EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive

In order to protect the marine environment in an effective way, the EU approved in 2008 its Marine Strategy Framework Directive, that makes EU’s member states adopt the necessary measures in order to achieve and maintain a good environmental status on the marine environment in 2020, with marine litter being one of its 11 descriptors of Good Environmental Status. It’s for this reason that marine litter monitoring becomes a significant commitment for Member States, that must obtain relevant information in order to establish mitigation measures focused at achieving this objective of good Environmental Status.

LitterDrone aims to help the establishment of an adequate marine litter monitoring system, that allows to reduce the burden that this challenge sets to the EU’s Member States.

Marine Strategy Framework Directive:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/marine/eu-coast-and-marine-policy/marine-strategy-framework-directive/index_en.htm

Descriptor 10: Marine Litter

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/marine/good-environmental-status/descriptor-10/index_en.htm

Marine Litter at the Spanish Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment’s website:

http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/costas/temas/proteccion-medio-marino/basuras-marinas/