In 2008, Contracting Parties decided through their COP 15 Decision IG.17/6 to progressively apply the Ecosystem Approach to the management of human activities that may affect the Mediterranean marine and coastal environment for the promotion of sustainable development.
In the context of the UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention, the Ecosystem Approach refers to:
- an overarching principle cutting across all MAP operations;
- a specific process with an adopted implementation roadmap, including the following steps:
- definition of an ecological vision for the Mediterranean.
- setting of common Mediterranean strategic goals.
- identification of important ecosystem properties and assessment of ecological status and pressures.
- development of a set of ecological objectives corresponding to the vision and strategic goals.
- derivation of operational objectives with indicators and target levels.
- revision of existing monitoring programmes for ongoing assessment and regular updating of targets.
- development and review of relevant action plans and programmes.
The overall objective of the implementation of the Ecosystem Approach roadmap is to achieve and maintain Good Environmental Status (GES) of the Mediterranean Sea and coasts.
Under the vision of "A healthy Mediterranean with marine and coastal ecosystems that are productive and biologically diverse for the benefit of present and future generations", Contracting Parties adopted a list of 11 Ecological Objectives, addressing all key elements of the Mediterranean marine and coastal environment: EO 1. Biodiversity, EO 2. Non-indigenous species, EO 3. Harvest of commercially exploited fish and shellfish, EO 4. Marine food webs, EO 5. Eutrophication, EO 6. Sea-floor integrity, EO 7. Hydrography, EO 8. Coastal ecosystems and landscapes. EO 9. Pollution, EO 10. Marine litter, EO 11. Energy including underwater noise. They have been further broken down into Operational Objectives (COP 17 Decision IG.20/4), as well as GES definitions and associated targets (COP 18 Decision IG.21/3).
A major component of the ecosystem approach implementation is related to the monitoring and assessment of the status of the marine and coastal environment. In view of establishing a coherent region-wide framework, the Contracting Parties adopted in 2016 the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme of the Mediterranean Sea and Coast and Related Assessment Criteria (IMAP) (COP 19 Decision IG.22/7).
IMAP sets out all the required elements to cover in an integrated manner monitoring and assessment of biodiversity and fisheries, pollution and marine litter, and coast and hydrography. The core of IMAP are the 23 regionally-agreed common indicators and 4 candidate indicators, for which scientific knowledge and information is not yet fully developed to allow for regional monitoring and assessment, covering for the moment 9 out of 11 Ecological Objectives, namely the EO 1, EO 2, EO 3, EO 5, EO 7, EO 8, EO 9, EO 10, EO 11.
UNEP/MAP system delivered in 2017 the first ever Quality Status Report for the Mediterranean (2017 MED QSR), endorsed by COP 20 Decision IG.23/6. The report built upon existing data, complemented with inputs from numerous diverse sources and was prepared following a multi-step comprehensive review process, involving all relevant MAP Components, Contracting Parties and key partners.
IMAP implementation has since progressed with the establishment of national IMAPs, development of a centralized data collection and management infrastructure (IMAP InfoSystem), refinement of technical specifications on IMAP common indicators, building of knowledge on candidate indicators, and development of methodologies for integrated assessment. A specific Roadmap is currently under implementation for the preparation of a fully-data based Quality Status Report in 2023 (2023 MED QSR), as adopted by the Contracting Parties in 2019, through their COP 21 Decision IG.24/4.
The development and review of relevant action plans and programmes under the Ecosystem Approach Roadmap implementation is looked at on a multilayer perspective, covering all the aspects of the legal and policy framework of the UNEP/MAP- Barcelona Convention. In a nutshell, the Ecosystem Approach has been raised by the Contracting Parties to the programmatic level, and reaffirmed as an overarching principle of the Barcelona Convention and as such has been integrated into the legal and policy framework of the Barcelona Convention including legally and non-legally binding instruments.
In order to ensure an efficient and coordinated implementation of the Ecosystem Approach Roadmap, a multi-level governance mechanism has been established, comprising the Ecosystem Approach Coordination Group composed of Contracting Parties representatives, and three specific correspondence groups, (i.e. on GES and targets: COR GEST, on monitoring: CORMON and on economic and social analysis, COR ESA), which are composed of national experts designated by the Contracting Parties, invited experts and respective MAP components.
The Ecosystem Approach Roadmap is implemented through activities included in the biennial UNEP/MAP Programmes of Work, while additional external resources are mobilized to support the different steps of its implementation. Three EU-funded Projects are recently launched, namely the IMAP MPA, ECAP MED III, and Marine Litter MED, which expect to boost the implementation of IMAP towards delivery of the next 2023 MED QSR.
A Midterm Review of the Implementation of the EcAp Application Roadmap was prepared and reviewed by the 6th Meeting of the Ecosystem Approach Coordination Group, in 2017, and an updated progress report was reviewed by the 7th Meeting of the Ecosystem Approach Coordination Group, in 2019, reaffirming a satisfactory progress and on-track implementation of the roadmap.
