Benefits and impediments for the integrated and coordinated management of European seas

Abstract

New multi-sectoral policies with a regional implementation are developed when maritime states recognise the importance of managing the marine environment under an ecosystem-perspective rather than a use-perspective. In Europe, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) is the first attempt to promote an integrated management of the seas from the coastline to the limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone. This paper shows that, nine years from the MSFD adoption, there remain several ecological, economic, social and governance challenges. Using information gathered in a dedicated survey of the European Union Marine Strategy Coordination Group and in the recent literature the paper identifies the obstacles preventing a successful regional cooperation and policy integration. The survey indicates that the MSFD coordination structures are, in general, well-developed but there is an apparent lack of political will to coordinate actions at the regional level. Member States request greater flexibility to implement the Directive but they put their national interests before the benefit of a coherent and integrated approach for the entire region. Differences in budget, economic sector predominance, lack of staff and the MSFD short timescale are identified as the factors that can hamper cooperation. These have produced recommendations of possible strategies for optimising regional coordination structures which respect the subsidiarity principle underpinning the MSFD.

Impediments to achieving integrated marine management across borders: The case of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive

“…the Regional Seas Conventions). While these have been widely accepted (Cavallo et al, 2017) they have not been used to their full potential.…”

“…F (fishing mortality), F MSY (Fishing mortality consistent with achieving Maximum Sustainable Yield), etc. Despite this, the representatives of the EU Marine Strategy Coordination Group recognised, when questioned in a dedicated survey, the importance of coherent policy integration for the success of the MSFD (Cavallo et al, 2017).…”

Can national management measures achieve good status across international boundaries? - A case study of the Bay of Biscay and Iberian coast sub-region

“…The integration with the existing lists of threatened species/habitats distributed at sub-regional and regional level is particularly important in this phase of the MSFD since coordinated measures are needed to improve their status effectively. This has been confirmed by a recent survey to the Marine Strategy Coordination Group showing that 70% of participants (mostly Member States representatives) agreed on the need to adopt a common list of the most vulnerable species/habitats/communities within each region which should include and go beyond the lists of other relevant pieces of legislation and agreements (such as the Habitats and BirdsDirectives and OSPAR)(Cavallo et al, 2017).…”

The territories of governance : unpacking the ontologies and geophilosophies of fixed to flexible ocean management, and beyond

“…Likewise, the UN Decade of the Ocean spells out the success of a growing number of MPAs for conserving and protecting large zones of the ocean, within and beyond national jurisdiction (UN Decade of Ocean Science Website [53]). Yet there has also been much critique of these measures, for example the ocean grabbing implicit in the allocation of some MPAs [6,13] and the challenges and failures of MSP directives [54][55][56]. The literature is not lacking critical assessment.…”