One of the main tasks of the PEGASO's shared ICZM Platform was to carry out a benchmark assessment of the current state of ICZM in Mediterranean and Black Sea countries. This was performed in relation to the requirements of article 16 in the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Protocol for the Mediterranean. Then, in September 2010, the Black Sea Commission-Permanent Secretariat (BSC-PS) agreed to follow this approach for the Black Sea basin. Stocktaking for ICZM was then carried out in a comparable way for both the Mediterranean and Black Sea countries, which included an analysis of current ICZM-related legislative, institutional, policy and financial frameworks.

The draft questionnaire was prepared by PAP/RAC (Priority Action Programme/Regional Activity Centre) and widely consulted upon, including a workshop with National Focal Points (NFPs) for the ICZM Protocol in the Mediterranean in Portoroz, Slovenia in September 2010. The Mediterranean NFPs subsequently validated the Mediterranean questionnaire, whilst the Advisory Group (AG) on the Development of Common Methodologies for ICZM validated the questionnaire on behalf of the Black Sea Commission (BSC), also in September 2010.

In the Mediterranean, the stocktake resulted in an important contribution to the Barcelona Convention system in terms of providing initial guidance for the preparation of the official UNEP/MAP reporting format to the ICZM Protocol, and a baseline for measuring the progress made with regard to ICZM Protocol implementation.

Moreover, early results of the stocktake were instrumental in informing the action plan for the implementation of the ICZM Protocol for the period 2012 to 2019, which was officially adopted by the 17th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention in 2012.

For the Black Sea, the AG ICZM members advised using the regional stocktake synthesis report as the basis for the ICZM part of the report on the implementation of the Black Sea Strategic Action Plan (SAP), due in 2014-2015.

Proposed follow up actions
During COP 17 Barcelona Convention, the Contracting Parties decided to update bi-annually the data provided through the stock-taking questionnaire. Therefore, this report on the stocktake is considered as a reference base for measuring future progress in the implementation of the ICZM Protocol.

The technical reports can be obtained at request: Zelijka Skaricic (PAP/RAC)

Picture: Figure "Aggregated responses by themes in the Mediterranean"