Under the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), EU member states are required to monitor & assess the environmental impact of significant acute pollution at sea (mostly incidental marine pollution).

Monitoring & assessment of incidental marine pollution are emergency measures that are an essential part of marine pollution response, and are crucial for mitigating environmental damage and assessing ecological damage. These tasks are federal environmental competences at sea and are integrated into the overall crisis and emergency planning framework.

This project aims to develop an interdisciplinary emergency plan for marine environmental impact assessment during pollution incidents tailored to Belgium’s context, aligning with MSFD obligations, specifically Directive D8C4.