The objective of the own-initiative opinion is to actively involve the local and regional authorities in the development of the programmes of measures of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The programmes of measures need to be ambitious and contain shared objectives in order to achieve good environmental status of the seas.
The European Committee of the Regions
stresses that future generations are also entitled to a biologically diverse and dynamic marine environment that is safe, clean, healthy and productive, therefore, firmly supports the Commission's call for a political step-change in marine protection and is convinced that consultation on the programmes of measures, prepared by Member States under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, must be used to this end;
is convinced, that the only way to protect the seas is for all tiers of government, business and civil society to pull together, and for this reason the Committee addresses its calls and expectations to all the parties involved and proposes a range of diverse and ambitious measures to achieve the objectives of the MSFD;
stresses that any failure in achieving good environmental status of the seas by 2020 could also result in significant adverse economic consequences for coastal and landlocked regions;
points out that local and regional authorities have a wealth of experience and knowledge, since they have to deal with the consequences of the condition of the sea; therefore calls for them to be closely and appropriately involved in framing and implementing national programmes of measures;
acknowledges the major contribution which Regional Sea Conventions can make to the protection of the marine environment, but believes that this instrument could still be exploited more effectively;
promotes the pooling of information between all actors and is fully convinced that joint regional planning of measures for sea basins will be the key to ensuring shared success, since water has no borders;
encourages the Commission to play a supporting, coordinating and stimulating role to promote the integration of all EU regulation relevant to marine protection, including support programmes, and to encourage compliance with them;
calls on the Member States, when drawing up and implementing the programmes of measures, to take account of the principles of participation, cooperation, transparency, inclusion and policy coherence, within the meaning of the "rules of good governance", and of the principles of the ecosystem approach as well as the precautionary and polluter pays principles, and to ensure proportionality, cost-effectiveness and feasibility