# Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848 of 17 May 2017 laying down criteria and methodological standards on good environmental status of marine waters and specifications and standardised methods for monitoring and assessment, and repealing Decision 2010/477/EU (Text with EEA relevance), Division: Criteria, including criteria elements, and methodological standards

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

Physical loss shall be understood as under point 3 of the specifications under Descriptor 6.
Criteria elements
Criteria
Methodological standards
Hydrographical changes to the seabed and water column (including intertidal areas).
D7C1 — Secondary:
Spatial extent and distribution of permanent alteration of hydrographical conditions (e.g. changes in wave action, currents, salinity, temperature) to the seabed and water column, associated in particular with physical loss of the natural seabed.
Scale of assessment:
As used for assessment of the benthic broad habitat types under Descriptors 1 and 6.
Use of criteria:
The outcomes of assessment of criterion D7C1 (the distribution and an estimate of the extent of hydrographical changes) shall be used to assess criterion D7C2.
The outcomes of assessment of criterion D7C2 (an estimate of the extent of adverse effect per habitat type in each assessment area) shall contribute to the assessment of criterion D6C5.
Benthic broad habitats types or other habitat types, as used for Descriptors 1 and 6.
D7C2 — Secondary:
Spatial extent of each benthic habitat type adversely affected (physical and hydrographical characteristics and associated biological communities) due to permanent alteration of hydrographical conditions.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the devolved policy authorities, shall establish threshold values for the adverse effects of permanent alterations of hydrographical conditions, through regional or subregional cooperation.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2017/848/annex/part/I/division/5/division/1 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2017-848/annex/part-I/division-5/division-1
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.