Om der gøres fremskridt hen imod god miljøtilstand afhænger af, om forureningen gradvis udfases, dvs. at tilstedeværelsen af forurenende stoffer i havmiljøet og deres biologiske virkninger holdes inden for acceptable grænser, så det sikres, at havmiljøet ikke udsættes for alvorlige påvirkninger eller risici.
Progress towards good environmental status will depend on whether pollution is progressively being phased out, i.e. the presence of contaminants in the marine environment and their biological effects are kept within acceptable limits, so as to ensure that there are no significant impacts on or risk to the marine environment.