The aim of the European Commission's Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Competence Centre (MCC) is to support EU Member States in the harmonised implementation of the MSFD.

The MCC responds to needs and requests identified by the MSFD Working Group on Good Environmental Status (WG GES) and the Marine Strategy Coordination Group (MSCG), who work in close collaboration with Member States and Regional Sea Conventions (RSCs).

In close collaboration with a number of partners, the MCC provides a link between science and policy by bridging marine scientific community expertise and the MSFD implementation strategy.

The MCC provides users with:

  • easy access to scientific knowledge related to the monitoring and assessment of the environmental status of the European Seas,
  • information about relevant policy structures and scientific information regarding environmental data acquisition, modelling and evaluation, and
  • a common platform for shared guidance on MSFD implementation.