National overview: Ireland
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 | 2011-05-25 |
| Access reports | View all reports |
CA code (EU, national) |
IEMSCA1 |
|---|---|
Acronym, Name (national) |
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government () |
Address |
Newtown Road, Wexford/, Ireland, |
URL |
www.environ.ie |
Legal status |
The Competent Authority is a Department of the Irish Government |
Responsibilities |
The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government‘s mission is ―” to pursue sustainable development”. It has a broad range of responsibilities such as sustainable regional and community development and support, improving and protection the environment, effect national climate change response, effective local government and the protection and improvement of our water resource.
In relation to our marine waters the competent authority is responsible for ensuring
Completion of Initial Assessment of Irish marine waters; establishment of environmental targets and indicators: July 2012
Establishment of a Monitoring Programme: July 2014
Establishment of a Programme of Measures to achieve GES: 2015
Implementation of these measure by: 2016
The Competent Authority will coordinate the efforts of other government Departments and Agencies in pursuance of these objectives. |
Reference |
Directive 2008/56/EC |
Membership |
The Department of Community, Environment and Local Government is the competent authority for the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and coordinates the interaction of the following key Government Departments and their Agencies;
.
Department of Agriculture, Marine and Food
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs
Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
The above Departments of State are required to provide the competent authority with information and such assistance as is required by the competent authority for the purposes of developing a marine strategy, cooperation with other Member States, preparation of initial assessment and associated targets and indicators, determination of GES, establishment of monitoring programme and a programme of measures. |
Regional coordination |
Regional and sub regional coordination will be achieved via the work of the regional seas convention for the North East Atlantic, OSPAR. The Competent Authority is the Head of the Irish Delegation to OSPAR and it coordinates attendance at the various committees by representatives from our Membership group above. |
Where is the MSFD implemented?
| MSFD Article | Art. 3(1) Marine waters |
| Report date | 2016-03-29 |
| Access reports | View all reports |
Member state marine waters |
The ‘outmost reaches of where a Member State has and / or exercises jurisdictional rights, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)’ for the purposes of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) are the outer limits of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This is because, under Article 56(1) of the UNCLOS, within its EEZ a coastal state exercises jurisdiction with respect to, inter alia, the protection and preservation of the marine environment. For Ireland these outmost reaches have been established by the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 (No. 8 of 2006). This provides that the outer limit of the EEZ is the line every point of which lies at a distance of 200 nautical miles (nm) from the nearest point of the baseline except where, ‘because of the proximity of a similar maritime zone of another state’ a 200 nm outer limit cannot be applied, the boundary of the EEZ is the ‘equitable equidistant line’ between the State and that other state. The Government prescribes the co-ordinates of such a line by statutory order and this is presently done by the Maritime Jurisdiction (Exclusive Fishery Limits) Order, 1976.
In addition to the marine area enclosed by these outmost reaches, Ireland exercises a more limited form of jurisdiction for the protection of the marine environment in an area of continental shelf that extends beyond 200 nm from the State’s baselines in the area abutting the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. In this area Ireland exercises sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting the natural resources located in, on or under the seabed and its jurisdiction to protect the marine environment here therefore extends only to activities directed at exploiting these natural resources and that may harm it. Such activity can only proceed by licence and there are no such activities currently licensed. Moreover this limited jurisdiction does not extend to the water column above the seabed beyond 200 nm from baselines, which is part of the high seas.
The more limited form of jurisdiction referred to above cannot effectively be exercised at present in two other areas of continental shelf that extend beyond 200 nm from baselines and that are also claimed by Ireland because of disputed or unresolved maritime boundary issues. The effective exercise of such jurisdiction must await the outcome of maritime delimitation negotiations. The areas concerned are the southern part of the Hatton-Rockall area, which is subject to overlapping claims by both Iceland and the Faroe Islands, and part of the seabed in the Celtic Sea and Bay of Biscay, where there are unresolved boundaries between Ireland, France, Spain and the United Kingdom. Ireland does not propose to apply the requirements of the MSFD in these unresolved or disputed areas at present.
Irish marine waters include coastal waters identified for the purposes of the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC). The landward boundary of marine waters is identified by the high water mark (HWM) shown on the Ordnance Survey Maps of Ireland except in the case of transitional waters (Directive 2000/60/EC) which are excluded from the scope of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC).
There is at present no agreement on territorial sea boundaries between Ireland and the United Kingdom in the vicinity of Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough. Negotiations are also currently underway between Ireland and the UK on the delimitation of the EEZ. The area of Ireland’s marine waters covers an area of approximately 488,762 km2.
Submission of Spatial Data
Spatial data identifying Ireland’s marine waters described above and reported into DB Table MSFD4_GeographicalAreasDescription will be provided as a GIS polygon dataset. The format of the GIS polygon dataset is ESRI shapefile. Shapefile record contents consist of a shape type followed by the geometric data for the shape.
Marine Waters Boundary Data
Ireland will provide a GIS polygon file which includes all geographic boundaries relevant to the Ireland’s marine waters. This dataset will include geometry for the two component areas of Ireland’s marine waters where jurisdiction and limited jurisdiction, as described applies. The polygon dataset will include an attribute table containing the information shown in Table 5.5 - Attribute data for polygons in MS marine waters dataset as stated within European Commission, 2012, Guidance for 2012 reporting under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, using the MSFD database tool, Version 1.0, DG Environment, Brussels, pp164 (http://icm.eionet.europa.eu/schemas/dir200856ec/resources/MSFD%202012%20reporting%20guidance_incl_database_v1.0.pdf).
Assessment Area Boundary Data
Ireland will provide a GIS polygon file for the Irish assessment area boundary used for reporting on Articles 8, 9 and 10. This polygon will be attributed with its unique MarineUnitID code (i.e. only one) in the attribute table.
Guidance on the reporting of spatial data and metadata, detailed in Document No 3 of the EIONET help documents, http://icm.eionet.europa.eu/schemas/dir200856ec/resources is under development. With regard to Irelands GIS polygon data, files and associated metadata standards will follow, where possible, standards developed under the INSPIRE Directive (2007/2/EC16). The Irish Spatial Data Exchange is a Discovery Service guided by the INSPIRE Directive. A discovery service makes it possible to search for spatial datasets, services and applications on the basis of the content of the corresponding metadata (ie. description) and to display the content of the metadata. The INSPIRE Directive aims to establish an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community, to allow public access to environmental information and re-use of public sector information. INSPIRE compliant metadata for Ireland’s geographic boundary areas will be available through Irish Spatial Data Exchange.
Metadata Record Name: MSFD Marine Waters Boundary Data
Metadata Catalog URL: http://catalog.marine.ie/geonetwork/srv/en/main.home
Metadata Record Name: MSFD Assessment Area Boundary Data
Metadata Catalog URL: http://catalog.marine.ie/geonetwork/srv/en/main.home
Whilst there is no specific method for deriving area measurements for MSFD reporting, the general guidance for derivation of area where true area representation is required is the use of of EPSG: 3035 - ETRS89 / ETRS-LAEA for area calculation of MSFD marine waters.
Ireland understands that both the EEA and ICES use EPSG: 3035 - ETRS89 / ETRS-LAEA. This geographic projection system is widely recognised as being the single coordinate reference system for all Europe and is used for statistical mapping at all scales and other purposes where true area representation is required. ETRS89 / ETRS-LAEA Europe is suitable for use in Europe - onshore and offshore.
For this reason the MSFD assessment area calculations for Ireland have been derived using the EPSG: 3035 - ETRS89 / ETRS-LAEA coordinate reference system. |
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Areas for MSFD reporting
| MSFD Article | Art. 4/2017 Decision: Marine regions, subregions, and subdivisions |
| Report date | 2016-03-29 |
| Access reports | View all reports |
Region / subregion description |
See Member State Description. All of Ireland’s marine waters fall within the North-east Atlantic Ocean marine region and within the marine subregion known the Celtic Seas. No formal subdivisions of this marine subregion have been made. |
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Subdivisions |
Not applicable.
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MRUs description (AreaType) |
Ireland’s assessment area has been defined under description above. No division of this area into smaller assessment areas has been undertaken for the initial assessment . |
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MRUs |
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Regional cooperation
| MSFD Article | Art. 5(2) and Art. 6 Regional cooperation |
| Report date | 2016-03-29 |
| Access reports | View all reports |
Region/ subregion |
ACS |
|---|---|
Art. 8 countries involved |
PT, UK, ES,
, FR, BE, FI, NL, DE, LU, CH, IS,
, NO, SE, DK |
Art. 8 nature of coordination |
National experts are working within the framework of OSPAR, the European Commission’s Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) for the MSFD and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) to advance knowledge and coordinate implementation of the Directive.. Ireland has been actively involved with these organisations for many years. This cooperation provides Ireland with access to a valuable network of expertise much larger than is available within Ireland alone.
In particular, the OSPAR Quality Status Report provided an important starting point for the initial Assessment. Ireland is participating in various OSPAR working groups and committees and is represented through expert involvement from across the relevant Government Departments and State Agencies. In addition, Ireland draws on the work of the ICES scientific and advisory services, particularly in respect of the work done on Descriptor 3.
Ireland is employing the assessment methodology developed through the EU funded ODEMM Project.
Countries involved United Kingdom, France, and other OSPAR and EU countries. (Coordination at a national level was with UK and France only. Through OSPAR and the CIS we have coordinated with all OSPAR and EU countries) |
Art. 8 regional coherence |
Partial |
Art. 8 regional coherence problems |
Based on coordination within OSPAR and the CIS, Ireland is currently not aware of any significant differences, problems or inconsistencies with the initial assessments being carried out in the UK and France. Our understanding of the implications and implementation of the MSFD is continuously evolving. This, coupled with the demands on limited resources to complete the initial assessment and first set of reporting sheets, means that regional coordination will probably improve as we progress this and subsequent reporting cycles. |
Art. 9 countries involved |
PT, UK, ES,
, FR, BE, FI, NL, DE, LU, CH, IS,
, NO, SE, DK |
Art. 9 nature of coordination |
Ireland has utilised the information sharing facilitated by OSPAR on existing methodologies and future developments for determining GES, environmental targets and indicators. The non-binding OSPAR ‘Advice Documents’ use the benefit of OSPAR expertise to set out common approaches for expressing GES and potential methodologies for developing targets and indicators. The OSPAR countries implementing the MSFD have collectively analysed and shared their emerging GES determinations and associated targets and indicators through the creation of an inventory of emerging national proposals for Descriptors 3,5,7,8,9,10 and 11. For the biodiversity Descriptors (1, 2, 4 and 6) OSPAR countries are sharing expertise on common approaches. An intensive programme of work is still continuing to coordinate national approaches to biodiversity targets and indicators, including the ongoing development of a proposed set of common OSPAR biodiversity indicators for MSFD. Ireland has also participated in EU coordination through the EU CIS process and, in particular, through work carried out by the EU Technical Sub-Group on litter and the EU Technical Sub-Group on underwater noise. |
Art. 9 regional coherence |
Partial |
Art. 9 regional coherence problems |
As set out in Finding Common Ground – 2012, OSPAR countries have identified a number of areas where regional coordination can be improved. Key priorities for OSPAR-level work between 2012 and 2018, include work on common indicators as a basis for an update of the OSPAR monitoring and assessment programme, as well as work on common approaches to measures (Executive Summary, OSPAR Commission, 2012). Issues with each of the 11 Descriptors were also identified by OSPAR and over the coming years Ireland will engage fully with OSPAR to progress this work and improve coordination. Biodiversity monitoring and assessment has been identified by OSPAR as an area which could particularly benefit from increased regional coordination, similar to the coordination achieved by OSPAR in areas such as contaminants and eutrophication. The challenge remains at regional level to achieve a common understanding, approach and methodology for implementing an ecosystem-based assessment to evaluate GES as required by the MSFD. |
Art. 10 countries involved |
PT, UK, ES,
, FR, BE, FI, NL, DE, LU, CH, IS,
, NO, SE, DK |
Art. 10 nature of coordination |
Ireland has utilised the information sharing facilitated by OSPAR on existing methodologies and future developments for determining GES, environmental targets and indicators. The non-binding OSPAR ‘Advice Documents’ use the benefit of OSPAR expertise to set out common approaches for expressing GES and potential methodologies for developing targets and indicators. The OSPAR countries implementing the MSFD have collectively analysed and shared their emerging GES determinations and associated targets and indicators through the creation of an inventory of emerging national proposals for Descriptors 3,5,7,8,9,10 and 11. For the biodiversity Descriptors (1, 2, 4 and 6) OSPAR countries are sharing expertise on common approaches. An intensive programme of work is still continuing to coordinate national approaches to biodiversity targets and indicators, including the ongoing development of a proposed set of common OSPAR biodiversity indicators for MSFD. Ireland has also participated in EU coordination through the EU CIS process and, in particular, through work carried out by the EU Technical Sub-Group on litter and the EU Technical Sub-Group on underwater noise. |
Art. 10 regional coherence |
Partial |
Art. 10 regional coherence problems |
As set out in Finding Common Ground – 2012, OSPAR countries have identified a number of areas where regional coordination can be improved. Key priorities for OSPAR-level work between 2012 and 2018, include work on common indicators as a basis for an update of the OSPAR monitoring and assessment programme, as well as work on common approaches to measures (Executive Summary, OSPAR Commission, 2012). Issues with each of the 11 Descriptors were also identified by OSPAR and over the coming years Ireland will engage fully with OSPAR to progress this work and improve coordination. Biodiversity monitoring and assessment has been identified by OSPAR as an area which could particularly benefit from increased regional coordination, similar to the coordination achieved by OSPAR in areas such as contaminants and eutrophication. The challenge remains at regional level to achieve a common understanding, approach and methodology for implementing an ecosystem-based assessment to evaluate GES as required by the MSFD. |
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 |
NE Atlantic: Celtic Seas
| Descriptor | Article 9 - GES Determination | Article 8 - Initial Assessment | Article 10 - Environmental Targets | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-based descriptors |
D2 - Non-indigenous species
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Adequate (3)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
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D5 - Eutrophication
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Adequate (3)
|
Adequate (3)
|
|
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D7 - Hydrographical changes
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
|
|
D8 - Contaminants
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Adequate (3)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
|
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D9 - Contaminants in seafood
|
Inadequate (1)
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Inadequate (1)
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Partially adequate (2)
|
|
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D10 - Marine litter
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Adequate (3)
|
Inadequate (1)
|
|
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D11 - Energy, incl. underwater noise
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Adequate (3)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
| State-based descriptors |
D1 - Biodiversity – birds
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
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D1 - Biodiversity – mammals
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
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D1 - Biodiversity – reptiles
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
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D1 - Biodiversity – fish
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – cephalopods
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D3 - Commercial fish and shellfish
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Adequate (3)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – pelagic habitats
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
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D6 - Sea-floor integrity/D1 Biodiversity - benthic habitats
|
Inadequate (1)
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
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D4 - Food webs/D1 Biodiversity - ecosystems
|
Partially adequate (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
Not reported (0)
|
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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 |
NE Atlantic: Celtic Seas
| Descriptor | Article 9 - GES Determination | Article 8 - Initial Assessment | Article 10 - Environmental Targets | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-based descriptors |
D2 - Non-indigenous species
|
Good (3)
|
Very good (4)
|
Good (3)
|
|
D5 - Eutrophication
|
Good (3)
|
Very good (4)
|
Poor (2)
|
|
|
D7 - Hydrographical changes
|
Poor (2)
|
Good (3)
|
Very poor (1)
|
|
|
D8 - Contaminants
|
Good (3)
|
Poor (2)
|
Poor (2)
|
|
|
D9 - Contaminants in seafood
|
Very good (4)
|
Very good (4)
|
Poor (2)
|
|
|
D10 - Marine litter
|
Poor (2)
|
Good (3)
|
Poor (2)
|
|
|
D11 - Energy, incl. underwater noise
|
Good (3)
|
Good (3)
|
Poor (2)
|
|
| State-based descriptors |
D1 - Biodiversity – birds
|
Poor (2)
|
Poor (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – mammals
|
Good (3)
|
Good (3)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – reptiles
|
Poor (2)
|
Poor (2)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – fish
|
Good (3)
|
Poor (2)
|
Very poor (1)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – cephalopods
|
Very poor (1)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D3 - Commercial fish and shellfish
|
Very good (4)
|
Good (3)
|
Good (3)
|
|
|
D1 - Biodiversity – pelagic habitats
|
Very poor (1)
|
Very poor (1)
|
Not reported (0)
|
|
|
D6 - Sea-floor integrity/D1 Biodiversity - benthic habitats
|
Poor (2)
|
Good (3)
|
Poor (2)
|
|
|
D4 - Food webs/D1 Biodiversity - ecosystems
|
Poor (2)
|
Poor (2)
|
Very poor (1)
|
|