CONSULTATION BRIEF
Start date: 21 November 2019
Closing date: 28 November 2019
Title of the public consultation: Intent and Objectives: Updated Assessment of Status, Good Environmental Status and Environmental Targets for Malta’s marine waters pursuant to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC (MSFD)
Ministry: Ministry for Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change
Entity: Environment & Resources Authority
1. Background
The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) calls for the achievement or maintenance of Good Environmental Status (GES) in the marine environment by the year 2020 through the development and implementation of marine strategies. GES is defined by eleven descriptors listed in Annex I to the Directive covering biological elements pertaining to the marine environment and pressures thereon. Member States are required to seek achievement of GES, as determined at the level of the marine region or sub-region, for each Annex I descriptor based on a plan of action stipulated by the Directive itself.
In accordance with Article 17 and Article 19 of the Directive, all the elements of the marine strategy should be reviewed every six years after their initial establishment and the updates should be made available to the public for comments. Within this context, the updated assessment of status for the marine environment, the revised GES characteristics and the environmental targets that were initially reported by Malta in 2013 will be drafted and issued for public consultation. The revised reports will cover each biological element of the marine environment and pressures thereon.
The revised assessment of status of the marine environment will include:
(i) the state of the marine environment and associated pressures and impacts (Art. 8 (1a and 1b)), and
(ii) the revised Good Environmental Status characteristics (Art. 9) and environmental targets (Art. 10).
2. Consultation
Interested stakeholders are invited to submit any feedback or comments on the intent and objectives of this assessment.
3. Submission of feedback
By e-mail: [email protected]
By post: Marine Strategy Framework Directive Consultation
National Affairs
Environment and Resources Authority
Hexagon House,
Spencer Hill,
Marsa, MRS 1441
4. Further notes
Please be informed that comments submitted, together with the identity of the contributor, may be published online at the end of the public consultation, unless the contributor objects to the publication of his/her personal data. In this case, the contribution may be published in anonymous form.
All comments submitted shall be duly considered.
The draft assessment will be available for public consultation in due course at the following link.
