Member State report / Art9 / 2012 / D7 / Sweden / NE Atlantic: Greater North Sea

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art. 9 Determination of GES (and Art. 17 updates)
Report due 2012-10-15
GES Descriptor D7 Hydrographical changes
Member State Sweden
Region/subregion NE Atlantic: Greater North Sea
Reported by Havs- och vattenmyndigheten
Report date 2012-10-15 2013-04-30
Report access ANSSE_MSFD9GES_20130430.xml
GES component
D7
7.1 Spatial characterisation of permanent alterations
7.1.1 Extent of area affected
7.2 Impact of permanent hydrographical changes
7.2.1 Extent of habitats affected
7.2.2 Change in habitats
Method used
The main approach to developing what characterizes Good Environmental Status for each objective follows mainly the approach described in section 4.3 of the Common understanding document. This means that for Article 9, qualitative descriptions at the level of criteria have been developed for all 29 criteria according to Commission Decision 2010/477 / EC. Indicators have been developed for these criteria which, if possible, are quantitative. In some cases, instead, a direction is indicated on the trend of the indicator. Supporting indicators have not yet been developed for all criteria, but a plan for the continued work exists. The goals are designed to describe the desired environmental permit to be achieved, which is in accordance with the function of environmental quality standards according to Swedish legislation (see below). These standards have been linked to indicators which, in most cases, are the same as those found in Article 9, but indicators which belong only to Article 10 exist. There are as yet no indicators for all targets. Below is a description of the system with which both article 9 and 10 have been introduced in Swedish legislation, ie. in the form of environmental quality standards, the function of which is described in more detail in Chapter 5 of the Environmental Code and in the preparatory works that preceded the current regulations (mainly prop. 1997/98: 45 and prop.2009 / 10: 184). with the advent of the Environmental Code in 1999. They are described in more detail in Chapter 5. Environmental Code. Environmental quality standards were introduced to address the environmental impact of diffuse emission sources such as traffic and agriculture. An environmental quality standard shall comprise a certain geographical area, which may be a water body, a municipality, the whole country or as in the case of the maritime administration, a whole sea area. The starting point for establishing an environmental quality standard is knowledge of what man and nature can withstand without regard to economic or technical conditions. The norm should therefore reflect the lowest acceptable environmental quality or the desired environmental permit, but usually does not aim at how human activities should be designed. Environmental quality standards must be based on scientific criteria. First, it is the government that decides on environmental quality standards. But if the standards are a consequence of e.g. a new EU directive, the government can transfer the decision to an authority. Most of the environmental quality standards come from different EU directives. Ever since, there are environmental quality standards for outdoor air, water quality, fish water, mussel water and environmental noise. Environmental quality standards for the marine environment have been added to the marine environment regulation and the regulations of the Marine and Water Authority on what characterizes good environmental status and environmental quality standards with indicators for the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, HVMFS 2012: 18. According to Chapter 5, Section 2 of the Environmental Code, there are four different varieties of Environmental Quality Standards: Limit standards setting the levels of contamination or interference that must not be exceeded or exceeded, at certain specified times, or during one or more time periods. Targeting standards indicating the levels of pollution or interference to be pursued or which should not be exceeded or exceeded. standards that specify the highest or lowest occurrence of organisms in surface or groundwater that can serve as a guide for the state of the environment. Other standards that specify the requirements in other respects on the quality of the environment that result from Sweden's membership of the EU. s by establishing action programs that specify which measures need to be implemented to reach the norm, and partly because municipalities and authorities apply the norm at eg. licensing and supervision. The two roads are applied in parallel and in interaction with each other. Depending on how the current environmental quality standard is designed, one or the other tool becomes more or less important. A limit value standard can thus be expected to have a greater impact on the application of law, while environmental quality standards of a more targeted nature may need to be accompanied by action programs in order to reach the norm. The environmental quality standards developed by the Marine and Water Authority are mainly so-called other standards according to the fourth point above. An exception is the norm, B. 1, which deals with concentrations of hazardous substances in the marine environment that constitute a limit value standard according to the first point. The standards will only have an effect on individual operators only after they have been converted to some form of requirements, for example through authorization or supervision decisions. An environmental quality standard can, for example, be a support for assessing, when supervising, which requirements need to be imposed on an activity to protect human health or the environment. The action programs may be indicative when the authorities make demands. Two types of environmental quality standards are stated in the Marine Environment Regulation. Firstly, an overall norm that must state what characterizes good environmental standards
The main approach to developing what characterizes Good Environmental Status for each objective follows mainly the approach described in section 4.3 of the Common understanding document. This means that for Article 9, qualitative descriptions at the level of criteria have been developed for all 29 criteria according to Commission Decision 2010/477 / EC. Indicators have been developed for these criteria which, if possible, are quantitative. In some cases, instead, a direction is indicated on the trend of the indicator. Supporting indicators have not yet been developed for all criteria, but a plan for the continued work exists. The goals are designed to describe the desired environmental permit to be achieved, which is in accordance with the function of environmental quality standards according to Swedish legislation (see below). These standards have been linked to indicators which, in most cases, are the same as those found in Article 9, but indicators which belong only to Article 10 exist. There are as yet no indicators for all targets. Below is a description of the system with which both article 9 and 10 have been introduced in Swedish legislation, ie. in the form of environmental quality standards, the function of which is described in more detail in Chapter 5 of the Environmental Code and in the preparatory works that preceded the current regulations (mainly prop. 1997/98: 45 and prop.2009 / 10: 184). with the advent of the Environmental Code in 1999. They are described in more detail in Chapter 5. Environmental Code. Environmental quality standards were introduced to address the environmental impact of diffuse emission sources such as traffic and agriculture. An environmental quality standard shall comprise a certain geographical area, which may be a water body, a municipality, the whole country or as in the case of the maritime administration, a whole sea area. The starting point for establishing an environmental quality standard is knowledge of what man and nature can withstand without regard to economic or technical conditions. The norm should therefore reflect the lowest acceptable environmental quality or the desired environmental permit, but usually does not aim at how human activities should be designed. Environmental quality standards must be based on scientific criteria. First, it is the government that decides on environmental quality standards. But if the standards are a consequence of e.g. a new EU directive, the government can transfer the decision to an authority. Most of the environmental quality standards come from different EU directives. Ever since, there are environmental quality standards for outdoor air, water quality, fish water, mussel water and environmental noise. Environmental quality standards for the marine environment have been added to the marine environment regulation and the regulations of the Marine and Water Authority on what characterizes good environmental status and environmental quality standards with indicators for the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, HVMFS 2012: 18. According to Chapter 5, Section 2 of the Environmental Code, there are four different varieties of Environmental Quality Standards: Limit standards setting the levels of contamination or interference that must not be exceeded or exceeded, at certain specified times, or during one or more time periods. Targeting standards indicating the levels of pollution or interference to be pursued or which should not be exceeded or exceeded. standards that specify the highest or lowest occurrence of organisms in surface or groundwater that can serve as a guide for the state of the environment. Other standards that specify the requirements in other respects on the quality of the environment that result from Sweden's membership of the EU. s by establishing action programs that specify which measures need to be implemented to reach the norm, and partly because municipalities and authorities apply the norm at eg. licensing and supervision. The two roads are applied in parallel and in interaction with each other. Depending on how the current environmental quality standard is designed, one or the other tool becomes more or less important. A limit value standard can thus be expected to have a greater impact on the application of law, while environmental quality standards of a more targeted nature may need to be accompanied by action programs in order to reach the norm. The environmental quality standards developed by the Marine and Water Authority are mainly so-called other standards according to the fourth point above. An exception is the norm, B. 1, which deals with concentrations of hazardous substances in the marine environment that constitute a limit value standard according to the first point. The standards will only have an effect on individual operators only after they have been converted to some form of requirements, for example through authorization or supervision decisions. An environmental quality standard can, for example, be a support for assessing, when supervising, which requirements need to be imposed on an activity to protect human health or the environment. The action programs may be indicative when the authorities make demands. Two types of environmental quality standards are stated in the Marine Environment Regulation. Firstly, an overall norm that must state what characterizes good environmental standards
The main approach to developing what characterizes Good Environmental Status for each objective follows mainly the approach described in section 4.3 of the Common understanding document. This means that for Article 9, qualitative descriptions at the level of criteria have been developed for all 29 criteria according to Commission Decision 2010/477 / EC. Indicators have been developed for these criteria which, if possible, are quantitative. In some cases, instead, a direction is indicated on the trend of the indicator. Supporting indicators have not yet been developed for all criteria, but a plan for the continued work exists. The goals are designed to describe the desired environmental permit to be achieved, which is in accordance with the function of environmental quality standards according to Swedish legislation (see below). These standards have been linked to indicators which, in most cases, are the same as those found in Article 9, but indicators which belong only to Article 10 exist. There are as yet no indicators for all targets. Below is a description of the system with which both article 9 and 10 have been introduced in Swedish legislation, ie. in the form of environmental quality standards, the function of which is described in more detail in Chapter 5 of the Environmental Code and in the preparatory works that preceded the current regulations (mainly prop. 1997/98: 45 and prop.2009 / 10: 184). with the advent of the Environmental Code in 1999. They are described in more detail in Chapter 5. Environmental Code. Environmental quality standards were introduced to address the environmental impact of diffuse emission sources such as traffic and agriculture. An environmental quality standard shall comprise a certain geographical area, which may be a water body, a municipality, the whole country or as in the case of the maritime administration, a whole sea area. The starting point for establishing an environmental quality standard is knowledge of what man and nature can withstand without regard to economic or technical conditions. The norm should therefore reflect the lowest acceptable environmental quality or the desired environmental permit, but usually does not aim at how human activities should be designed. Environmental quality standards must be based on scientific criteria. First, it is the government that decides on environmental quality standards. But if the standards are a consequence of e.g. a new EU directive, the government can transfer the decision to an authority. Most of the environmental quality standards come from different EU directives. Ever since, there are environmental quality standards for outdoor air, water quality, fish water, mussel water and environmental noise. Environmental quality standards for the marine environment have been added to the marine environment regulation and the regulations of the Marine and Water Authority on what characterizes good environmental status and environmental quality standards with indicators for the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, HVMFS 2012: 18. According to Chapter 5, Section 2 of the Environmental Code, there are four different varieties of Environmental Quality Standards: Limit standards setting the levels of contamination or interference that must not be exceeded or exceeded, at certain specified times, or during one or more time periods. Targeting standards indicating the levels of pollution or interference to be pursued or which should not be exceeded or exceeded. standards that specify the highest or lowest occurrence of organisms in surface or groundwater that can serve as a guide for the state of the environment. Other standards that specify the requirements in other respects on the quality of the environment that result from Sweden's membership of the EU. s by establishing action programs that specify which measures need to be implemented to reach the norm, and partly because municipalities and authorities apply the norm at eg. licensing and supervision. The two roads are applied in parallel and in interaction with each other. Depending on how the current environmental quality standard is designed, one or the other tool becomes more or less important. A limit value standard can thus be expected to have a greater impact on the application of law, while environmental quality standards of a more targeted nature may need to be accompanied by action programs in order to reach the norm. The environmental quality standards developed by the Marine and Water Authority are mainly so-called other standards according to the fourth point above. An exception is the norm, B. 1, which deals with concentrations of hazardous substances in the marine environment that constitute a limit value standard according to the first point. The standards will only have an effect on individual operators only after they have been converted to some form of requirements, for example through authorization or supervision decisions. An environmental quality standard can, for example, be a support for assessing, when supervising, which requirements need to be imposed on an activity to protect human health or the environment. The action programs may be indicative when the authorities make demands. Two types of environmental quality standards are stated in the Marine Environment Regulation. Firstly, an overall norm that must state what characterizes good environmental standards
Marine reporting units
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_1n_Vastkusten_inre_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_1s_Vastkusten_inre_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_2_Vastkusten_fjordar
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_3_Vastkusten_yttre_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_4_Vastkusten_yttre_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_5a_S_Halland_och_N_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_5b_S_Halland_och_N_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_6_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-U_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-U_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-SR-Nordsjon
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_1n_Vastkusten_inre_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_1s_Vastkusten_inre_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_2_Vastkusten_fjordar
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_3_Vastkusten_yttre_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_4_Vastkusten_yttre_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_5a_S_Halland_och_N_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_5b_S_Halland_och_N_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_6_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-U_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-U_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-SR-Nordsjon
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_1n_Vastkusten_inre_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_1s_Vastkusten_inre_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_2_Vastkusten_fjordar
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_3_Vastkusten_yttre_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_4_Vastkusten_yttre_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_5a_S_Halland_och_N_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_5b_S_Halland_och_N_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_6_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-U_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-U_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-SR-Nordsjon
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_1n_Vastkusten_inre_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_1s_Vastkusten_inre_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_2_Vastkusten_fjordar
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_3_Vastkusten_yttre_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_4_Vastkusten_yttre_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_5a_S_Halland_och_N_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_5b_S_Halland_och_N_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_6_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-U_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-U_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-SR-Nordsjon
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_1n_Vastkusten_inre_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_1s_Vastkusten_inre_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_2_Vastkusten_fjordar
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_3_Vastkusten_yttre_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_4_Vastkusten_yttre_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_5a_S_Halland_och_N_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_5b_S_Halland_och_N_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_6_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-U_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-U_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-SR-Nordsjon
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-B_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_1n_Vastkusten_inre_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_1s_Vastkusten_inre_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_2_Vastkusten_fjordar
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_3_Vastkusten_yttre_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_4_Vastkusten_yttre_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_5a_S_Halland_och_N_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_5b_S_Halland_och_N_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-K_6_Oresund
  • ANS-SE-AA-U_Kattegatt
  • ANS-SE-AA-U_Skagerrak
  • ANS-SE-SR-Nordsjon
Feature
  • SeabedHabitatsAll
  • WaterColumnHabitatsAll
  • ChangeHydrology
  • ChangeSalinity
  • ChangeThermal
  • ChangeHydrology
  • SeabedHabitatsAll
  • WaterColumnHabitatsAll
Criterion/indicator
D7
7.1
7.1.1
7.2
7.2.1
7.2.2
GES description
En bestående förändring av de hydrografiska villkoren påverkar inte de marina ekosystemen på ett negativt sätt. Permanent alteration of hydrographical conditions does not adversely affect marine ecosystems.
Permanenta förändringar av hydrografiska förhållanden genom enskilda eller samverkande verksamheter har inte sådan karaktär eller omfattning att ekosystemet påverkas negativt.
The actual impact on habitats as a result of permanent hydrographic changes does not adversely affect the extent of the habitats and the long-term survival of associated species and communities. 7.2 The actual impact on habitats as a consequence of permanent hydrographic alterations does not adversely affect the distribution of habitats or the long-term survival of associated species and communities.
Threshold values
  • None = -
  • None = -
  • None = -
Threshold value unit
-
-
-
Proportion of area to achieve threshold value
100
100
Reference point type
NotReported
NotReported
NotReported
Baseline
-
-
-
Assessment method
Development status