MSFD

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) hosted a workshop on marine Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) within the framework of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The workshop, which took place from 10 to 12 February 2026, gathered experts from Member States and representatives of marine Regional Sea Conventions to discuss progress on monitoring, measures, and targets related to NIS.
Experts acknowledged that progress has been made, but that challenges still exist in calculating monitoring efforts, setting effective targets, and assessing the impact of NIS on marine biodiversity, highlighting the need for further action to protect Europe's marine ecosystems.
Researchers noted that current efforts to monitor the spread of NIS in Europe's seas are insufficient to fully understand the harm they cause, and that more work is needed to develop a shared approach to study their impact on marine ecosystems. A consensus was achieved on the need to assess the effects of NIS, which is a complex task that requires more research and cooperation. To address this challenge, the JRC will continue to work with countries experts to develop new methods and strategies for monitoring and managing NIS, with the ultimate goal of protecting Europe's marine biodiversity.

Magliozzi C, Cardoso AC, Alurralde G, Bartilotti C, Bugeja M, Canning-Clode J, Castriota L, Chuševė R, Costa A, Dragičević B, Evangelopoulos K, Fortic A, Gewrgiou K, Gittenberger A, Gkikas NR, Gruszka P, Kerkhove T, Kortegaard Nielsen M, Koziol A, Lehtiniemi M, Livi S, Massé C, Michailidis N, O’Higgins T, Orlando-Bonaca M, Pantea E, Patsalidou M, Pavičić M, Peristeraki P, Png-Gonzalez L, Põldma M, Poppleton V, Ramzi Sghaier Y, Ruiz M, Spich K, Srėbalienė G, Stefanova K, Strake S, Tabarcea C, Todorova V, Tornero V, Trkov D, Tuaty-Guerra M, Vazquez Luis M, Zuljevic A.

Memo workshop on Non-Indigenous Species: progress across MSFD criteria.

The report provides recommendations for an operational definition of Good Environmental Status (GES) for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) criterion ‘newly introduced Non-Indigenous Species (NIS)’, along with a data plan for each marine region and subregions, and a methodological protocol for the analysis of the threshold values.

Magliozzi C, Cardoso AC, Bartilotti C, Bartolo AG, Cañizares JM, Canning-Clode J, Carbonell A, Comas-González, R, Costa, AC, Fortič A, Gittenberge, A, Gruszka P, Massé C, Naddafi R, Ojaveer H, Orlando-Bonaca M, Png-Gonzalez L, Srėbalienė G, Stæhr PA, Strake S, Todorova V, Trkov D, Tuaty-Guerra M, Vázquez Luis M, Vidjak O.

Threshold methodology and value for the assessment of Good Environmental Status of D2C1 ‘Newly-introduced non-indigenous species’.

Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2024, doi:10.2760/3026648

The Workshop on ‘Establishing thresholds: workshop on the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Newly Introduced Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) (D2C1)’ took place online on the 24th November 2022, aiming at discussing and making progress towards establishing threshold values for the criterion D2C1.The workshop identified four main areas for improvements: i) establishment of acknowledged baselines for NIS introductions, ii) make further progress in monitoring and analysis methods, iii) agree on thresholds for new NIS introductions and, iv) ensure coherence and consistency between national and regional reports.

Magliozzi C, Bartilotti C, Botelho A, Bugeja M, Canning- Clode J, Carbonell A, Carvalho Magalhaes M, Carvalho N, Castriota L, Comas Gonzàles R, Desplatovic B, Dragičević B, Ferreira N, Fortič A, Galanidi M, Gervasini E, Gittenberger A, Gizzi F, Gruszka P, Guerin L, Jensen F, Kolind R, Krasniewski W, Lehtiniemi M, Livi S, Van Houten N. M, Masse C, Ojaveer H, Olenin S, Orlando-Bonaca M, Ouerghi A, Pantea E, Patania A, Patterson K, Png-Gonzalez L, Ramzi Sghaier Y, Ruiz M, Skorupski J, Smolders S, Srebaliene G, Staehr P, Strake S, Tuaty-Guerra M, Vasiliades L, Vidjak O, Yahyaoui A, Živana Ninčević G, Žuljević A, Cardoso A.C.

Establishing thresholds: Workshop on the MSFD Newly Introduced NIS (D2C1).

Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg; 2023, KJ-03-23-086-EN-N, doi:10.2760/631257

The current report analyses the information reported by the EU Member States on the Descriptor 2 (D2), non-indigenous species (NIS), of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) for Articles 8, 9 and 10, for the last 6-year MSFD reporting cycle, and provides recommendations for the application of D2 criteria, GES determination and targets.

Tsiamis K, Boschetti S, Palialexis A, Somma F, Cardoso AC.

Marine Strategy Framework Directive - Review and analysis of EU Member States’ 2018 reports - Descriptor 2: Non-indigenous species; Assessment (Art. 8), Good Environmental Status (Art. 9)and Targets (Art. 10).

Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg; 2021, EUR 30520 EN, doi:10.2760/7897

NIS are treated as a distinct Descriptor (D2) of Good Environmental Status (GES) of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD): "Non-indigenous species introduced by human activities are at levels that do not adversely alter the ecosystem". The MSFD Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) Working Group on GES has the mandate to develop common approaches for assessing the environmental status of marine waters and setting of environmental targets, in order to ensure coherence and consistency of GES across all marine regions/ subregions. The work relevant to D2 is carried by national appointed experts under the coordination of JRC, with the collaboration of the Regional Sea Conventions. The current report provides practical recommendations aiming at a smoother and more efficient implementation of D2 and its criteria at EU level. They constitute a solid operational output which can result in D2 assessments with more comparable data among MSs and MSFD regions/subregions.

Tsiamis K, Palialexis A, Connor D, Antoniadis S, Bartilotti C, Bartolo G.A, Berggreen UC, Boschetti S, Buschbaum C, Canning-Clode J, Carbonell A, Castriota L, Corbeau C, Costa A, Cvitković I, Despalatović M, Dragičević B, Dulčić J, Fortič A, Francé J, Gittenberger A, Gizzi F, Gollasch S, Gruszka P, Hegarty M, Hema T, Jensen K, Josephides M, Kabuta S, Kerckhof F, Kovtun-Kante A, Krakau M, Kraśniewski W, Lackschewitz D, Lehtiniemi M, Lieberum C, Linnamägi M, Lipej L, Livi S, Lundgreen K, Magliozzi C, Massé C, Mavrič B, Michailidis N, Moncheva S, Mozetič P, Naddafi R, Ninčević Gladan Z, Ojaveer H, Olenin S, Orlando-Bonaca M, Ouerghi A, Parente M, Pavlova P, Peterlin M, Pitacco V, Png-Gonzalez L, Rousou M, Sala-Pérez M, Serrano A, Skorupski J, Smolders S, Srebaliene G, Stæhr PA, Stefanova K, Strake S, Tabarcea C, Todorova V, Trkov D, Tuaty-Guerra M, Vidjak O, Zenetos A, Žuljević A, Cardoso AC.

Marine Strategy Framework Directive- Descriptor 2, Non-Indigenous Species, Delivering solid recommendations for setting threshold values for non-indigenous species pressure on European seas.

Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg; 2021, EUR 30640 EN, doi:10.2760/035071

• Information on refined baselines of non-indigenous (NIS), cryptogenic and questionable species (found up to 2011) per each Member State and national part of the MSFD subregion; and NIS with dates of first record and associated pathways given per each Member State and national part of the MSFD subregion (also for NIS found up to 31/12/2017; cryptogenic and questionable species excluded) (Annex 2, .xlsx)

• NIS with dates of first record and associated pathways given at MSFD subregional level, for NIS found up to 31/12/2017 (Annex 3, .xlsx). Cryptogenic and questionable species are excluded.

• The results of the Workshop's Questionnaire which includes the feedback of 21 Member States, 2 Regional Sea Conventions and one additional stakeholder (Coalition Clean Baltic). The results are given per each Question (one question per each excel sheet). (Annex 5, .xlsx).

Please note that the data of this report and future updates are available at JRC Data Catalogue.