EU POLICIES

Here is a list of some European Community instruments applicable to the protection of the environment and biodiversity, including fishery resources, of the Baltic Sea region. The list is intended to be illustrative rather than definitive.

Year	Instrument
2008	A European Strategy for Marine and Maritime Research, (COM/2008/534) a coherent European Research Area framework in support of a sustainable use of oceans and seas.
2005	Marine Strategy, Second Thematic Strategy on the Protection and Conservation of the Marine Environment (COM(2005)504 final) More information can be found on the DG Environment's webpage >>>
2002	European Marine Strategy, ‘towards a strategy to protect and conserve the marine environment’ (COM(2002) 539 final)
2000	Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) (WFD), promotes the integrated management of all water-related operations in fresh and marine waters, including coastal waters extending to one nautical mile outside the baseline. The WFD aims to enhance protection and improvement, by establishing measures to terminate or phase out discharges, emissions and losses of pollutants including nutrients, with the ultimate aim of achieving concentrations in the marine environment near background values for naturally occurring substances and close to zero for man-made synthetic substances. The WFD inter alia requires classification of the quality status of coastal marine waters. By 2013, several of the components of EC water legislation will be streamlined and subsumed within the WFD.
1997	Amsterdam Treaty, strengthens previous environmentally orientated declarations, sets environmental policy objectives by explicitly stating, as Community tasks, ‘a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment’.
1991	Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) concerning the protection of waters from pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources.
1991	Directive on Aquaculture Animals and Products (91/67/EEC) aims to increase productivity, introduce health rules, and limit the spread of infections and contagious diseases.
1985/ 1997	Environmental Impact Directive (85/337/EEC amended by 97/11/EC) requires developer to provide information to competent authority about likely significant environmental effects.
1983/ 2002	Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), applying to fisheries and aquaculture, focuses on conservation of resources and control of fishing activities, structural measures for adapting and modernizing the sector, market measures and commercial policy and external policy relating to fisheries. In the year 2002 there was a reform made to the CFP (2371/2002/EC)
1979	Directive on Shellfish Growing Waters (79/923/EEC) aims to protect and, where necessary, improve the quality of waters where shellfish grow and to contribute to the high quality of directly edible shellfish products.
1979	Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds (79/409/EEC) establishes special conservation measures to protect habitats of rare or vulnerable species including migrants.
1976	Directive on Dangerous Substances (76/464/EEC) aims to reduce or eliminate pollution from chemicals.
1976	Directive on Bathing Water (76/160/EEC) sets cleanliness standards for bathing water.

The international directives, regulations and communications relevant to the Baltic Sea