PRESERVATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATE OF THE MARINE COASTAL ZONE OF UKRAINE AS A STRATEGIC GOAL OF BLUE GROWTH
Authors: STEPANOVA Yu.V. 
Published: March 2024

Topicality. Today, the issue of protection and preservation of the marine coastal zone is one of the most important directions in the legislative and scientific sectors of the World, in particular the European Union. Coastal ecosystems are known to be among the most productive on Earth. They provide essential ecosystem services such as coastal protection from storms, fish feeding grounds and others. The convincing relevance and absolute scientific and practical significance of these issues is confirmed by the implementation of EU directives and other regulations in the legislation of Ukraine. The implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/ can serve as one example. On the basis of which the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of October 11, 2021 No. 1240-р approved the Marine Environmental Protection Strategy of Ukraine. In this strategy, special attention is paid to the conservation and restoration of the ecological state of coastal protective strips and the identification of the most dangerous pollutants. Also, further development and approval of a list of measures that should be included, in particular, in the plans for integrated management of the coastal territories of the Azov and Black Seas. Significantly emphasizes the relevance and the fact that, with the support of the European Commission, experts from various sectors of the Black Sea countries are developing conceptual documents. One such document is the Burgas Vision Paper. This document defines the shared vision of the experts and the tasks for approaching the "Blue Growth Initiative for Research and Innovation in the Black Sea".Aim and tasks. The aim of this paper is to analyze the factors of preserving the ecological state of the marine coastal zone as a component of the Marine Environmental Strategy of Ukraine and blue growth. The aim is decomposed into the following main tasks: to determine the general scientific provisions and concepts of the coastal strip and zone, their integrated management, to analyze the strategic aims and priority tasks of the state environmental protection policy in accordance with the concept of blue growth.Materials and Methods. The initial information for the research was the legislative acts in the field of ecology of the European Union and Ukraine, domestic and foreign scientific materials in the direction of blue growth, coastal strips of the seas of Ukraine and integrated coastal zone management. The work used the dialectical method of scientific knowledge, logical analysis of the initial information.Research results. The paper summarizes the identified main scientific provisions and concepts of the coastal protection strip and coastal zone and their integrated management. Based on the conceptual document (Burgas Vision Paper), the general directions of the Black Sea Strategic Research and Innovation Program are described, which is aimed at achieving and maintaining a productive, healthy, resilient, sustainable, and better-valued Black Sea by 2030. An analysis of the strategic goals and priority objectives of the Marine Environmental Strategy of Ukraine was carried out and their relationship to the coastal strip of the sea was highlighted.Conclusion. This paper analyzes the factors of preserving the ecological state of the marine coastal zone as a component of the Marine Environmental Strategy of Ukraine and blue growth. The creation by the European Union of legislative acts, international projects aimed at protecting the environment, monitoring the characteristics of natural resources, the development of the "Blue Economy" in European countries and, in particular, in the Black Sea region is a significant basis for improving the ecological condition of the coastal zone of the seas of Ukraine. With the support of the European Commission, experts from various sectors of the Black Sea countries are developing concept documents. These documents define the joint vision of the experts and the tasks for approaching the "Blue Growth Initiative for Research and Innovation in the Black Sea". Based on the analysis of the priority objectives of all the Strategic goals of the marine environmental policy of Ukraine, it can be stated that almost all of them are directly or indirectly related to the coastal strips of the seas of Ukraine. This means that the research of the coastal strip of the seas of Ukraine has a convincing relevance and indisputable scientific and practical significance of research, in particular, both at the national and regional levels. Described by the mechanisms for achieving the strategic goals of the Marine Environmental Strategy of Ukraine, the development, improvement, and assimilation of which will finally give grounds to regulate the principles of integrated coastal strip management at the legislative level. Also, which is no less important, it will significantly improve the awareness of the population regarding the rational use of coastal natural resources.