The European Commission has launched a public consultation on revising the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The revision aims to strengthen marine environmental protection, simplify implementation, and reduce administrative burden.
The MSFD, in place since 2008, created a framework to monitor and protect European seas from pollution and unsustainable practices. However, an evaluation found that it has not fully achieved its goal of ensuring "good environmental status" across all EU marine waters. Marine biodiversity continues to decline in some areas, and pollution from nutrients and chemicals still harms marine life.
Despite these challenges, the Directive has had some successes, including establishing an EU-wide framework for marine biodiversity protection, improving cooperation among member states, and generating valuable data about ocean health and human impacts.
The revised Directive will be developed alongside the European Ocean Act for more integrated ocean governance.
Stakeholders and the public are invited to participate in the online consultation through the Have Your Say portal, with feedback accepted until March 9, 2026. A separate consultation on the European Ocean Act is planned for early 2026.
Access the call for evidence and public consultation page here