Inter-relationships for Scotland in the delivery of Ospar Annex V commitments and the EC Birds and Habitats Directives in the marine and coastal environment, with a particular emphasis on identifying potential synergies in MPA delivery UK

Scottish Government - Project Dates:
February 2008 - September 2008

Description of Project:
The Scottish Government is committed to implementing the EC Birds and Habitats Directives and delivering on OSPAR commitments on biodiversity. It wishes to ensure that OSPAR-related activity adds value to existing and proposed activity under the relevant EC Directives and exploits synergies in delivery to avoid duplication. The key aims of the study were to: 1. Ascertain the overlaps and key differences between EC and OSPAR commitments. 2. Identify in full the contribution that existing and planned EC-related activity can make to delivery under OSPAR in order that this can be fully recognised. 3. Identify which, if any, of the threatened/declining OSPAR habitats and species are not the subject of action under national or EC-related activity. 4. Recommend where there is scope for additional synergies between biodiversity activity under EC Directives and OSPAR and how we can ensure that additional actions under OSPAR add value rather than duplicate existing activity on nature conservation.

Services Provided:
Poseidon led a multi-disciplinary project team, which included the Scottish Association for Marine Science and SMRU Ltd. The final report provided a comparative analysis of the Natura and OSPAR MPA networks, identifying where synergies and differences exist; the level of existing provision under the Natura network; opportunities to add value to that provision and where additional effort may be required to fulfil OSPAR obligations.