The objective is ‘Sea free from pollution by harmful substances’. The objective is given concrete expression by the operational objectives UZN2.1, UZN2.2, UZN2.3, UZN2.4 and UZN2.5.

Operational environmental objective: Pollutant inputs via rivers should be further reduced. Reduction requirements were laid down in the WFD’s programmes of measures and management plans. Target specification: Substance-specific thresholds under the WFD and OSPAR: No EQS exceedance in coastal and transitional waters Intermediate objectives: — There is no increasing trend for substances below the EQS in coastal and transitional waters. — Significant decreasing trend of substances in coastal and transitional waters exceeding EQS

Operational objective: Pollutant inputs from the atmosphere shall be further reduced. The achievement of objectives and trend were not assessed.

Operational objective: Pollutant inputs from marine sources shall be reduced. This applies in particular to gaseous and liquid discharges, but also to the introduction of solid substances. Intermediate target: Decreasing trend. Discharges from offshore installations, wrecks are considered; Contaminated sites, dangerous, lost goods; Ammunition and shipping. Marine litter (D10) is excluded. Whether and how sediment injections should be considered remains to be assessed.

Operational objective: Discharges of oil and oil products and mixtures into the sea shall be reduced and avoided. This concerns illegal, permitted and unintentional entries. Entries by shipping are only allowed under the strict conditions of the MARPOL Convention; in order to reduce them further, efforts should be made to adapt or amend the MARPOL Annexes.

Operational objective: Concentrations of pollutants in the marine environment and the resulting pollution effects shall be reduced and shall be attributed to good environmental status. Target specification: Negative effects from cumulative pollutant concentrations not represented by EQS/OSPAR and the resulting effects on the marine environment (e.g. biological pollutant effects/mixed toxicity, etc.)

The aim is to ‘maritime environments free from pollution by waste’. The objective is given concrete expression by the operational objectives UZN5.1, UZN5.2 and UZN5.3.

Operational environmental objective: Continuous reduced discharges and a reduction in waste already present lead to a significant reduction in waste that is harmful to the marine environment on beaches, on the sea surface, in the water column and on the seabed. EU limit value to be reached: 20 pieces of waste per 100 metres of beach line Furthermore, the North-East Atlantic Environmental Strategy (NEAES) 2030 was adopted by OSPAR in 2021. It sets a number of time-bound, operational targets, including a reduction target of at least 50 % by 2025 and of at least 75 % by 2030 of the most common single-use plastic products and litter items from the maritime sector found on beaches. The evaluations carried out in the context of OSPAR for the period 2015-2020 can give an idea of how Germany is approaching NEAS target S4.O3. Beach litter data on German North Sea beaches, the quantity of single-use plastics has significantly decreased by one part of the waste to 100 metres per year on the beach line in the indicated time period. The Medi-an the number of SEA articles in this period was 11 waste items. Continuing the trend calculated for the period 2015-2020, a 50 % reduction in single-use plastics on the 23 German North Sea beaches could be achieved in the short term, but certainly not by 2025. No costs can be incurred for the presence of marine waste items, as there are currently no significant trends in the data. The median number of marine litter was 19.b. Intermediate target water column and seabed in the absence of existing limit values: The number of litter items in the water column and on the seabed shows a significant negative trend by 2026 at the latest.

Operational environmental objective: Proven harmful waste in marine organisms (especially microplastics) is close to zero in the long term. Target specification: OSPAR target (threshold): Less than 10 % of stranded dead ice tower birds found had 0.1 g or more of plastic in their stomachs

Operational environmental objective: Other adverse environmental effects (such as entanglement and strangulation in waste parts) are minimised.