much focused on how similar the approaches were at the broad outline scale. Going into the specifics of each assessment there are differences in methods used. In particular HELCOM has gone further towards integrated state and cumulative pressure assessments than either OSPAR or the EEA. The outline order is different between the three assessments, but we have here grouped the information into main assessment building blocks. Each block has been structured around the elements of Art. 8.1.a, Art. 8.1.b, and human activities. In the fourth column of Table 1 we propose the outline structure for both the Art. 8 and Art 20.3b assessments, due in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Table 1. Comparison of assessment outlines between the EEA, OSPAR and HELCOM Overall OSPAR HELCOM EEA 2015 State of Proposal for 2018 Europe’s Seas Art. 8 and 2019 Art. 20.3b Objective Intermediate Holistic assessment: To assess whether Demonstrating Assessment 2017 To follow up the goals Europe´s seas can distance from and Dual purposes: The and objectives of the be considered progress towards North-East Atlantic Baltic Sea Action Plan healthy, clean, GES Environment and the MSFD for EU undisturbed, and Strategy and the MSs productive MSFD for EU MSs State Biodiversity status: Assessment of the Healthy Seas of (Art. status of ecosystem or state of biodiversity and Based on (i.e. to assess 8.1.a) health biodiversity and ecosystems biodiversity achievement of GES) ecosystems Seabed common indicators that both covers state Seabed  habitats and biennial and pressure-based habitats Water column assessment of the descriptors: Water column  habitats status of the based habitats Fish OSPAR network of descriptors (D1, part Marine  Turtles MPAs. of D3, D4, D6) invertebrates Mammals assessed together as (Please note the Marine fish  Seabirds and well as separate biodiversity Turtles waterbirds  assessments of main indicators are not Seabirds and Marine food  biological elements: only for D1, 4 and waterbirds webs and 6, but also address birds, fish, ecosystems Marine  other Descriptors) mammals, seabed mammals and pelagic habitats , and selection of Marine food webs trends in key Marine ecosystems parameters Pressure based descriptors (D2, part of D3, D5, parts of D6, D8+9, D10, D11) assessed separately,
much focused on how similar the approaches were at the broad outline scale. Going into the specifics of each assessment there are differences in methods used. In particular HELCOM has gone further towards integrated state and cumulative pressure assessments than either OSPAR or the EEA. The outline order is different between the three assessments, but we have here grouped the information into main assessment building blocks. Each block has been structured around the elements of Art. 8.1.a, Art. 8.1.b, and human activities. In the fourth column of Table 1 we propose the outline structure for both the Art. 8 and Art 20.3b assessments, due in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Table 1. Comparison of assessment outlines between the EEA, OSPAR and HELCOM Overall OSPAR HELCOM EEA 2015 State of Europe’s Seas Proposal for 2018 Art. 8 and 2019 Art. 20.3b Objective Intermediate Assessment 2017 Dual purposes: The North-East Atlantic Environment Strategy and the MSFD for EU MSs Holistic assessment: To follow up the goals and objectives of the Baltic Sea Action Plan and the MSFD for EU MSs To assess whether Europe´s seas can be considered healthy, clean, undisturbed, and productive Demonstrating distance from and progress towards GES State (Art. 8.1.a) Biodiversity status: Based on biodiversity common indicators and biennial assessment of the status of the OSPAR network of MPAs. (Please note the biodiversity indicators are not only for D1, 4 and 6, but also address other Descriptors) Assessment of the status of ecosystem health (i.e. to assess achievement of GES) that both covers state and pressure-based descriptors: based descriptors (D1, part of D3, D4, D6) assessed together as well as separate assessments of main biological elements: birds, fish, mammals, seabed and pelagic habitats , and selection of trends in key parameters Pressure based descriptors (D2, part of D3, D5, parts of D6, D8+9, D10, D11) assessed separately, Healthy Seas or state of biodiversity and ecosystems  Seabed habitats  Water column habitats  Marine invertebrates  Marine fish  Turtles  Seabirds and waterbirds  Marine mammals Marine food webs Marine ecosystems of biodiversity and ecosystems Seabed habitats Water column habitats Fish Turtles Mammals Seabirds and waterbirds Marine food webs and ecosystems
DIKE_11-2015-03_04_AssessmentOverview.docx