Athens, 5 June 2013 - Under the auspices and in the presence of his Excellency Pr. Evangelos Livieratos, Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change and on the occasion of Environment Day, the Hellenic Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change and the United Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) held a presentation ceremony of the State of the Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Environment Report today.
The event gathered high-ranking officials from Greece, representatives of the contracting parties of the Barcelona Convention, in Greece, environment and marine experts, academics, as well as all UNEP/MAP stakeholders.
The presentation was followed by a panel discussion on the "Implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Ecosystem Approach in the context of UNEP/MAP With Mr. Konstantinos Triantis, Special Secretary for Water, Hellenic Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change and Maria Luisa Silva Mejias, UNEP/MAP Executive Secretary and Coordinator
In his address to the audience, H.E. Prof. Livieratos stressed that: “It is important to prioritize our areas of work, since our effectiveness will be maximized if we tackle goals with specific targets on a small number of priority issues”. He also noted that: “After 40 years of successful operation, the assessment of UNEP/MAP’s work is indeed positive” and that “Greece on its part, as host country of the Coordinating Unit of MAP since 1982, has been providing its continuous support to the work of the MAP system and is always ready to seek ways to enhance this support”.
Ms Silva Mejias then highlighted that: “In spite of the fact that the Mediterranean is one of the most researched seas in the world, the remaining knowledge gaps are significant even on some priority areas. We hope that this report will help researches in addressing issues which are at the center of policy makers concerns”. ”
The report provides information on the overall nature of Mediterranean ecosystems and defines pressures affecting the state of Mediterranean’s environment, to which 21 countries have coast. It also offers detailed information on the vital services that coastal and marine habitats provide to their inhabitants.
İt comes within the framework of the Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) – Barcelona Convention for the protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of t he Mediterranean. İt is structured around 11 ecosystem objectives agreed by the parties to the Convention. İt builds on the first Integrated Assessment of the Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Ecosystem and was produced in full consultation with countries and stakeholders.
The English version of the report is available online at: http://195.97.36.231/publications/SoMMCER.pdf
