Schutz der Meere: Parlament nimmt Strategie an, NGOs äußern Kritik[en] 

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive seeks to protect Europe's oceans by obliging member states to take measures to "achieve good environmental status in the marine environment by 2020". 

European policies in this field are currently based on a mixture of legislation at regional, national, EU and global level, as agreement over an integrated EU strategy has stalled (EurActiv 24/07/07) since the directive was originally proposed in October 2005 (EurActiv 25/10/05). 

The EU's marine strategy complements the Water Framework Directive, which similarly requires surface freshwater bodies such as lakes, rivers and estuaries to achieve "good ecological status" by 2015. 

Following Parliament's acceptance of a compromise deal agreed with the Council, rapporteur Marie-Noëlle Lienemann (PES, FR) expressed her satisfaction that "the definition of 'good environmental status' has been made stricter" in the directive. 

The final text was agreed upon in conciliation between the Parliament, Council and Commission, after the institutions had failed to agree over contentious issues such as high implementation costs, precise exemption criteria and the definition of "good environmental status". 

The directive foresees the creation of 'European Marine Regions' and 'Sub-Regions' to act as "management units" for its implementation, and obliges member states to cooperate on developing marine strategies for their waters that lie within such regions. Measures to "achieve or maintain good environmental status" must be developed by 2015, to enter into operation by 2016 "at the latest" if the 2020 targets are to be achieved. 

Moreover, it provides the opportunity for member states to identify "pilot project regions" in which implementation of the directive could be speeded up and stricter protective measures could be applied, on the condition that these do not harm another marine region or sub-region. 

Exemptions from the directive may be granted if a member state can prove that "there is no significant risk to the marine environment", or where the costs of compliance would be "disproportionate". 

Declaring himself "delighted" at the result of the vote, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: "It is absolutely vital for the European Union to protect its marine waters and clean up its seas and oceans. Doing so requires an integrated approach". 

Describing the result as "mutually satisfactory", Finnish MEP Eija-Riitta Korhola, EPP-ED Group spokesperson on the issue, said the directive was "ambitious in its goals" yet "leaves the measures to the member states." She added that the compromise reached was "excellent" as it was "binding but not blaming". 

Greenpeace's EU Marine Policy Director Saskia Richartz said that Parliament deserved credit for "fighting to keep [the directive's] standards up". 

However, Richartz described the strategy as "mediocre" and accused the Council, and particularly the UK and the Netherlands, of fighting "to keep this directive as weak as possible". Moreover, she warned that "with so many aspects of implementation still to be decided by the very governments that sought to dilute the deal, now is the time to remain vigilant".