# 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.

These are the ‘Level 1 — Material’ categories from the Master List of categories of litter items from the Joint Research Centre ‘Guidance on Monitoring of marine litter in European seas’ (2013, ISBN 978-92-79-32709-4). The Master List specifies what is covered under each category, for instance ‘Chemicals’ refers to paraffin, wax, oil and tar.
Criteria elements
Criteria
Methodological standards
Litter (excluding micro-litter), classified in the following categories: artificial polymer materials, rubber, cloth/textile, paper/cardboard, processed/worked wood, metal, glass/ceramics, chemicals, undefined, and food waste.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the devolved policy authorities, may define further sub-categories.
D10C1 — Primary:
The composition, amount and spatial distribution of litter on the coastline, in the surface layer of the water column, and on the seabed, are at levels that do not cause harm to the coastal and marine environment.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the devolved policy authorities, shall establish threshold values for these levels ..., taking into account regional or subregional specificities.
Scale of assessment:
Subdivisions of the region or subregion, divided where needed by national boundaries.
Use of criteria:
The extent to which good environmental status has been achieved shall be expressed for each criterion separately for each area assessed as follows:
(a)the outcomes for each criterion (amount of litter or micro-litter per category) and its distribution per matrix used under D10C1 and D10C2 and whether the threshold values set have been achieved;
(b)the outcomes for D10C3 (amount of litter and micro-litter per category per species) and whether the threshold values set have been achieved.
The use of criteria D10C1, D10C2 and D10C3 in the overall assessment of good environmental status for Descriptor 10 shall be jointly agreed by the competent authorities.
The outcomes of criterion D10C3 shall also contribute to assessments under Descriptor 1, where appropriate.
Micro-litter (particles < 5mm), classified in the categories ‘artificial polymer materials’ and ‘other’.
D10C2 — Primary:
The composition, amount and spatial distribution of micro-litter on the coastline, in the surface layer of the water column, and in seabed sediment, are at levels that do not cause harm to the coastal and marine environment.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the devolved policy authorities, shall establish threshold values for these levels ..., taking into account regional or subregional specificities.
Litter and micro-litter classified in the categories ‘artificial polymer materials’ and ‘other’, assessed in any species from the following groups: birds, mammals, reptiles, fish or invertebrates.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the devolved policy authorities, shall establish that list of species to be assessed through regional or subregional cooperation.
D10C3 — Secondary:
The amount of litter and micro-litter ingested by marine animals is at a level that does not adversely affect the health of the species concerned.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the devolved policy authorities, shall establish threshold values for these levels through regional or subregional cooperation.
Species of birds, mammals, reptiles, fish or invertebrates which are at risk from litter.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the devolved policy authorities, shall establish that list of species to be assessed through regional or subregional cooperation.
D10C4 — Secondary:
The number of individuals of each species which are adversely affected due to litter, such as by entanglement, other types of injury or mortality, or health effects.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the devolved policy authorities, shall establish threshold values for the adverse effects of litter, through regional or subregional cooperation.
Scale of assessment:
As used for assessment of the species group under Descriptor 1.
Use of criteria:
The extent to which good environmental status has been achieved shall be expressed for each area assessed as follows:
for each species assessed under criterion D10C4, an estimate of the number of individuals in the assessment area that have been adversely affected.
The use of criterion D10C4 in the overall assessment of good environmental status for Descriptor 10 shall be jointly agreed by the competent authorities.
The outcomes of this criterion shall also contribute to assessments under Descriptor 1, where appropriate.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2017/848/annex/part/I/division/8/division/1 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2017-848/annex/part-I/division-8/division-1
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.