Support to Policies

One of the main purposes of the IO is to support policy and decision makers at national, regional and EU level regarding marine policies and regulations, especially considering societal and economic issues. The IO provides support to the Ministry of Environment and Energy as is the main public research institution implementing the monitoring activities for the Water Framework (WFD, 2000/60/EC) and the Marine Strategy Framework (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) Directives in Greece. The IO supports the implementation of the MSFD through EU projects funded mainly by the DG-ENV (IRIS-SES; ActionMEd; MEDCIS; INDICIT). It has also contributed significantly to the implementation of the Marine Spatial Planning through its participation in projects, coordinated by the Institute of Biological Resources and Inland Waters, like MESMA and ADRIPLAN.

The IO participated also in the FP7 project CoCoNET towards the networking of the marine protected areas (MPAs) in Greece and the enhancement of an effective environmental management. Its important contribution to the new marine Natura 2000 network, and the Marine Spatial Planning, incorporating Integrated Coastal Zone Management, was disseminated to policy makers and other stakeholders. The Hellenic Integrated Marine Inland water Observing, Forecasting and offshore Technology System (HIMIOFoTS) is expected to further enhance the implementation of EU policies.

MSFD MAP

MSFD

Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) (2008/56/EC; 2017/845/EC) The I.O. coordinates the National Monitoring Programme for assessing the ‘Good Environmental Status’ (GES) in the Greek Seas, ‘Monitoring the status of marine sub-regions in Greece’. The Institute leads the monitoring and assessment of Descriptors D2: Alien species, D4: Foodwebs, D5: Eutrophication, D6: Seafloor integrity, D7: Hydropgraphic Conditions,

WFD deco

WFD

Monitoring of Water Quality in Coastal and Transitional Waters in Greece according to the WFD The Water Framework Directive 2000/60/ΕΕ (EC, 2000), internationally known as WFD, is the basic legislative management tool of water resources within the European Union (EU). HCMR is coordinating the national programme “Monitoring network for the ecological status quality of the