GES-REG – Good Environmental Status through Regional Coordination and Capacity Building

The direct results of the project are: the methods used for initial assessments are harmonized and the assessments build on a solid basis for further action to achieve GES; recommendations for harmonization of assessment schemes for different EU directives; overview of existing gaps in knowledge base related to GES descriptors; guidance on methodologies that can be used to develop further the science base for GES descriptors, criteria and indicators focusing on food webs, non-indigenous species, marine litter and underwater noise; results of pilot studies, suggestions for new indicators to assess GES and recommendations on capacity building on latter three GES descriptors/criteria; recommendations on upgrading of monitoring network; recommendations on assessment methods, especially on using operational model results in assessments and aggregation of indicators for assessments; proposal for a joint monitoring and assessment scheme in the sub-region taking into account the Baltic Sea wide requirements. Recommendations for ensuring coherence of the assessments concerning the elements of the initial economic and social analysis. Complemented assessments and information base concerning the cost-efficient measures, recommendations for further work.

SEIT would prepare reports on the economical and social analysis of the use of marine waters and the cost of its degradation, which would be used as input for national Initial Assessments required by MSFD.