Abstract
This report describes the outcome of a project commissioned by Rijkswaterstaat aimed to develop a policy supporting advice on how to assess the impact of impulsive noise on marine life in the North sea. The project builds upon previous international work in this field. Underwater noise is a transnational problem which can only be handled through international co-operation. Alignment of methods and discussions on the merits and drawbacks of various options in the assessment framework are therefore crucial. This assessment will provide input to the international discussion on how Good Environmental Status (GES) for impulsive noise can be assessed and will be used for the reporting obligations to OSPAR and for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) in the North Sea.