficient to achieve good, healthy and productive seas and oceans by 2020, as EU law requires.
The report to Parliament and Council on implementation of the “marine strategy framework directive” (Directive 2008/56/EC), analyses the programmes of the 16 countries that have presented them in time (Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Sweden) to allow for their assessment.
It shows that, over the last six years, member states have better integrated EU legislation relating to the protection of nature (“birds” and “habitats” directives), water and sustainable fishing in their national legislation. They have taken more measures to comply with the EU’s international obligations and have introduced over 25% of new measures. Nonetheless, measures taken are not 100% appropriate.
In order to improve the programmes of measures, the Commission has made recommendations, and Karmenu Vella, the European commissioner for the environment, maritime affairs and fisheries, “urges member states to take heed of the recommendations (...) to move a step closer to achieving this goal”, as set out in the directive.
The report can be found online at: https.//bit.ly/2Ox7r01. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)