Under the auspices
and in the presence of his Excellency Pr. Evangelos Livieratos, Minister of
Environment, Energy and Climate Change and on the occasion of Environment Day,
the Hellenic Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change and the United
Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) held a
presentation ceremony of the State of the Mediterranean Marine and Coastal
Environment Report today.
The
event gathered high-ranking officials from Greece, representatives of the
contracting parties of the Barcelona Convention, in Greece, environment and
marine experts, academics, as well as all UNEP/MAP stakeholders.
The presentation was followed by a panel discussion on the
"Implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Ecosystem
Approach in the context of UNEP/MAP
With Mr. Konstantinos
Triantis, Special Secretary for Water, Hellenic Ministry of Environment, Energy
and Climate Change and Maria Luisa Silva Mejias, UNEP/MAP Executive Secretary
and Coordinator
In his address
to the audience, H.E. Prof. Livieratos stressed that: “It is important to
prioritize our areas of work, since our effectiveness will be maximized if we
tackle goals with specific targets on a small number of priority issues”. He
also noted that: “After 40 years of successful operation, the assessment of
UNEP/MAP’s work is indeed positive” and that “Greece on its part, as host
country of the Coordinating Unit of MAP since 1982, has been providing its
continuous support to the work of the MAP system and is always ready to seek
ways to enhance this support”.
Ms
Silva Mejias then highlighted that: “In spite of the fact that the Mediterranean
is one of the most researched seas in the world, the remaining knowledge gaps
are significant even on some priority areas. We hope that this report will help
researches in addressing issues which are at the center of policy makers
concerns”. ”
The report provides information on the overall nature of
Mediterranean ecosystems and defines pressures affecting the state of
Mediterranean’s environment, to which 21 countries have coast. It also offers
detailed information on the vital services that coastal and marine habitats
provide to their inhabitants.
İt comes within the framework of the Mediterranean Action Plan
(UNEP/MAP) – Barcelona Convention for the protection of the Marine Environment
and the Coastal Region of t he Mediterranean. İt is structured around 11
ecosystem objectives agreed by the parties to the Convention. İt builds on the
first Integrated Assessment of the Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Ecosystem
and was produced in full consultation with countries and stakeholders.