EU Member States share four main marine regions: the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the North-East Atlantic Ocean. While specific threats may vary between sea basins, it is clear that habitat alteration, biodiversity loss, over-exploitation of marine resources and pollution from both land- and sea-based sources are among the most important general pressures affecting the environmental status of EU marine waters. The marine and coastal environment are also increasingly affected by climate change.

Source: EUROSTAT

‘environmental status’ means the overall state of the environment in marine waters, taking into account the structure, function and processes of the constituent marine ecosystems together with natural physiographic, geographic, biological, geological and climatic factors, as well as physical, acoustic and chemical conditions, including those resulting from human activities inside or outside the area concerned;

Source: EURO-Lex