Action Plans for Integrated Regional Monitoring Programmes, Coordinated Programmes of Measures and Addressing Data and Knowledge Gaps in Mediterranean Sea

The main objective of this project was to support the development of regional action plans and best practices for integrated monitoring programmes, coordinated programmes of measures and the filing of data gaps for Mediterranean marine waters and thereby improve implementation in the next steps of the MSFD, in particular in relation to the review of the initial assessment, the GES definition and the environmental target setting in 2018, including (financial) planning as well as the related integration of data management.

In particular, the project aimed to

a) Tackle the most relevant issues at a regional level, so as to enable a systematic solution of current gaps and shortcomings in relation to Articles 8, 9 and 10 of the MSFD and building on ongoing regional and EU work;

b) Develop strategies/methodologies for ongoing assessment of Biodiversity indicators;

c) Set the basis for coherent design and implementation of MSFD monitoring programmes;

d) Assist EU MSs in Mediterranean in their work on programme of measures and where necessary, to develop project and investment plans; c) to establish an information management system to allow relevant knowledge and data to be updated on a regular basis and used by the RSCs, the European Environment Agency (EEA) and other interested users for their purposes.

Project partners

Coordinator: Dr Kalliopi Pagou – Hellenic Centre For Marine Research (HCMR), Greece

Partners:

UNEP/MAP (affiliated Plan Blue)

CORILA (affiliated CNR-ISMAR, OGS), Italy

IEO, Spain

University of Salento, Italy

Univerity of Athens, Greece

NIB, Slovenia

ISOTECH, Cyprus

University of Thessaly, Greece