ABI-EN-MS-GDG: Good environmental status is the good functioning of marine ecosystems, their good health and the environmental sustainability of their use for human activities. The definition of good environmental status takes into account the existence of human activities at sea or on land that have an impact on the environment. As such, it is not a state that is not impacted by human activities, sometimes referred to as "pristine". In the definition of good ecological status, certain contextual elements must be taken into account. In addition to the existence of anthropogenic pressures, it is therefore necessary to consider their impacts on the environment, the long-term or short-term natural variability of ecosystems and their capacity for resilience, and global changes, particularly climate change. On the basis of the content elements of the Directive, France has chosen to define good environmental status as the long-term level of ambition for the environmental status of the marine environment, i.e. the acceptable level of impact of human activities on environmental status that does not affect the proper functioning of ecosystems. The methodology for defining good environmental status distinguishes between two bases: 1: the description of Good Environmental Status at the level of the descriptors and, where appropriate, at the level of the criteria. 2: the characterization of Good Environmental Status, which includes several elements: - the determination of "units of assessment" and relevant scales; - the definition of the method for identifying issue areas/characteristic zones; - the development of indicators to judge the achievement of GES of the marine environment, based on the previous choices; - the definition of levels/thresholds/trends associated with these indicators and their setting; - the development of an intra-descriptor aggregation method. It should be noted that the proper functioning of an ecosystem is a scientific concept, based on an ecosystem approach, which can be qualified or even quantified, in some cases today, in other cases in the future, subject to further studies, research and data acquisition. This definition will have to be revised every 6 years on the basis of new knowledge and data and will have to take into account the evolution of anthropogenic pressures and global changes. The effects of climate change are being felt on the marine environment and its functioning: they will be taken into account in the revision of the definition of Good Environmental Status as part of the context.

Good environmental status is achieved when the nature and extent of permanent changes in hydrographic conditions (which include, inter alia, turbidity, sediments, currents, waves, bathymetry, salinity, temperature) resulting from anthropogenic activities (individually and cumulatively), apart from long-term climatic and cyclical changes in the marine environment, do not have significant long-term impacts on the biological components considered by descriptors 1 (biodiversity), 4 (food webs) and 6 (bottom integrity).

The indicator for criterion 7.1 relevant to characterising good ecological status is defined as follows : Indicator 7.1.1: Extent of area affected by permanent change The indicator consists of the area in km2 where regionally significant changes are occurring or are expected to occur. This value may be derived from modelling or semi-quantitative estimates, based on the list of pressure sources permanently impacting hydrographic conditions, which will be specified following additional studies, as provided for in Article 4 of the Order of 17 December 2012 on the definition of good environmental status of marine waters, on the basis of the table presented p36 in Annex 2. The indicators relating to criterion 7.2 that are relevant for characterising good environmental status are defined as follows : Indicator 7.2.1 Spatial extent of habitats affected by permanent change Indicator 7.2.2 Changes in habitats, in particular in functions provided, due to changing hydrographic conditions

The assessment scales associated with descriptor 7, as well as the parameters associated with indicator 7.2.2, and the levels and trends corresponding to good environmental status for criteria 7.1 and 7.2, and the rules for aggregation at criteria and descriptor level will be specified, where appropriate, following further studies, as provided for in Article 4 of the Order of 17 December 2012 on the definition of good environmental status of marine waters. These elements will be developed with a view to updating the definition of good environmental status by 2018.