Contracting Parties committed (Decision IG 17/6 of the 2008 Almeria meeting of the Contracting Parties) to the progressive application of the Ecosystem Approach. The Contracting Par- ties have since made substantive progress in implementing the roadmap that was also adopted as part of the same decision. As mentioned in the Preface the latest milestone achieved is the agreement of the Ecological Objectives for the Ecosystem Approach, which were adopted by the last Meeting of the Con- tracting Parties in February 2012, and to which Part II of this re- port is devoted.

Also in 2008 the Contracting Parties decided to put in place the Compliance Procedures and Mechanisms under the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, which led to the establishment of the Compliance Committee. The procedures and mechanisms on com- pliance are a set of tools aimed to allow for the better implementa- tion of the provisions of the Barcelona Convention and its Proto- cols. The role of the Committee is to provide advice and assistance to Contracting Parties to assist them comply with their obligations under the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols and to generally facilitate, promote, monitor and secure such compliance.

Ecological objectives, operational objectives and indicators Agreed at the 17th COP meeting (UNEP/MAP, 2012)

Biodiversity Ecological Objective

Biological diversity is maintained or enhanced. The quality and occurrence of coastal1

and the distribution and abundance of coastal3 rine species4

hydrographic, geographic and climatic conditions.

and marine habitats2 and ma-

are in line with prevailing physiographic, Population size of selected species is maintained Population condition of selected species is maintained Key coastal and marine habitats are not being lost Operational Objectives Species distribution is maintained Indicators

Distributional range Area covered by the species (for sessile/benthic species) Population abundance Population density

Population demographic characteristics (e.g. body size or age class structure, sex ratio, fecundity rates, survival/ mortality rates)

Potential / observed distributional range of certain coastal and marine habitats listed under SPA protocol

Distributional pattern of certain coastal and marine habitats listed under SPA protocol

Condition of the habitat-defining species and communities

1. By coastal it is understood both the emerged and submerged areas of the coastal zone as considered in the SPA/BD Protocol as well as in the definition of coastal zone in accordance with Article 2e and the geographi- cal coverage of Article 3 of the ICZM Protocol 2. Regarding benthic habitats currently, sufficient information exists to make a prioritization amongst those mentioned in the UNEP/MAP - RAC/SPA list of 27 benthic habitats and the priority habitats in areas beyond national jurisdiction following CBD decisions VIII/24 and VIII/21 paragraph 1 . These could include from shallow to deep: biocoenosis of infralittoral algae (facies with vermetids or trottoir), hard beds associated with photophilic algae, meadows of the sea grass Posidonia oceanica, hard beds associated with Coralligenous biocenosis and semi dark caves, biocoenosis of shelf-edge detritic bottoms (facies with Leptometra phalangium), biocoenosis of deep-sea corals, cold seeps and biocoenosis of bathyal muds (facies with Isidella elongata). Amongst pelagic habitats upwelling areas, fronts and gyres need special attention and focus. 3. By coastal it is understood both the emerged and submerged areas of the coastal zone as considered in the SPA/BD Protocol as well as in the definition of coastal zone in accordance with Article 2e and the geographi- cal coverage of Article 3 of the ICZM Protocol 4. On the basis of Annex II and III of the SPA and Biodiversity Protocol of the Barcelona Convention

Non-indigenous species Ecological Objective Non-indigenous1

species2

Operational Objectives introduced by human

activities are at levels that do not adversely alter the ecosystem

Invasive non-indigenous species introductions are minimized

Indicators

Spatial distribution, origin and population status (estab- lished vs. vagrant) of non-indigenous species

Trends in the abundance of introduced species, notably in risk areas

The impact of non-indigenous particularly invasive species on ecosystems is limited

Ecosystem impacts of particularly invasive species

Ratio between non-indigenous invasive species and native species in some well studied taxonomic groups

1. The term non-indigenous refers to an organism that may survive and subsequently reproduce, outside of its known or consensual range. Non-indigenous may be further characterized as un-established or vagrant, established, invasive and noxious or particularly invasive. Occhipinti-Ambrogi and Galil (2004). Marine Pollution Bulletin 49 (2004) 688–694. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2004.08.011 2. The list of priority (indicator) species introduced by human activities will be derived by consensus, based on information from the CIESM Atlas of Exotic Species in the Mediterranean and the DAISIE project (European Invasive Alien Species Gateway) a database tracking alien terrestrial and marine species in Europe

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, MAJOR FINDINGS AND GAPS AND NEXT STEPS IN THE ECOSYSTEM APPROACH

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