REGULATING AND REDUCING POLLUTION - Marine Pollution: What Everyone Needs to Know - page 219

For marine waters, member states have to draw up strate-
gies in cooperation with other countries to protect and restore
marine ecosystems and to ensure the ecological sustainabil-
ity of marine-related economic activities. Europe's seas are
divided into four regions: the Baltic Sea, North-East Atlantic,
Mediterranean, and Black Sea. The three seas are unique in
that they are mostly enclosed. In each region, the member
states must coordinate their actions with the other countries
involved. At the regional level, member states must assess the
ecological status of their waters and the impacts of human
activities. This assessment covers the characteristics of these
waters (physical and chemical features, types of habitat, ani-
mal and plant populations), an analysis of the main impacts
and pressures from human activities (e.g., toxic contamina-
tion, eutrophication, nonindigenous species, damage by ship
anchors), and an economic and social analysis of the use of
these waters and cost of the degradation. Member states must
then determine the “good ecological status” of the waters
based on biodiversity, presence of nonindigenous species,
stock health, the food chain, eutrophication, hydrographic
conditions, contaminants, and noise pollution. On the basis
of this evaluation, they must define objectives and indicators
to achieve this status. Objectives must be measurable, consis-
tent within a region, and tied to a definite timetable. Member
states draw up specific measures to achieve the objectives,
and must consider economic and social consequences. Before
implementation, the measures are subject to impact assess-
ments and cost/benefit analyses. Member states also establish
coordinated monitoring programs to evaluate the status of the
waters and the progress toward their objectives.
For regulating the manufacture and use of chemicals, a
precautionary principle is used in the EU, a very different
approach than that of the United States. Environmental qual-
ity standards are developed for priority substances or groups
of substances that pose substantial risk. The Water Framework
Directive establishes a list of 33 priority substances including