7. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


The BSEC Black Sea related project “Improvement of the scientific background for assuring sustainable development in the Black Sea coastal zone” sent to BSEC as Standard Application for funding a BSEC project by the Ministry of Environmental and Sustainable Development of Romania, via its National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” / Constanta as Lead partner, in consortium with other six project patners from Bulgaria, Georgia, Russian Federation and Ukraine, in 2006, has been approved by BSEC for financing in a total amount of 15,000 USD and has been carried out between April, 2008 and February, 2009.

Unfortunately, in spite of Lead partner’s initial insistence and repetead attempts of informing / inviting of Turkish partner/s, such as the Marine Sciences and Management Institute (Istanbul) and the Central Fisheries Institute (Trabzon), besides promises of commitment from the Ministry of Environment of Turkey, all efforts of coinvolving a Turkish partner in the project consortium have failed.

Anyway the project accomplishment proved the capacity of cooperation in the Black Sea region, by dedicated national research entities within the consortium of oceanological institutes, most actively engaged in the field of marine sciences.

The Black Sea project related activities and delivrabiles allowed the achievement of following main results:

  • gathering of historic and recent information on environmental monitoring / pollution, biodiversity, habitat protection, living resources and informatics at national level in Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russian Federation and Ukraine,

  • review of state of the art in above mentioned fields of interest,

  • consideration, per work packages / tasks, of integrated approach of following prioritary issues at Black Sea level:

  • draft / design of a proposed integrated monitoring system, with available parametres, methods and QC, applicable at time being in the Black Sea coastal states,

  • characterization of biodiversity and identification of protected areas with respect to protection measures,

  • development of contemporary indicators for a sustainable fishery and aquaculture on ecosystem principles and in accordance with common fishery policy,

  • proposal of an information data system for coastal and marine zones in accordance with needs for harmonization to EU standards.

Above assessed issues are intended to help decision makers in the neighbouring countries in ecosystem approach with respect to sustainable development in the coastal and marine environment.

The pre-feasibility study has enabled the identification of existing scientific and organizational gaps in partner research institutions around the Black Sea.

It obviously evinces and recommends the necessity of involvement of Turkey by its specialized institutions in the elaboration of further Black Sea related extended environmental R-D-T projects.

The limited financial posibilities of given BSEC project has nevertheless enabled a satisfactory cooperation between five of six Black Sea coastal states and generation of an EU FP7 application under Eco Man CES, call sub-Activity 6.2.2., Area 6.2.2.1., ENV 2009.2.2.1.1., namely project proposal “Integrated ecosystem approach to environmental management in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea (BLACK CASP – ECOMAMA)”, submitted by a project consortium, including present BSEC Project partners 1, 3 and 5 from Bulgaria, Romania and Russian Federation, respectively, others, including Turkey as well, on January 2, 2009.

The financial reporting of project partners has proved an adequate use of BSEC financial support / share of each Project partner for justified project related activities and deliverables up to project completion.


BSEC PRE FEASIBILITY REPORT