Report of the JRC's descriptor 2 workshop in support to the review of the Commission Decision 2010/477/EU concerning MSFD criteria for assessing good environmental status for NIS : 10th-11th September 2015, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) workshop on non-indigenous species (NIS, MSFD D2), held in Ispra JRC (10th-11th of September 2015) aimed to provide clear proposals and conclusions on some of the outstanding issues identified in the D2 review process and included in the related manual (D2 review manual, May 2015: https://circabc.europa.eu/sd/a/cd4bbd6a-454a-40db-b805-52fb195d4e56/COMDEC_Review_D2_V6.pdf) in support to the review of Commission Decision 2010/477/EU. This report is complementing the Commission Decision 2010/477/EU review manual (JRC96884) and presents the final result of the scientific and technical review concluding phase 1 of the review of the Commission Decision 2010/477/EU in relation to Descriptor 2. The review has been carried out by the EC JRC together with experts nominated by EU Member States, and has considered contributions from the GES Working Group in accordance with the roadmap set out in the MSFD implementation strategy (agreed on at the 11th CIS MSCG meeting). The main issues addressed and tackled in this workshop's report are: Proposed changes in D2 assessment criteria; Indicators and methodological standards; GES threshold values and reference points; Way forward.