News
March 21, 2014
Marine spatial planning – stakeholder dialogue meeting
The Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) hosted a national stakeholder meeting yesterday to discuss and collect input from stakeholders on SwAMs recently released draft report on marine spatial planning for Swedish waters. More work is needed how to integrate the marine spatial planning with other directives and policies already in place.
March 20, 2014
Discard ban, omnibus and technical measures focus at Inter-ACs meeting
Some of the key issues discussed when representatives of the (Regional) Advisory Councils met with the Commission where the landing obligation, the omnibus regulation and the consultation on a new technical measures framework. It became clear that there is a widespread disappointment with the omnibus proposal among stakeholders.
March 15, 2014
US government about to allow sesmic airguns in the North Atlantic Ocean
Marine mammals, including the endangered North Atlantic right whale, use sound for navigation, communication as well as locate food – seismic blasts caused by the airguns may disrupt these behaviours and possibly deafen these animals.
March 14, 2014
CCB report on MSFD shows poor coordination between Baltic Sea member states
Earlier this morning Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB) launched a detailed report where they reviewd the Baltic Sea EU member states work on implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).
March 13, 2014
New EU directive on maritime spatial planning
Last week the Permanent Representatives Committee approved a draft directive establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning, which is aimed at contributing to sustainable growth of maritime economies and the sustainable development of marine areas.
March 10, 2014
EU Member States far from reaching HOPE goals
The HOPE conference aimed to discuss, based on Article 12, the progress made since the adoption of the MSFD. The conclusions from the review is clear - there is a lack of common understanding of what GES really is about, poor level of implementation together with targets that often are weak and non-measurable. Despite Article 12 clear message only a hand full of speakers brought it up as if they been asked not to touch upon these failures.
March 7, 2014
Broad consensus in GAP 2 meeting on the necessity of creating a more including and transparent regional management of EU fish stocks.
Last week the GAP 2* meeting “Putting science into regionalization: Participatory approaches in the new regionalized CFP” was held in Brussels. Main topics discussed were how relevant knowledge can be developed, accessed and deployed in a regional context.
March 6, 2014
ICES launches new strategic plan
ICES new Strategic Plan presents the direction ICES will take over the next five years based on the background of a rapidly changing marine science and policy landscape.
February 21, 2014
Commission review gives Member States a ‘must do better’ report for Marine Strategies
Poor implementation, poor coordination, poor integration. This, in a nutshell, is the Commission’s view of progress in implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) so far. NGOs are dismayed by the low level of ambition most countries take on achieving Good Environmental Status (GES) of their marine waters in 2020, the overarching goal of the Directive.
February 18, 2014
Reminder: Public consultation on the first draft of the new de minimis Regulation close this friday
The European Commission public consultation on the Commission services first draft of the new de minimis Regulation replacing Regulation (EC) No 875/2007 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to de minimis aid in the fisheries sector and amending Regulation (EC) No 1860/2004 closes this Friday.