Progress report for
Mediterranean implementation of the Ecosystem Approach, in coherence with the EU MSFD
Achievement at a glance
Substantive progress achieved by the Contracting Parties to the Convention for or the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention): 1. Publication of the Quality Status Report 2017 of the Mediterranean Sea and Coast, which is the first, region-wide agreed common indicator-based assessment of the Mediterranean sea and coast, covering both biodiversity, fisheries, non-indigenous species, pollution, marine litter, coast and hydrography; 2. Development in Southern Mediterranean Contracting Parties national monitoring and assessment programmes, in line with new requirements of the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (IMAP) of UN Environment/MAP – Barcelona Convention; 3. Successful implementation of a sub-regional joint pilot in the Eastern Mediterranean (with participation of Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Lebanon and Turkey) which resulted in a draft sub-regional monitoring plan for Eastern Mediterranean Countries, which is in line with the monitoring frameworks of both the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (FAO-GFCM) and UN Environment/MAP; 4. Strengthened Science-Policy Interface in the region, with an established network of scientists and policymakers, with meetings of interaction addressing key elements of ecosystem approach implementation in the region; 5. Development of an Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme compatible pilot Information and Data Sharing system; 6. Development of an Ecosystem Approach Funding Strategy, with the aim to assist interested countries in the region to mobilize further resources towards achieving Good Environmental Status of the Mediterranean Sea and Coast.Challenges faced in implementation
The Ecosystem Approach Funding Strategy, as well as a dedicated exchange of best practices meeting both highlighted some key challenges, which need to be fully addressed in the region to ensure implementation of the ecosystem approach. These challenges include the following: Need of further development of regional and sub-regional monitoring protocols, technical specifics (such as scale of assessment), to ensure comparable data can be the base of the upcoming 2023 Quality Status Report; Need of further support of Southern Mediterranean countries in their efforts to implement their national Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (IMAPs), through on the ground monitoring pilots and through further capacity building and technology transfer; Need to further strengthen science-policy interface, with continuous update and mechanism to be established for ensuring that policymakers can follow relevant scientific projects while scientists can develop their projects in light of policy needs; Need to establish sub-regional work streams next to regional coordination work on monitoring and assessment.Next Steps
UN Environment/MAP – Barcelona Convention Secretariat will ensure project sustainability by integrating all project outputs into its work. Lessons learnt will be capitalized with the sub-regional joint pilot undertaken with FAO-GFCM, in case of country interest, in relation to Non-Indigenous Species (NIS)/Fish. Further financial support will be mobilized, with a focus on the needs of Southern Mediterranean countries, to address challenges faced by these Contracting Parties on the full implementation of the Ecosystem Approach.Beneficiaries
The voluntary commitment/project has strengthened all over the Mediterranean the implementation of the ecosystem approach, with a strong focus on project beneficiaries, i.e. Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia.