MSFD

All EU Member States with maritime areas must implement the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC, MSFD) to achieve good environmental status (GES) in their waters by 2020. The implementation of the Directive involves four stages: initial assessment of the marine environment, definition of good environmental status and objectives, monitoring programme and programme of measures. The MSFD requires that implementation by Member States is assessed by the European Commission.

This assessment was entrusted between 2013 and 2017, and then between 2017 and 2022, to a consortium led by MILIEU, of which SML is a stakeholder as "lead partner" for Descriptor 7 (Hydrographic changes). Among the 11 descriptors of the directive, the latter is mainly concerned with coastal works and industrial projects such as ports or offshore wind farms.