RPS has recently been appointed as expert advisor and project partner by the Marine Institute to assist in the delivery of six projects to ensure Ireland meets its obligations with regard to the implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Ireland’s marine waters are over ten times its land area.
The project will run over three years initially and will involve RPS working closely with the Marine Institute, National Parks and Wildlife Service, EPA, various government departments, EU and international bodies, and other project stakeholders such as the scientific community, the marine community, the private and public sectors.
The six individual projects to be delivered by RPS are:
- Preparation of a Draft Initial Assessment including proposals for Good Ecological Status (GES) and proposed draft Environmental Targets
- Collation of relevant information into an Atlas of the Irish Marine Environment
- Development of an index of environmental and associated indicators
- Preparation of a summary report for public consultation
- Development of a streamlined national reporting system
- Recommendations for Programmes of Measures (POMs) and monitoring status and trends
In addition to supporting the ongoing implementation of the Directive and the delivery of defined data, information collation, assessment, reporting including to the EU, establishing monitoring and scoping future work will also be undertaken as part of this project.