European Marine Strategy, Inter-Organisational Consultation Forum (IOCF)

Copenhagen, 9 July 2003

Report of the Inaugural Meeting

1.Opening of the Meeting and Representation

1.1The Inaugural Meeting of the Inter-Organisational Consultation Forum (IOCF) was held in Copenhagen on Wednesday 9 July 2003 at the office of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

1.2The meeting was chaired by Olle Hagstrom (European Commission) and attended by representatives of the:

Helsinki Commission on Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (HELCOM);

OSPAR Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic;

Mediterranean Action Programme (MAP);

Commission for the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution (BSC);

Programme for the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment of the Arctic Council (PAME);

North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC);

European Commission, DG Environment and the Institute for Environment and Sustainability of the EC Joint Research Centre (JRC);

European Environment Agency (EEA);

International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES);

UNEP - Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA).

The list of participants is at Annex 1.

1.3Representatives of the Baltic Sea Fishery Commission (BSFC), the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) were also invited but could not attend.

2.The European Marine Strategy

2.1The European Commission informed the meeting about the background and recent progress regarding the development of a European Marine Strategy. A document to facilitate discussion was distributed at the meeting. One of the elements of this strategy is to promote and facilitate co-ordination between the work of the various official bodies/ organisations involved in Marine protection.

2.2The support of the regional marine conventions was of the utmost importance to enable extending the Marine Strategy from a purely EU initiative into a true European Strategy. To facilitate this, the Commission had proposed that a co-ordination mechanism be established as part of the organisational layout in which EU Water Directors will play a central role within the EU. The IOCG should provide a platform for co-ordination and collaboration among and between EU and international regional sea organisations and agencies. To this end, it should, inter alia,

a.review current activities and identify possibilities for improved co-operation with regard to the:

  • development and implementation of the ecosystem approach especially at the regional level
  • coordination of monitoring and assessment activities;

b.facilitate that regional characteristics and requirements are taken into account in developments at European level.

2.3Furthermore, at working level, the European Commission had proposed to establish working groups on the following issues: (i) ecosystem approach; (ii) monitoring & assessment (iii) hazardous substances (iv) policy objectives. It was stressed that it was the intention to invite national experts, representatives from regional sea organisations and agencies and relevant NGO’s to participate in these working groups. Terms of Reference for these working groups were in preparation for approval at the November 2003 meeting of EU Water Directors.

2.4Participants welcomed the constructive and transparent approach the EC had for the development of a European Marine Strategy. In further discussion, the following points were made:

a.the Communication of the European Commission (COM(2003) 539), the outcome of the Køge stakeholder conference, the outcome of the Bremen ministerial meeting of OSPAR and HELCOM and the various strategic documents of the organisations participating in the IOCF should be used as basic material for developing the marine strategy;

b.a main role of IOCF should be to oversee the balance of activities and approaches at regional and European level and to facilitate partnerships between the organisations involved and common ownership of products of the work;

c.furthermore, the IOCF could play a role in improving the link between research needs identified in marine assessments and marine research activities. This would be an issue on which in particular ICES and the JRC could play an important role;

d.the GPA could be the focal point for the global component of the strategy. Issues to be considered would include, inter alia, capacity building and the development of a global marine assessment;

e.cooperation and coordination with activities under the Habitat Directive will need further consideration with particular attention for attention for building a cooperation with the Marine Working Group recently established under the EU Habitat Committee;

f.although they could play a role in linking landbased activities with marine pollution, it was not the intention to invite international river conventions to participate in the process.

3.The Inter-Organisational Consultation Forum - working procedures and methods

3.1In discussion regarding working methods and procedures, the following points were made:

a.IOCG should facilitate coordination and cooperation between the participating regional organisations;

b.in view of the seize of the working groups it might be necessary to establish core groups of key participants to prepare draft material for discussion;

c.the possible overlap between the envisaged working groups on ecosystem approach and on monitoring & assessment is an issue which requires further consideration;

d.although in the organisational layout proposed the working on policy objectives would report directly to EU Water Directors, regional organisations should also be invited to participate in this group;

f.it was proposed that the IOCF should normally meet some time after the meetings of EU Water Directors (which normally take place in June and November;

4.Next meeting

4.IOCF agreed to hold its next meeting on 14 January 2004 in Brussels.

5.Any other business

5.1The representative of PAME informed the meeting about a workshop organised in Reykjavik on 20-24 October in the framework of the Arctic Council. The workshop would be organised in the context of the development of an Arctic Marine Strategic Plan. The main aim would be to provide a forum for exchanging information and ideas on drivers of change, trends in ocean management and possible circumpolar responses to Arctic Ocean issues.

European Marine Strategy, Inter-Organisational Consultation Forum (IOCF)

Copenhagen, 9 July 2003

List of Participants

[to be checked and completed]

Helsinki Commission on Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (HELCOM)

Kaj Forsius
Professional Secretary
HELCOM
Katajanokanlaituri 6 B
FIN-00160 Helsinki
FINLAND
tel:+358 (9) 6220221
fax:+358 (9) 62202239
e-mail:

OSPAR Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR)

Alan Simcock
Executive Secretary
OSPAR
New Court
48 Carey Street
London WC2 2JQ
UNITED KINGDOM
tel: +44 20 7430 5203
fax: +44 20 7430 5225
e-mail:

Mediterranean Action Programme (MAP)

Francesco-Saverio Civili
Mediterranean Action Plan
48 Vassileos Konstantinou Ave
GR-Athens 11635
GREECE
tel: +30 210 7273106
fax: +30 210 725296
email:

Commission for the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution (BSC)

Plamen Dzhadzhev
Executive Director
Commission for the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution
Dolmabahçe Sarayi
II. Hareket Köşkü 34353
Beşiktaş Istanbul
TURKEY
tel: +90 212 227 9927
fax: +90 212 227 9933
e-mail:

Programme for the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment of the Arctic Council (PAME)

Soffia Gudmundsdottir
Executive Secretary
Programme on the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment
Hafnarstraeti 97
600 Akureyri
ICELAND
tel:+354 461 1355
fax: +354 462 3390
e-mail:

North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC)

Kjartan Hoydal
Secretary
North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission
22 Berners Street
London W1T 3DY
UNITED KINGDOM
tel:+44 20 7631 0016
fax: +44 20 7636 9225
e-mail:

European Commission

DG Environment

Mr Olle Hagstrom
European Commission, DG ENV
Rue de la Loi, 200
BU-9 03/170
B-1049 Brussels
BELGIUM
tel: +32 2 299 2116
fax: +32 2 296 8825
e-mail: / MrBenvan de Wetering
European Commission, DG ENV
Rue de la Loi, 200
BU-9 03/174
B-1049 Brussels
BELGIUM
Tel: +32 2 295 0214
Fax: +32 2 296 8825
E-mail:

Institute for Environment and Sustainability of the EC Joint Research Centre (JRC)

Wolfram Schrimpf
European Commission
Joint Research Centre
Institute for Environment and Sustainability
I-21020 Ispra (VA)
ITALY
tel: +39 332 78 5352
fax: +39 332 78 9034
e-mail:

European Environment Agency (EEA)

Gordon McInnes
Deputy Director
European Environment Agency
Kongens Nytorv 6
DK-1050 Copenhagen K
DENMARK
tel: +45 33 36 71 ????
fax: +45 33 36 7199
e-mail: / Anita Künitzer
European Environment Agency
Kongens Nytorv 6
DK-1050 Copenhagen K
DENMARK
tel: +45 33 36 7155
fax: +45 33 36 7199
e-mail:

International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)

David de G. Griffith
General Secretary
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
Palaegade 2-4
DK-1261 Copenhagen K
DENMARK
Tel:+45 33 38 6701
Fax:+45 33 93 4215
E-mail: / Janet Pawlak
Environment Advisor
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
Palaegade 2-4
DK-1261 Copenhagen K
DENMARK
Tel:+45 33 38 6718
Fax:+45 33 93 4215
E-mail:
Hans Lassen
Fisheries Advisor
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
Palaegade 2-4
DK-1261 Copenhagen K
DENMARK
Tel:+45 33 38 6722
Fax:+45 33 93 4215
E-mail: / Paul Degnbol
Chairman of the ICES – Advisory Committee on Fisheries Management
Palaegade 2-4
DK-1261 Copenhagen K
DENMARK
Tel:+45 33 38 6700
Fax:+45 33 93 4215
E-mail:

UNEP - Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA)

David Osborn
UNEP – Coordination Office of the Global Programme of Action
PO Box 16227
NL-2500 BE The Hague
THE NETHERLANDS
tel: +31 70 311 4473
fax: +31 70 345 6648
e-mail: