EU Maritime Spatial Planning Week 2024: a decade of activities and support to cross-border cooperation

The EU Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Week marked a decade of EU support to cross-border cooperation on maritime spatial planning. Last week, the European Maritime Spatial Planning Week brought the MSP community together in Marseille (France) to reflect on the achievements made across European seas, discuss current policies, and plan for the next steps to tackle new challenges for maritime spatial planning in the EU.  

Celebrating ten years of the European Maritime Spatial Planning Directive 

Since the establishment of the MSP Directive in 2014, a lot has happened in the European sea-basins. 20 EU coastal Member States have developed MSP plans, 2 others are working hard to get there.   

Having a plan and make it future proof is essential, as there is a high and rapidly increasing demand for maritime space for different purposes, such as installations to produce energy from renewable sources; shipping and fishing activities; ecosystem and biodiversity conservation (i.e. marine protected areas); tourism; aquaculture installations and underwater cultural heritage. This requires an integrated planning management approach.

The MSP week kicked-off with the 27^th Member States Experts Group (MSEG) meeting on maritime spatial planning, where CINEA Project Advisor Gema San Bruno gave an update on the current EMAF support to MSP implementation and development. She announced the positive outcome of the last MSP calls (2023-2024), and the preparation of two new MSP projects to be kicked off soon for the Mediterranean and the North Seas. She also confirmed the continuous support to the Member States under the MSP Assistance Mechanism.  

At the centre of the MSP week was the Stakeholder Conference to celebrate the ‘decade of MSP’, since the adoption of the MSP Directive in 2014. The event highlighted how stakeholder engagement has influenced decision-making processes and shaped future EU policies in response to pressing issues such as climate-change and multi-use strategies.

Two key questions emerged from the discussions. The first concerns the need to shift from a national approach to transboundary cooperation. The second highlights the importance of involving coastal communities in the planning process.

Maritime spatial planning in action: results on the ground…

On 23 and 24 October the MSP-GREEN and REGINA MSP Joint Closing Conference “Planning our European seas: Regions and countries for a marine Green Deal” took place.

In the morning, the participants had the opportunity to see MSP in action and participate in a series of field visits ranging from Marseille actions on Ocean Literacy, to an offshore wind assembly site and the popular Parc National des Calanques.

The actual project conference was opened by CINEA Project Advisor Julia Beile, who underpinned the agency’s support to maritime spatial planning over the last ten years. She also highlighted how the projects funded have concretely supported the Member States in their MSP endeavour, while also adapting to changing policy needs.

The afternoon was dedicated to the results from the MSP Green project with a general consensus that cooperation among maritime spatial planning stakeholders is crucial to enable the EU Green Deal in the blue economy, and calling for more involvement from all sectors.

The MSP week concluded with experts discussing the outcomes of the REGINA MSP project, focusing on multi-level governance and legislative aspects of MSP. They emphasised the necessity of resources, capacity-building, and the cultivation of professional networks to enhance the integration of regional and sub-regional perspectives. Moreover, the role of data was highlighted as a crucial vector for improving stakeholder engagement and addressing regional needs effectively.

The speakers underscored the importance of designing maritime spatial planning at the sea basin level by leveraging EU frameworks and instruments of transboundary cooperation, such as sea basin and macro-regional strategies, to create a more cohesive and effective planning efforts.

…And beyond!

To fully profit from having the MSP community in Marseille a series of side events took place. 

The Technical Expert Group on data for MSP explored the benefits of the European Digital Twin of the Ocean for maritime spatial planning and discussing how an MSP perspective could contribute to the development of the Digital Twin of the Ocean.   

And there was more!  UNEPMediterranean Action Plan organised the first meeting of the working group on MSP for updating the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development.

Experts of EU and non-Eu countries discussed matters of common interest in the Community of Practice for MSP in the Mediterranean.

The MSP community also explored maritime spatial planning in practice with some field visits, and the debate between practitioners and policy makers was continued in the MSP4BIO science policy think tank.  

CINEA’ support to MSP 

Since the adoption of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive in 2014, the European Commission has prioritised the effective implementation of MSP across Member States.

Since 2015, the European Commission has financed support services for MSP through an Assistance Mechanism, funded under EMFAF and contracted by CINEA. This has proven instrumental in developing a comprehensive information and communication platform known as the European MSP Platform, which serves as a centralized hub for sharing relevant information.  

The MSP Assistance Mechanism is staffed by a dedicated team of experts who provide support through various initiatives, including in-depth studies, workshops, and tailored services. This multifaced approach aims to empower Member States, fostering sustainable maritime development and safeguarding marine ecosystems.  

In addition to the Assistance Mechanism, the European Maritime, Fisheries (and Aquaculture) Fund (previously EMFF, now EMFAF) has played a pivotal role in financing MSP initiatives. Since 2014, nearly EUR 32 million has been allocated through seven calls for proposals specifically aimed at supporting Member States in their MSP efforts. This funding underscores the European Commission’s commitment to enhancing maritime governance and promoting cooperation among coastal nations.  

Through all these collaborative efforts, CINEA and DG MARE are not only advancing the implementation of MSP but are also ensuring that Member States have access to the necessary tools and expertise to navigate the complexities of maritime spatial planning.