National interpretation in Marine Strategy part 1, environmental status
Marine Strategy part 1 comprises the initial assessment, good environmental status, the associated environmental objectives and indicators. These indicators are ranked in terms of eleven qualitative descriptive elements (descriptors), as set out in appendix 1 to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). This document also specifies the policy assignments and the priorities for knowledge programming. The updated Marine Strategy part 1 was adopted by the government of the Netherlands in June 2018.
Decision making
The Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W) is responsible for the preparation of the Marine Strategy for the Dutch section of the North Sea and for ensuring that it is correctly incorporated into Dutch primary and secondary legislation in good time.
As specified in the Water Act, the Minister of I&W shares this responsibility with the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), on account of this person's responsibility for the policy areas of biodiversity, nature and fisheries. The Council of Ministers adopts the Marine Strategy.
The Marine Strategy covers many overlapping subjects, the development and decision-making process of which demands close cooperation between different ministries, these being:
• LNV, on account of the implementation of policy areas including Natura2000 areas at sea, biodiversity and sustainable fisheries;
• Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, on account of the responsibility for ambitions relating to sustainable energy production and efficient use of natural gas and oil reserves;
• Defence, for issues with defence implications/activities at sea;
• I&W itself, on account of its joint responsibility for issues including pollution originating on land, shipping and also as the party responsible for sand extraction and beach nourishment for coastal defences, filler sand for use on land and tackling flood risks. In that respect, Rijkswaterstaat Zee en Delta is the functional manager for the North Sea.
In the Interdepartmental Directors North Sea Consultative Body (IDON) the ministries align the MSFD products, both at strategic policy level and broad outlines of implementation within the wider context of the integrated North Sea policy and - where necessary - with specific related policy areas.