Project MEDCIS – Support Mediterranean Member States towards coherent and coordinated implementation of the second phase of the MSFD

Institute for water of the Republic of Slovenia (IZVRS) is a partner of the MEDCIS project. Project coordinator is Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece), other project partners are: Institut Francais de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (France), Fundacion AZTI – AZTI Fundazioa (Spain), University of Salento – Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (Italy), Consorzio per il coordinamento delle richerche inerenti al sistema lagunare di Venezia (Italy), Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia (Spain), Nacionalni inštitut za Biologijo (Slovenija), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece) and Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (Croatia).

MEDCIS project aims to facilitate the implementation of the next phase of MSFD by and providing the criteria and methodological standards, towards coordinated approaches between MSs, by reviewing, comparing, selecting and adapting appropriate existing approaches in criteria methodological standards and protocols at the regional/subregional scale. We will focus on Mediterranean regional/subregional cooperation and standardization, taking in consideration its specificities and therefore recommend suitable approaches for this region to ensure consistency in the approaches selected by each MS and allowing comparisons at any possible scale within the region.

Activities of IZVRS on the MEDCIS Project:

1. Develop common approaches and methodologies towards GES and targets in Mediterranean regional/subregional scale.
2. Proposals for common approaches towards assessment at regional/subregional scale in Mediterranean Sea.
3. Standard and coherent data generation, management and access at regional and subregional Mediterranean levels from improved joint monitoring programs.
4. Develop tools and mechanisms to describe and assess progress in the implementation of the programme of measures.
5. Promotion and dissemination.

MEDCIS project supports measures of the European Community in the field of marine environmental policy as required by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).