Analysis of the main elements of the "Good Environmental Status" from the 1st and 2nd MSFD cycles, reported by the European Member States for the Descriptor 6 (sea floor integrity) - links with Regional Seas' Conventions and D4 (food webs integrity) and D5 (eutrophication)

This study aims to compare, synthesize and analyse the main elements reported by the 23 European Union Member States for the MSFD under article 9 (determination of GES) to guide the assessment of environmental quality status for benthic habitats through Descriptor 6 (sea-floor integrity). Moreover, in the context of the NEA PANACEA project, potential links with MSFD Descriptor 4 (food webs), Descriptor 5 (eutrophication) and Regional Sea Conventions’ methodological standards, notably from OSPAR, were scrutinized, to conclude on current gaps and guide future progress to reinforce cooperation and coherence in next MSFD, Regional Sea Convention and national reporting cycles. This report also reviewed and digested the main previous related analyses and documentation, but it is not an MSFD article 12 assessment (technical assessment of countries reporting obligations under MSFD). This study, conducted under a scientific project, focuses on analysing technically the GES elements, to provide guidance on technical assessment methods, but not on the reporting process itself. After the conclusions of this analysis, some key recommendations and views are provided, also including personal views from experienced authors, to guide and encourage technical ways to progress towards a better harmonisation of GES elements and to guide future assessments of benthic habitats at European, regional and national scales. The proposed links between MSFD Descriptor 6 and some other related Descriptors (both for state and pressures aspects), with the most recent OSPAR methodological standards, for which technical documentation will be published in 2023, are proposed in two summary tables (for benthic habitat aspects in Descriptors 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7). All results data are included in this report as an embedded file, and main related documentation as references and hyperlinks.