DIRECTORATE-GENERAL - ENVIRONMENT /
Marine Strategy Framework Directive
Common Implementation Strategy
Working Group on Economic and Social Assessment
(WG ESA) / WG ESA 2011/2/2
Bonn
13-14 October 2011
Document: / Research gaps and needs
Document no.: / WG ESA 2011/2/2
Agenda item: / 5
Date prepared: / 6 October 2011
Prepared by: / InterSus and Milieu Ltd. Lead author: Eduard Interwies and Stefan Görlitz from InterSus ()and Alice Belin from Milieu Ltd ()
Background / This paper has been prepared under contract to DG Environment as a contribution to the overall activity of developing a database of research projects related to the scientific development of MSFD themes.
This specific exercise involved developing a pilot database of research projects related to the socio-economic aspects of the Marine Directive. This contributes to WG ESA Work programme package 4: 1 “What existing research activities are relevant to economic and social analysis for the MSFD.
The paper is structured along the following lines:
- Background and rationale
- Extract from pilot database of research projects related to the socio-economic aspects of MSFD
- Key elements from analysis of research gaps and needs in relation to the socio-economic analysis of MSFD
WG ESA is invited to examine the attached overview of research activities and analysis of gaps and needs and to consider:
a.to what degree this product fulfils the needs of WG ESA wp 4.1 and contributes to the other elements of wp 4;
b.its completeness (is any relevant information missing?) and format.
Pilot database of research projects related to the socio-economic aspects of the Marine Directive
- Background and rationale
Overall activity: Database of all research projects related to MSFD themes
The Consortium, in charge of supporting DG Environment with the implementation of the Marine Directive, has been asked by DG Environment to prepare a database of research projects related to the MSFD. The aim of this activity is to provide a user-friendly instrument on the scientific development of MSFD themes.
The selection criteria for the research projects to be included in the database are the following:
•Multinational projects, taking place in the European seas;
•Funded by European instruments (FP6, FP7, LIFE +, INTERREG, etc.) and, if applicable, other instruments (e.g. HELCOM)
•Starting date: FP6 research programme start date (2002) with emphasis on most recent and currently running projects;
•Theme/topic of the project must be related to the MSFD (e.g. to the descriptors or to the socio-economic analysis)
A crucial element of the database is to categorize each project by key themes (such as biodiversity, pollution, sustainable development, fisheries, etc.) and/or key functions (monitoring, data collection, awareness-raising, etc.) This will allow the user of the database to filter only the projects of interest to him/her.
The following categories provide essential information about the project:
-Acronym and full title
-Summary of topic and main objectives
-Total budget and EU contribution
-Participating organisations and countries
-Contact information
-Key outputs (i.e. if the project has yielded a concrete product, such as a database or a book)
In addition, othercategories will allow the user to filter the table according to his/her needs:
-Marine regions: Baltic; Mediterranean; North-East Atlantic; Black Sea; Other
-Scope: Deep sea; Coastal; National waters
-Duration
-Starting date/year
-Funding programme
Pilot database on socio-economic related aspects of MSFD
A pilot version of the database has been prepared in view of the WG ESA meeting of 13-14 October 2011. It is limited to projects which relate to the socio-economic analysis of the MSFD. Its development has provided the basis for a short analysis of the research gaps and needs with regard to the socio-economic aspects of the Marine Directive (summary provided in Section III).
This pilot table (available below) and the accompanying analysis of research gaps and needs contribute to WG ESA Work programme package 4: 1 “What existing research activities are relevant to economic and social analysis for the MSFD?”
NB: Please consider this document as a work in progress and not a finalized product. Your comments and views on this database are welcome.
- Key elements from analysis of research gaps and needs in relation to the socio-economic analysis of MSFD
Based on an investigation of already existing research projects, the research needs and gaps can beclassified under the following categories:
1Research to collect “primary data/knowledge”
- Natural/Marine Sciences and Socio-Economics
In general, there is a clear need for more cooperation between natural scientists, economists and policy makers, as well as for “simplified” natural science information, usable as a basis for socio-economic assessments.
This means:
-Involving economists and other social scientists into natural science/ecological assessments and data collection, to clarify mutual data needs from the beginning onwards.
-Close collaboration in data collection between economists and natural scientists to ensure that results are usable in cost-effectiveness analyses of measures related to pressures (esp. for other than contaminants/nutrients for which a lot of information is already available)
-More “simplified” input from natural/marine sciences on topics such as ecosystem dynamics and interferences with anthropogenic drivers/pressures to support the completion of the ESA.
-More research on methodologies and handling of uncertainties with regard to the integration of the Ecosystem Services Approach in environmental goals.
- Socio-economic data
There is a need for more qualitative and quantitative information regarding the benefits of the marine waters, with more applicable results for policy formulation / decision making, because of three main gaps in research (and use of research):
-Limited qualitative descriptions of benefits presented in a way that is usable for socio-economic analyses as required by the MSFD;
-Lack of studies on the monetary values of benefits of the marine waters, in particular with regard to indirect use values/non-use values partly due to limited knowledge of the relationship between the marine waters' ecological status/ecosystem functioning and the provision of goods and services.
-Limited use for policy-makers of the results from valuation studies due to lack of transparency in methodology and data format or missing “points of reference” (for example a quantifiable improvement of environmental quality).
In response to these gaps, the following points have been identified as important needs for future research and research methodologies:
-Development of standards for (non-market) evaluation studies.
-More “revealed preference” studies and of studies assessing damage costs (caused by environmental pressures)
-Better communication from scientists on probabilities and better communication from policy-makers on confidence levels and “reference points”, required for including such studies in decision-making
-Transparent indication of the importance and the limitations of the information provided
-Better dissemination of results of studies and related research results should be fostered
2Research on operationalization issues
- Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis of measures
In general there is a lack of knowledge on what measures are needed for reaching the desired status/target and on information to carry out the cost-effectiveness analyses of these measures.
-More knowledge is needed on the “distance-to-target” of the current environmental status to an operationalized understanding of GES.
-Need for transparent and reliable methodologies for assessing non-market values or quantitative data, when they are used for CBA and are integrated into policy processes (e.g. coherent ranking methodologies)
-Research is needed onthe operationalization of methods to assess and evaluate disproportionality of costs.
- Economic instruments
A variety of economic instruments have the potential for being cost-effective measures according to the MSFD (e.g. payments for ecosystem services) but better understanding of the advantages and limitations of such instruments is needed. In particular, the following points should be looked at:
-Different institutional settings of the countries involved
-“Spill-over-effects” of measures across national boundaries
-Side-effects (secondary effects)to other sectors and/or objectives (fishery policy, renewable energy policy, etc.)
- Range and impacts of measures
The following questions have been identified as main issues on which future research should focus with regard to the range and impacts of measures:
-How to calculate the effects of measures with regards to national and international waters? Development of comprehensive impact assessment methodologies to be used in all Member States regarding certain pressures.
-How to plan and assess measures with international impact on a national scale, while utilizing transparent and sound methodologies?
-How to include third countries into such assessments and how to account for the positive impacts of MSFD measures on non-EU waters?
-How to assess the share of costs and benefits associated with land or coastal-based activities, and their impacts on the marine environment? Further work on the interaction of the MSFD and the WFD fora clear assessment of measures from a socio-economic point of view.
-How to handle uncertainties? Policy makers need transparent and clear guidelines on this
3Research on communication issues
How to illustrate benefits in a way that their importance to society, including in relation to economic activities, is communicated in a transparent and clear manner?
4Accompanying action – effective sharing
Drawing on WFD implementation experience, it is foreseeable that there is a need for a structured mechanism to review and synthesize on a regular basis existing scientific knowledge relevant to the MSFD, with a view to pass it on in usable form to policy makers.
-For example usage/further development of the “European Marine Observations and Data Network” (EMODNET).
-Or setting up/using a platform similar to the WISE-RTD.
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