AquaPLAN highlights need to address marine light pollution in MSFD revision

On 30 September 2026, Commissioner Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, convened a stakeholder roundtable to discuss the revision of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the EU’s principal legislative framework for protecting the marine environment. The discussions focused on strengthening implementation, improving policy coherence, simplifying reporting requirements, and accelerating progress towards achieving Good Environmental Status (GES) across Europe’s seas and oceans.

The revision comes at a critical moment. The European Commission (EC)’s 2025 evaluation of the MSFD found that its objective of achieving GES in all EU marine waters by 2020 had not been met, highlighting implementation challenges, gaps in enforcement, and the need for improved monitoring and coordination. For AquaPLAN, the ongoing revision represents a timely opportunity to ensure that emerging pressures on aquatic ecosystems, particularly light pollution (artificial light at night (ALAN)) and noise pollution (anthropogenic underwater noise) are more effectively addressed within future marine policy frameworks.

AquaPLAN is generating new scientific knowledge, monitoring approaches and policy tools to better understand and manage the cumulative impacts of light and noise pollution (LNP) on aquatic biodiversity. These outputs can provide valuable evidence to support the future development and implementation of MSFD Descriptor 11 (Energy, including underwater noise), which addresses pressures arising from underwater noise and other forms of energy introduced into the marine environment. While underwater noise is already recognised within the MSFD framework, there is currently no dedicated regulation governing the emission of ALAN in coastal and offshore waters. As marine infrastructure, offshore renewable energy developments, ports, shipping activities and coastal urbanisation continue to expand, so too does the need to understand and manage the ecological consequences of ALAN. Research increasingly demonstrates that artificial light can affect the behaviour, physiology and ecological interactions of a wide range of marine organisms, with implications for biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and conservation objectives.

AquaPLAN’s work is helping to close critical knowledge gaps and provide regulators with practical tools for monitoring, assessment and management. One of the project’s key exploitable results is the development of the first EU methodology for defining GES criteria for marine ALAN. Led by the University of Plymouth (UOP), this pioneering work represents a significant step towards integrating light pollution indicators into GES assessments across European marine waters. The methodology will provide a scientifically robust foundation for assessing ALAN pressures, supporting future policy recommendations and the implementation of mitigation measures. Importantly, the methodology is expected to inform future criteria for defining and assessing GES under Descriptor 11, helping to expand current approaches to better reflect the growing evidence of ecological impacts associated with artificial lighting in coastal and offshore environments.

The EC has emphasised that the revised MSFD should become more effective, operational and coherent with wider EU marine and ocean policies while supporting healthier, cleaner and more resilient seas. By delivering harmonised methodologies, evidence-based indicators and policy-relevant recommendations, AquaPLAN aims to contribute directly to these ambitions. The project’s results can help strengthen the scientific basis for assessing cumulative impacts from LNP and support the development of more comprehensive environmental management measures under the revised Directive. As discussions on the future of the MSFD continue, AquaPLAN welcomes the increasing policy focus on improving marine ecosystem protection and looks forward to contributing project findings that can support more effective management of LNP across Europe’s marine and freshwater environments.

Stay tuned for more updates on AquaPLAN’s methodology for defining GES criteria for marine ALAN and its contribution to future European marine policy.

Learn more about the MSFD Revision