National overview: Cyprus
Table of contents
- Who is responsible for MSFD implementation?
- Where is the MSFD implemented?
- Areas for MSFD reporting
- Regional cooperation
- Uses and human activities and their pressures on marine environment
- Pressures affecting environmental status
- Current environmental status and extent to which GES is achieved (as reported in 2018)
- Environmental targets to achieve GES
- Measures to meet environmental targets and to achieve GES
- Exceptions reported when targets or GES cannot be achieved
- Assessments of progress in MSFD implementation (Art. 12, 16) / 2012
- Assessments of progress in MSFD implementation (Art. 12, 16) / 2018
- Reporting history and performance
Who is responsible for MSFD implementation?
| MSFD Article | Art. 7 Competent authorities |
| Report date | 2013-01-21 |
| Access reports | View all reports |
CA code (EU, national) |
CYMSCA1 |
|---|---|
Acronym, Name (national) |
MANRE: Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment () |
Address |
Loukis Akritas Avenue, Nicosia/, CYPRUS, 1411 |
URL |
http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/agriculture.nsf/index_en/index_en |
Legal status |
The Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, who from now on will be referred to as Minister, is the Competent Authority for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), in accordance with the National Law, The Marine Strategy Law of 2011, N. 18(I)/2011. Τhe Marine Strategy Law of 2011, N.18(I)/2011, was published in the official Government Gazette on the 25th of February 2011 and prescribes the duties and responsibilities of the Competent Authority. |
Responsibilities |
The Minister is responsible for the implementation of the MSFD and for the coordination and cooperation with other governmental Departments. The Minister is responsible for the preparation of a Marine Strategy for the marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, by completion of Initial Assessment, determination of Good Environmental Status (GES), establishment of environmental targets and indicators and establishment and implementation of a Monitoring Program. The establishment of a Programme of Measures to achieve or maintain GES in the marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus is subject to the approval of the Council of Ministers. The Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment coordinates the necessary steps to implement the Program of Measures. |
Reference |
Marine Strategy Law of 2011 N.18(I)/2011 , http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/dfmr/dfmr.nsf/All/BF8FE675CBF73A5542257A80003C7EDC |
Membership |
A transposition and implementation Committee has been established with representatives of the following Governmental authorities; Department of Fisheries and Marine Research
, Department of Environmet, Water Development Departm, Department of Merchant Shipping of the Ministry of Communications and Work, Energy Service of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
. The Department of Fisheries and Marine Research is acting as the coordination body on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment for the above Committee. |
Regional coordination |
Regional or subregional coordination is being achieved through the Regional Sea Convention for the Mediterranean Sea, namely the Barcelona Convention. The Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment is the competent authority for the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols and its representatives are participating in the various meetings such as MAP, MED POL, RAC/SPA and ECAP accordingly.
Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment in order to ensure coordination between Member States, Cyprus and Greece, sharing marine waters within the Aegean-Levantine Sea subregion, has signed on September 29, 2010 with the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change of Greece, a Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development. Within this Memorandum of Understanding, a provision on the implementation of the MSFD is included. |
Where is the MSFD implemented?
| MSFD Article | Art. 3(1) Marine waters |
| Report date | 2014-04-02 |
| Access reports | View all reports |
Member state marine waters |
The marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, as these were defined to the Marine Strategy Law of 2011 (National Law N.18(I) 2011), which transposed the MSFD, includes waters, the seabed and subsoil on the seaward side of the baseline from which the extent of territorial waters (12 nautical miles) is measured, as this is defined in the Territorial Sea Law 45 of 1964, extending to the outmost reach of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus, as this is defined in the Exclusive Economic Zone Law 64(I) of 2004 and the UNCLOS Ratification Law 203 of 1988. In 2004, the Republic of Cyprus, proclaimed, by Law No. 64 (I) 2004, its Exclusive Economic Zone («EEZ»), outer limit of which does not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of its territorial sea is measured. In accordance with the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), and the relevant customary international law, the delimitation between the EEZ/continental shelf of the Republic of Cyprus and the EEZ/continental shelf of other neighbouring coastal States, is effected by an agreement on the basis of the median-line principle. Accordingly, the Republic of Cyprus has so far concluded Agreements on the delimitation of its EEZ/continental shelf with the Arab Republic of Egypt (in force), the Republic of Lebanon (ratification pending) and the State of Israel (in force), on the basis of the median-line principle.
In those parts of Cyprus’ maritime boundaries where no delimitation Agreements have been signed and until such Agreements are signed, the Republic of Cyprus considers as the outer limit of its EEZ/continental shelf, the median-line which is measured from the baselines from which the breadth of their territorial sea is measured.
The marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus include also the coastal waters as this has been defined under Law 13(I) of 2004 which transposed the Water Framework Directive. |
|---|
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Areas for MSFD reporting
| MSFD Article | Art. 4/2017 Decision: Marine regions, subregions, and subdivisions |
| Report date | 2014-04-02 |
| Access reports | View all reports |
Region / subregion description |
No regional or subregional boundaries or formal sub-divisions have been defined for the Republic of Cyprus waters. |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Subdivisions |
No regional or subregional boundaries or formal sub-divisions have been defined for the Republic of Cyprus waters. |
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MRUs description (AreaType) |
Marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus
|
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MRUs |
|
Regional cooperation
| MSFD Article | Art. 5(2) and Art. 6 Regional cooperation |
| Report date | 2014-04-02 |
| Access reports | View all reports |
Region/ subregion |
MAL |
|---|---|
Art. 8 countries involved |
, EL, |
Art. 8 nature of coordination |
Regional or subregional coordination is being achieved through the Regional Sea Convention for the Mediterranean Sea, namely the Barcelona Convention. The Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment is the competent authority for the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols and its representatives are participating in the various meetings such as MAP, MED POL, RAC/SPA and ECAP accordingly.
Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment in order to ensure coordination between Member States, Cyprus and Greece, sharing marine waters within the Aegean-Levantine Sea subregion, has signed on September 29, 2010 with the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change of Greece, a Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development. Within this Memorandum of Understanding, a provision on the implementation of the MSFD is included. |
Art. 8 regional coherence |
Full |
Art. 8 regional coherence problems |
None
|
Art. 9 countries involved |
, EL, |
Art. 9 nature of coordination |
Regional or subregional coordination is being achieved through the Regional Sea Convention for the Mediterranean Sea, namely the Barcelona Convention. The Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment is the competent authority for the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols and its representatives are participating in the various meetings such as MAP, MED POL, RAC/SPA and ECAP accordingly.
Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment in order to ensure coordination between Member States, Cyprus and Greece, sharing marine waters within the Aegean-Levantine Sea subregion, has signed on September 29, 2010 with the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change of Greece, a Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development. Within this Memorandum of Understanding, a provision on the implementation of the MSFD is included. |
Art. 9 regional coherence |
Full |
Art. 9 regional coherence problems |
None
|
Art. 10 countries involved |
, EL, |
Art. 10 nature of coordination |
Regional or subregional coordination is being achieved through the Regional Sea Convention for the Mediterranean Sea, namely the Barcelona Convention. The Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment is the competent authority for the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols and its representatives are participating in the various meetings such as MAP, MED POL, RAC/SPA and ECAP accordingly.
Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment in order to ensure coordination between Member States, Cyprus and Greece, sharing marine waters within the Aegean-Levantine Sea subregion, has signed on September 29, 2010 with the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change of Greece, a Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development. Within this Memorandum of Understanding, a provision on the implementation of the MSFD is included. |
Art. 10 regional coherence |
Full |
Art. 10 regional coherence problems |
None
|
Uses and human activities and their pressures on marine environment
| Title | Analysis of predominant pressures and impacts, including human activity (Art. 8(1)(b)) |
| Access reports | View reports |
Pressures affecting environmental status
| Title | Assessments of current environental status and pressures and impacts (Art. 8(1)(a)(b)) |
| Access reports | View reports |
Current environmental status and extent to which GES is achieved (as reported in 2018)
| Title | Assessments of current environental status and pressures and impacts (Art. 8(1)(a)(b)) |
| Access reports | View reports |
Environmental targets to achieve GES
| Title | Environmental targets (Art. 10) |
| Access reports | View reports |
Measures to meet environmental targets and to achieve GES
| Title | Programme of measures (Art. 13) |
| Access reports | View reports |
Exceptions reported when targets or GES cannot be achieved
| Title | Exceptions (Art. 14) |
| Access reports | View reports |
Assessments of progress in MSFD implementation (Art. 12, 16) / 2012
| Title | Implementation of marine strategies (Art. 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18) |
| First cycle | 2012-2017 |
| Access reports | View Art12 (8-9-10) report |
Mediterranean: Aegean-Levantine Sea
| Descriptor | Article 9 - GES Determination | Article 8 - Initial Assessment | Article 10 - Environmental Targets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-based descriptors |
D2 - Non-indigenous species
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
D5 - Eutrophication
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Adequate (3)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
|
D7 - Hydrographical changes
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
|
D8 - Contaminants
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
|
D9 - Contaminants in seafood
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
|
D10 - Marine litter
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
|
D11 - Energy, incl. underwater noise
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
| State-based descriptors |
D1 - Biodiversity – birds
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – mammals
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – reptiles
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – fish
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – cephalopods
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
|
D3 - Commercial fish and shellfish
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – pelagic habitats
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
|
D6 - Sea-floor integrity/D1 Biodiversity - benthic habitats
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Adequate/Partially adequate (2.5)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
|
D4 - Food webs/D1 Biodiversity - ecosystems
|
Not reported (0)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
Not found (0)
|
|
Assessments of progress in MSFD implementation (Art. 12, 16) / 2018
| Title | Implementation of marine strategies (Art. 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18) |
| Second cycle | 2018-2023 |
| Access reports | View Art12 (8-9-10) report |
Mediterranean: Aegean-Levantine Sea
| Descriptor | Article 9 - GES Determination | Article 8 - Initial Assessment | Article 10 - Environmental Targets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-based descriptors |
D2 - Non-indigenous species
|
Poor (2)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
D5 - Eutrophication
|
Poor (2)
|
Good (3)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D7 - Hydrographical changes
|
Poor (2)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D8 - Contaminants
|
Poor (2)
|
Poor (2)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D9 - Contaminants in seafood
|
Good (3)
|
Poor (2)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D10 - Marine litter
|
Poor (2)
|
Poor (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D11 - Energy, incl. underwater noise
|
Poor (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
| State-based descriptors |
D1 - Biodiversity – birds
|
Very poor (1)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – mammals
|
Poor (2)
|
Poor (2)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – reptiles
|
Poor (2)
|
Poor (2)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – fish
|
Very poor (1)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Poor (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – cephalopods
|
Very poor (1)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Poor (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D3 - Commercial fish and shellfish
|
Good (3)
|
Good (3)
|
Poor (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – pelagic habitats
|
Very poor (1)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D6 - Sea-floor integrity/D1 Biodiversity - benthic habitats
|
Poor (2)
|
Poor (2)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D4 - Food webs/D1 Biodiversity - ecosystems
|
Poor (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|