ECUME

French working group on cumulative effects of ORE projects

Duration: Since 2018

Context

Launched in May 2018 by the French Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition, ECUME responds to a need identified during the 2nd National Ocean Conference in April 2016. It responds to a need identified at the 2nd French Ocean Conference in April 2016. It is an extension of the working group on cumulative effects at sea, coordinated by the Commissariat Général du Développement Durable, whose recommendations report dates from September 2017. This report was in response to national measure No. 29 of the marine environment action plans to improve the consideration of the cumulative effects of anthropogenic activities on the scale of the marine sub-region. ECUME is therefore continuing this work for the specific case of ORE projects.

Objectives

  • To facilitate the analysis of the cumulative impacts of ORE projects for French Government departments and project holders by proposing an operational method.
  • To identify the scientific knowledge gaps to conduct this analysis and propose nationally standardised methods of data acquisition.
  • To secure administrative authorisations for ORE projects with respect to France’s commitments to preserve marine ecosystems.

Scientific and technical contents

  • Summary documents of the methods and protocols for data acquisition and processing, inventory of data sets to be mobilised for monitoring the cumulative impacts of ORE projects.
  • Summary documents of the methodologies for assessing the cumulative impacts of ORE projects in France and abroad.
  • Elaboration of expert recommendations for the evaluation and monitoring of the cumulative impacts of ORE projects.

Organisation

ECUME is led and supervised by the Directorate of Water and Biodiversity and the General Directorate of Energy and Climate of the French Ministry of the Environment. This working group is coordinated by Ineris, led by France Energies Marines, Cerema and the French Office for Biodiversity. It is supervised by the General Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development (CGEDD). The General Commission for Sustainable Development (CGDD) participates in the work as well as the Foundation for Biodiversity.
ECUME brings together 34 experts divided into thematic sub-groups: benthos, pelagos, marine mammals and turtles, flying wildlife and marine ecosystems.

Photo credit: Strecosa / Pixabay

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