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Marine Strategy Part 1 - Environmental Status

Marine Strategy Part 1 contains the assessment of the current state of the marine environment, describes the (desired) good environmental status, and establishes environmental targets where the current environmental status is not yet satisfactory. The environmental status is described based on eleven qualitative elements (descriptors), as set out in Annex 1 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). In this way, Marine Strategy Part 1 forms the ecological framework within which we can use the North Sea sustainably—without harming nature—while complying with international and European regulations.

The updated Marine Strategy Part 1 was adopted by the Cabinet in December 2025.

Decision-making
The Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) is responsible for preparing the Marine Strategy for the Dutch section of the North Sea and for ensuring its timely and correct incorporation into Dutch legislation and regulations.

As stipulated in the Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet), this responsibility is shared with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN), due to that department’s mandate in the areas of biodiversity, nature conservation and fisheries.

The Council of Ministers formally adopts the Marine Strategy.

The Marine Strategy touches on a wide range of topics, the development of and decision-making for which require close cooperation between various ministries, including:

  • The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN), responsible for the implementation of Natura 2000 at sea, biodiversity conservation and sustainable fisheries;
  • The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK), responsible for ambitions relating to sustainable energy production and the efficient use of natural gas and oil reserves;
  • The Ministry of Defence, due to military zones and operational activities at sea; and
  • The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), which shares responsibility for issues such as land-based pollution and shipping. IenW is also responsible for sand extraction and nourishment, supporting coastal protection, land elevation and the mitigation of flood risks. In this context, Rijkswaterstaat Zee en Delta acts as the functional manager of the Dutch North Sea.

Within the Interdepartmental Directors’ Consultation on the North Sea (IDON), the ministries coordinate MSFD-related outputs at both the strategic policy level and the level of broad implementation outlines. This process supports the central objective of the North Sea Programme 2022–2027: striking the right societal balance in the spatial development of the North Sea while adhering to the prerequisites of a healthy ecosystem.

The North Sea Consultation also contributed to the development of the Marine Strategy Part 1 (2024–2030). As this strategy represents a key decision regarding the North Sea, the Consultation was given the opportunity to provide input at various stages.