Marine Litter : Technical Recommendations for the Implementation of MSFD Requirements

As a follow up to the Commission Decision on criteria and methodological standards on good environmental status (GES) of marine waters (Commission Decision 2010/477/EU), the Marine Directors requested Directorate General Environment in 2010 to establish a technical subgroup under the Working Group on GES in relation to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC (WG GES) for further development of Descriptor 10 Marine Litter and Descriptor 11 Noise/Energy. This report compiles the recommendations regarding Descriptor 10, Marine Litter. The implementation of provisons under MSFD Descriptor 10 as described in the Commission Decision 2010/477/EU is in its first step depending on the availability of appropriate monitoring tools.The group has investigated the monitoring approaches for marine litter and provides a set of monitoring tools which can be employed for that purpose.There are gaps in the regional applicability and differences in the maturity of some tools. There is need for further harmonization and collaborative activities in order to allow EU MS the future reporting of environmental trends and thus the verification of measures against marine litter.JRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource