The Knowledge-based Sustainable Management for Europe’s Seas (KnowSeas) project was supported by the EU-7FP from 2009 to 2013. Its ultimate goal “A comprehensive scientific knowledge base and practical guidance for the application of the Ecosystem Approach to the sustainable development of Europe’s regional seas” brought the development of a structured framework of procedures and tools called the Ecosystem-Based Management System (EBMS) aimed at implementing EA at different spatial and administrative scales. The EBMS was thought as an adaptive management framework that could combine classical environmental management system (EMS) theory with the concept of the Ecosystem Approach (EA), and, in this way, could provide a systematic approach for the principles of the EA to be introduced into a clear, familiar, managerial framework. KNOWSEAS+ raised additional funds with the objective of disseminate such a tool during the next two years world-wide (2015-2016).