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The quality of water at designated bathing waters in Europe (coastal and inland) has improved significantly since 1990. Compliance with mandatory values in EU coastal bathing waters increased from just below 80 % in 1990 to 92.1 % in 2010. Compliance with guide values likewise rose from over 68 % to 79.5 % in 2010. Compliance with mandatory values in EU inland bathing waters increased from 52 % in 1990 to 90.2 % in 2010. Similarly, the rate of compliance with guide values moved from 36.4 % in 1990 to 60.5 % in 2010.
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Countries arranged by the percentage of compliance with mandatory values. Five Member States (Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg and Slovakia) and Switzerland have no coastal bathing waters. The quality classes under the New Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC) for Malta are jointed with compliance categories under the Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC).
Sea regions arranged by the percentage of compliance with mandatory values. EU Member States and Switzerland. No inland bathing waters are reported from three Member States (Cyprus, Malta and Romania), Croatia and Montenegro. The quality classes under the New Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC) for Hungary and Luxembourg are jointed with compliance categories under the Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC).
Countries arranged by the percentage of compliance with mandatory values. No inland bathing waters are reported from three Member States (Cyprus, Malta and Romania), Croatia and Montenegro. The quality classes under the New Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC) for Hungary and Luxembourg are jointed with compliance categories under the Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC).
The figure shows the bathing water quality in different European countries over time 1990, 7 EU Member States; 1991 to 1994, 12 EU Member States; 1995-96, 14 EU Member States; 1997 to 2003, 15 EU Member States; 2004, 21 EU Member States; 2005-06, 25 EU Member States; 2007 to 2010, 27 EU Member States. No inland bathing waters are reported from three Member States (Cyprus, Malta and Romania). The quality classes under the New Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC) for Hungary and Luxembourg are jointed with compliance categories under the Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC)
1990, 7 EU Member States; 1991 to 1994, 12 EU Member States; 1995-96, 14 EU Member States; 1997 to 2003, 15 EU Member States; 2004, 21 EU Member States; 2005-06, 25 EU Member States; 2007 to 2010, 27 EU Member States
Sea regions arranged by the percentage of compliance with mandatory values. EU Member States, Croatia and Montenegro. Five Member States (Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg and Slovakia) and Switzerland have no coastal bathing waters. The quality classes under the New Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC) for Malta are jointed with compliance categories under the Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC).
The Ninth International Training Workshop on Integrated Coastal Management in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (MEDCOAST Institute 2012), scheduled to take place during 25 September - 11 October 2012 in Dalyan (Aegean Coast), Turkey. This is a flagship event organised by MEDCOAST since 1994 and probably the longest running ICM training activity at international level.
Every three years since 1997, the World Water Forum mobilises creativity, innovation, competence and know-how in favour of water. One week of discussions, hot debates, solutions and best practice sharing in order to achieve concrete solutions and commitments for the cause of water. The Forum is open to all who want to contribute and participate in the resolution of global water challenges!
Most of the EU commercial catch is currently taken from stocks that are assessed. There is, however, a clear trend from north to south: almost all catches in the north come from assessed stocks, whereas in the south this only happens for around half of the catch. Of the assessed commercial stocks in the NE Atlantic, about one third is outside safe biological limits. In the Mediterranean, about half of the assessed stocks are fished outside safe biological limits. In the Black Sea no stocks are assessed.
The overall size and capacity (power and tonnage) of the European fishing fleets continues to follow a downward trend in all countries groups – EU15, EFTA, EU7, and Bulgaria and Romania. There are still however important issues concerning data availability and quality that need to be overcome to allow for a more robust assessment, especially for the Member States who have most recently joined the EU. The average size of vessels seems to be increasing in EU15 and EFTA, whereas in EU7 and in Bulgaria and Romania there seems to be a downward trend. The increase in the average size of vessels in the main European fishing fleets, i.e. EU15 and EFTA, possibly indicates a shift towards trawlers and purse seines, which are usually larger than vessels using passive gear and hence exert a greater fishing pressure. Also, other parameters such as technological developments, type of fishing gear and level of activity should be included in the analysis of fleet capacity to more accurately assess the effective fishing capacity of the European fishing fleet.
European aquaculture production has continued to rapidly increase during the past 15 years due to the expansion of marine production. EU 15 and EFTA countries dominate EU’s aquaculture production, where Norway accounted for nearly 40% of the total European production in 2008, followed by Spain, France, Italy and the United Kingdom. Turkey is the most important producer in the EU7 + EU2 + others, having increased its output by nearly 200% from 2001 to 2008. The major increase in aquaculture production has been in marine salmon culture in northwest Europe and, to a lesser extent, trout culture throughout western Europe and Turkey. Aquaculture production intensity, as measured per kilometre of coastline length, is two times higher in EU 15 + EFTA countries compared with EU7 + EU2 + other countries. This intensity is likely to continue to rise as marine aquaculture production increases, particularly since the culture of new species, such as cod, halibut and turbot, is becoming more viable. This increase represents a rise in pressure on adjacent water bodies and associated ecosystems, resulting mainly from nutrient release from aquaculture facilities. The precise level of local impact will mainly vary according to species, production techniques and local natural characteristics.
Chemicals are an essential part of our daily lives and are used to produce consumer goods, to protect or restore our health and to boost food production, to name but a few examples. Some chemicals, however, are hazardous, raising concerns for the environment and human health. Hazardous substances are emitted to fresh and marine waters via a number of pathways and can have detrimental effects on aquatic biota. Humans can be exposed to hazardous substances in water through the ingestion of contaminated drinking water and the consumption of contaminated freshwater fish and seafood. A wide range of legislation now exists in Europe to address the release of hazardous substances to the environment, including water. New challenges exist, however, including the issues of chemical mixtures and emerging pollutants.
In 2008, the highest summer chlorophyll-a concentrations were observed in coastal areas and estuaries where nutrient concentrations are high, namely in the Gulf of Riga, the Gulf of Finland and along the coast of France and Belgium. Although nutrient concentrations in some European sea areas decreased from 1985 to 2008 (see Core Set Indicator 21), these changes were not clearly reflected in chlorophyll-a concentrations: of the 546 stations reported to the EEA the majority of the stations (89%) indicated no statistically significant change. Changes were detected mainly in Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish and Italian coastal waters. At the Finnish and Swedish monitoring stations chlorophyll-a concentrations showed both decreasing and increasing trends, whereas in Italy, Netherlands and Norway concentrations were mainly decreasing. An analysis of changes based on satellite imagery show significantly increasing trends of ocean colour (equivalent to chl-a)along the Mediterranean coast, whereas trends are significantly decreasing in large parts of the central Mediterranean and Black Seas. It also shows significantly increasing trends in the Baltic Sea, but here the analysis is less certain.
Decreasing nutrient concentrations were found in the North Sea and in the Baltic Sea. In the Mediterranean and Black Sea, the lack of temporally and spatially comprehensive time series does not allow an overall assessment. In 2008, the highest concentrations of oxidized nitrogen were found in the Gulf of Riga, and in Lithuanian, Swedish, German, Belgian, and Scottish coastal waters. Between 1985 and 2008, 12% of all the stations in the European seas reported to the EEA showed decreasing trends of oxidized nitrogen concentrations. These trends were more evident in the open Baltic Sea and in the Dutch and German coastal waters in the North Sea. In 2008, the highest orthophosphate concentrations were found at Finnish coastal stations in the Gulf of Finland, the Gulf of Riga, German, Belgian, French, and Scottish coastal waters. Between 1985 and 2008, 15% of all the stations in the European seas reported to the EEA showed a decrease in orthophosphate concentrations, mainly because of improved waste water treatment. This decrease was most evident in Norwegian, Lithuanian, Danish, Belgian and Dutch coastal water stations, and in the open waters of the North and Baltic Seas.
The quality of bathing water across Europe declined slightly between 2009 and 2010, but the overall quality was still high. More than nine out of 10 bathing water sites now meet the minimum requirements.
The atlas is an easy and fun way for students, professionals and anyone interested to learn more about Europe's seas and coasts, their environment, related human activities and European policies. It includes 24 new maps, hundreds of updates and improvements. New maps include: Natura 2000 protected maritime sites, Pollution response vessels, Coastal GDP.
The figure shows the annual aquaculture production by major area
Major flood disasters according to flood types and spatial relevance
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