Realizing the Social Dimension of EU Coastal Water Management

In the last 20 years, EU has adopted some rather ambitious pieces of legislation with aim to achieve a good environmental status in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Both Water Framework Directive (WFD) Marine Strategy (MSFD) have strong focus on natural environment biological criteria for assessing relevant same time period, much research governance focused interconnectedness social systems ecosystems, so-called social-ecological (SES). While having high aspirations, legal frameworks underpinning current water management do not necessarily reflect advances contemporary science relating SES. Using geographical intersection two directives, i.e., coastal waters as focal point, paper explores inchoate integration ecological perspectives governance. What are main challenges regimes managing way that builds understanding interconnected? Having explored introduces possibility using spatial planning (MSP), directive establishing framework maritime (MSPD) bridge between dimensions discusses what implications this would system governing Europe.