Ireland’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive Marine Strategy Part 1: Assessment (Article 8), Determination of Good Environmental Status (Article 9) and Environmental Targets (Article 10)
- Published on: 9 July 2025
- Last updated on: 9 July 2025
Summary
This document provides an update to Ireland’s Marine Strategy Part 1: Assessment (Article 8), Determination of Good Environmental Status (Article 9) and Environmental Targets (Article 10) under the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC)
Ireland’s MSFD Marine Strategy Part 1 contains the most comprehensive and up to date assessment of the status of Ireland’s marine environment, the characteristics of what Good Environmental Status (GES) should look like, and a revised set of environmental targets for each of the 11 qualitative descriptors of the Directive. It also contains a socio-economic analysis of the use of Ireland’s marine waters and of the cost of degradation of the marine environment.
What is Irelands Marine Strategy Part 1?
Article 8 - Assessment
The last assessment of Irelands Marine Environment was published in 2020 Marine Strategy Part 1 : Article 8, 9 and 10 Assessment. At that time five of the 11 descriptors had achieved or maintained GES (non-indigenous species, eutrophication, hydrographical conditions, contaminants and contaminants in seafood), GES was also achieved for certain features assessed under two descriptors: marine litter (beach litter) and noise (impulsive noise), while three descriptors partially achieved GES: biodiversity, commercial fish and shellfish, and sea-floor integrity.
The 2024 assessment represents the most detailed understanding of Ireland’s marine environment to date including the health of Ireland’s marine species and habitats, and the main pressures affecting them. This was possible through the combination of data from over 20 monitoring programmes and 22 scientific assessments detailed in Ireland’s Marine Strategy Part 2 : Monitoring Programmes. This assessment helps evaluate how well current measures are working and identifies areas needing improvement. It also uncovers gaps in our knowledge which will guide future assessment requirements.
For the first time Ireland has included an assessment of the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on the marine environment in its Article 8 assessment. This is a first step in identifying additional measures to improve resilience, protect sensitive ecosystems and augment ecosystem services such as blue carbon storage.
Article 9 – GES Determination
Every six years the characteristics for achieving GES are revised. These characteristics define the environmental quality to be achieved for the 11 descriptors. These characteristics can be supported by a threshold value, or range of values, that allows for a measureable assessment of the quality level. Ireland’s existing GES definitions, as defined in cycle 2 (2020), were considered and where relevant revised. This revision provides a more focused determination against which to consider the pressure and state assessments, includes threshold values developed through regional and EU cooperation, and reflects any advances in scientific knowledge and understanding of GES since 2020. A list of the GES determinations can be found in Annex I of the main report.
Article 10 – Environmental Targets
Environmental targets guide progress towards achieving Good Environmental Status (GES) in the marine environment and bridge the gap between the current environmental status (Article 8) and the desired GES (Article 9).
Environmental targets can identify, in a quantitative or qualitative manner, the acceptable levels of, or necessary changes to, environmental pressures on the marine environment. They may also reflect GES itself or the actual changes necessary to the current state in order to achieve or maintain GES.
Targets are closely linked to the specific actions under Ireland’s Marine Strategy Part 3 : Programme of Measures (PoMs). The assessment of a target is assessed by how much the pressure or impact has been reduced or by how much the status has been improved. Restoration targets include goals to maintain or improve the status of marine habitats to ensure they provide vital ecosystem services such as the regulation of climate, the sustainable use of the marine environment and protection of endangered habitats and species.
The update has been informed by the feedback received from the public consultation held from July to September 2024.