The process of revising the maritime spatial plans has been completed after two rounds of national and international consultations. Changes were made based on the feedback received and the revised maritime spatial plans for the German EEZ in the North Sea and Baltic Sea entered into force on 1 September 2021.

Denmark organized a workshop to present their new maritime spatial plans on June 29 2021 – The Danish digital and legally binding maritime spatial plan, as well as the environmental assessment, were presented. Presentations and videos of the event are available online.

The European MSP Platform website now hosts a dedicated section for the Technical Expert Group (TEG) on Data for MSP. A new section for MSP Tools and Guidance will also soon be populated with various resources and documents for MSP practitioners.

Building on the first MARSPLAN-BS project which ended in 2018, MARSPLAN-BS II further developed maritime spatial plans and a common cross-border strategy between Romania and Bulgaria for the Mangalia-Shabla area. Read more about this project and MSP in the Black Sea with this new article published by EC Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

The strategic guidelines for more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture provide a vision for the further development of aquaculture, contributing to the European Green Deal, the multi-use of maritime space and economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The EMFAF runs from 2021 to 2027 and supports the EU common fisheries policy (CFP), the EU maritime policy and the EU agenda for international ocean governance.