"EU MSP News and EU MSP Flash" Newsletter Issues

Stakeholder Consultation in Maritime Spatial Planning Survey (20/06/2024)

Mark your calendars for the European MSP Week (22/10/2024)

Be part of European MSP Week 22nd – 24th October 2024! This series of dynamic events is dedicated to Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) and offers a unique opportunity for stakeholders from industry, civil society, the public sector, and academia to come together. Reflect on the achievements made in MSP across European seas, discuss current policies, and strategise the next steps forward.

The European Blue Forum - What's Next? (21/06/2023)

When reflecting back on the launch of the European Blue Forum, it is hard to believe that it is already one month since we met in Brest, France. Although the initiative is in its infancy, having only been launched in April this year, we have been hugely encouraged by the positive support and enthusiasm received from you, our members. However, as you can imagine, with any new initiative, the most frequently posed question, both during the event and since, relates to the future of the European Blue Forum.

Mark your calendars for the Launch Event of the European Blue Forum! May 26, 2023 from 9:00 to 15:30 CET in Brest! (03/05/2023)

The Launch Event is only the beginning of the European Blue Forum’s activities towards building Europe’s Blue Community; community of different users of the sea, passionate and committed to working together to deliver bold and ambitious resolutions to our shared challenges of climate change. The event will provide a platform for everyone, whether part of a large organisation or not, and regardless of how well established the sector or topic you work on is, to share your priorities, challenges and ideas, and contribute to building a common and united path towards the vision of the Sustainable Blue Economy.

Spain adopted the Spanish Maritime Spatial Plan: Planes de Ordenación del Espacio Marítimo (POEM) (03/05/2023)

The Spanish MSP, Planes de Ordenación del Espacio Marítimo (POEM), was adopted on the 28th of February 2023 by the Council of Ministers by Royal Decree. It establishes plans for each of the five Spanish marine subdivisions: North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Estrecho and Alboran, Levantine-Balearic and Canary Islands.

Launch of three new EMFAF MSP projects (03/05/2023)

To help Member States with the implementation, monitoring and revision of their Maritime Spatial Plans, three new European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) projects were launched: The MSPGreen project, the REGINA project and the ReMAP project. More information is available on the European MSP Platform!

New national project on ICZM launched in Romania (03/05/2023)

The Romanian Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests launched a call for tenders last September 2022 to develop the National Strategy on Integrated Coastal Zone Managment (ICZM) and the associated Integrated Management Plan. The winning consortium composed of GeoEcoMar and Ovidius University, will develop a multi-sectoral political document to provide a medium and long-term vision for the use and sustainable development of Romania's coastal area.

New Community of Practice on MSP for the Mediterranean (04/05/2023)

On the 26th of January the Community of Practice (MED MSP CoP) for Maritime Spatial Planning in the Mediterranean was launched. Supported by CINEA and DG MARE, this CoP will strenghten the MSP community and build on the already rich policy context in the Mediterranean. More information is available on the European MSP Platform!

The final publication of MSP-MED is out now! (03/05/2023)

The title of the latest publication is: "Towards the operational implementation of MSP in our common Mediterranean Sea: A common planning framework in the Mediterranean Sea. Outcomes of the MSP-MED project". It describes the achievements and challenges of the project and provides an overview of its main outputs. You will find information about setting-up National Maritime Spatial Plans in the Mediterranean Sea and information about international cooperation. You can also find a series of videos on MSP-MED related topics on the dedicated YouTube channel.

The North Sea Advisory Council (NSAC) organised a Workshop on Maritime Spatial Planning and Stakeholder Engagement (03/05/2023)

The NSAC workshop on MSP explored principles of timely stakeholder engagement and cross-border management, and notions of co-existence and multi-purpose platforms. The European Commission, environmental NGOs, the industry (energy and fishing), science, and Member States, including third countries such as the UK and Norway participated in this workshop.

European Maritime Day (24/05/2023)

The European Maritime Day (EMD) is the annual two-day event during which Europe’s maritime community meet to network, discuss and outline joint action on maritime affairs and sustainable blue economy.

Active cooperation between the North and the Baltic Sea practitioners - eMSP NBSR project. Check out all the events planned for May, June and September. (04/05/2023)

Active cooperation between the North and the Baltic Sea practitioners - eMSP NBSR project. Check out all the events planned for May, June and September.

Expert’s Conference on the updated VASAB Vision (01/06/2023)

The event will be in Wismar in Germany. and it is still to participate and to learn more about the process and outcome on developing long-term spatial vision for the Baltic Sea region.

EU MSP Platform's season greetings (15/12/2022)

Wishing you all a good winter break; Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

CommOCEAN 2022: Do you speak MSP? (12/12/2022)

CommOCEAN 2022 was organised in Sète, France, by the European Marine Board Communications Panel (EMBCP) with the objective to provide communication skills and inspiration to communicators in marine related fields across a range of experience levels. Together with Folco Soffietti from the MSP MED project, the EU MSP Platform participated in a panel to describe good practices, lessons and opinions on successful and original ways to communicate and inform people about Maritime Spatial Planning. Read more on our website.

New MSP infographic: facts, figures, future. (12/12/2022)

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is a fundamental tool for the development of a Sustainable Blue Economy. It allows us to manage the use of our seas and oceans in a long term, inclusive and innovative way, to reduce conflicts, create synergies between human activities and ensure they take place in an efficient and safe way, within the capacity of the receiving ecosystems. Explore our infographic to find out facts, figures and what are the next steps.

IOC MSP Forum and Conference 2022: stepping stones towards 2030 (12/12/2022)

From November 21st to 22nd, Europe and the world met in Barcelona to discuss Maritime Spatial Planning. First with the 5th edition of MSP forum which addressed Knowledge support for MSP; Capacity building and awareness; Transboundary cooperation; Climate-smart MSP; Marine protection and restoration and Sustainable blue economy. The Forum was followed the next day by the 3rd edition of the International Conference on MSP organised by the European Commission DG MARE and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), a hybrid and dynamic event packed with new projects, results and perspectives. Read more on our website.

PLASMAR+: when MSP does comics (12/12/2022)

PLASMAR+ is a project which aims to promote the advancement of the Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) process in the Macaronesian archipelagos (Canary Islands, Madeira and Azores) by developing new tools based on scientific and technological knowledge, as well as supporting the development of Blue Economy in this region. The project has released a new comics and a video to support its communication on MSP in Macaronesia.

German Maritime Spatial Plan on EMODnet Human Activity Portal (07/09/2022)

The EMODnet Human Activity Portal now hosts a new MSP data set for all to see. There are now 6 countries displayed on this multi-layer interactive map including the zoning, human activities and sites composing the MSP landscape in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Latvia and Poland.

Italy: New system of indicators to monitor MSP implementation and performance (07/09/2022)

IUAV, CNR and CORILA, in support of the Italian MSP strategy, designed a monitoring program for the tracking and evaluation of MSP implementation. This new document describes the institutional background and design of the monitoring strategy, presenting its principles and selected indicators. Download this document (D6) below and all other results of MSP MED at the following link.

EU4Algae: new stakeholder collaboration platform (07/09/2022)

The EU4Algae European Stakeholder Platform objective is to achieve collaborative impact between EU algae stakeholders, to shape the algae sector in the next 3 years. Register to the platform at the following link.

France's first offshore windfarm up and running (06/09/2022)

After a decade in the making, France recently inaugurated its first offshore wind farm on its Atlantic shores. The Saint Nazaire offshore wind farm is expected to provide 20% of electricity demand of the 1.4M inhabitants of Département Loire-Atlantique.

New study on the relevance of MSPD in the EU Green Deal (06/09/2022)

A new study produced by Wageningen Research, Ramboll and Deloitte has been published toassess the relevance and effect of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive in the context of the European Green Deal and other relevant EU-level legislation.

MSP-OR presents its work in video (07/09/2022)

MSP-OR is an EU-funded project to advance MSP processes in Outermost Regions – Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and French Guiana. Get to know them a little more with this video.

MSP webinars: SweDev and UN Oceans Summer events (06/09/2022)

UN Oceans conference in Lisbon and the Stockholm Environment Institute organised conferences over the Summer on coastal areas sustainability policies and practices towards the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda. Watch them here.

ICES Annual Science Conference 2022 (19/09/2022)

Join the ICES Annual Science Conference in September 2022 in Dublin, Ireland or online!

FAMENET Launch Event (20/09/2022)

FAMENET (Fisheries and Aquaculture Monitoring, Evaluation and Local Support Network) will host its launch event oinline on September 20th.

Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2022 (26/09/2022)

Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2022 on Climate Change in the Baltic Sea.

EUSBSR Annual Forum (28/09/2022)

The 13th EUSBSR (EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region) Annual Forum will take place from 28th to 29th of September in Lappeenranta, Finland.

4th Ecosystems Services Partnership EU Conference (10/10/2022)

The aim of this European Ecosystems Services Partnership (ESP) Conference is to highlight pathways for involving diverse societal groups in ES science, policy and practice.

MSP-MED Final Conference (13/10/2022)

The final conference of the MSPMED Project will take place on the 13th and 14th of October 2022 and will be held at National Research Council CNR in Rome!

5th International MSP forum (21/11/2022)

The MSPforum aims to bring together practitioners to discuss and exchange about concrete examples and recommendations on how to apply Marine Spatial Planning (MSP)

3rd International Conference on MSP (22/11/2022)

The event will assess the state-of-the-art implementation of MSP and discuss challenges and opportunities to achieve the MSProadmap target.

EMFAF infoday 2022 (13/10/2022)

An Info Day about two new calls for proposals under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) takes place on 24 November 2022. The two calls are “Blue careers for a sustainable blue economy” and “Regional flagships projects supporting sustainable blue economy in EU sea basins”. They are both expected to be open from 13 October 2022 until 31 January 2023.

Planning for the future of Europe's Marine Space - European MSP Stakeholder Conference, Brest – June 2022 (23/06/2022)

The European MSP Stakeholder Conference - Planning for the future of Europe's Marine Space - took place on 14-15 of June in Brest, France. The event attracted more than 450 participants in person and online, from different countries, and sectors: local and national representatives, European Commission, academics, maritime industries, NGOs, members of the AM MSP team. Amongst the many ideas and lessons of the event, the importance of dialogue, coherence and improving outreach to the wider public was highlighted. Importantly, this event also marked the first occasion that the European MSP Community could come together since the Global Pandemic – and it was wonderful to see all our friends and colleagues!

Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan adopted (23/06/2022)

The Estonian government has adopted the final maritime spatial plan on 12 May 2022. The plan regulates the activities of different areas, sets the principles of joint use and opens up perspectives for new uses of the sea.

MSP global International Guide now available in 4 languages (23/06/2022)

Officially launched during the final conference of the MSPglobal Initiative jointly led by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and European Commission, the International Guide on Marine/Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is now available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic. More information on the MSPglobal Initiative: https://www.mspglobal2030.org/

The 2022 EU Blue Economy Report: MSP, a tool for the future. (23/06/2022)

This year’s edition of the EU Blue Economy report outlines the main drivers to transform the European Blue Economy into a driver for transition and sustainability, for which MSP will be a key instrument.

MapSIS - a workshop looking at the future of MSP data (23/06/2022)

In 2017, the first Maritime Spatial Planning, Ecosystem Approach and Supporting Information Systems (MaPSIS 2017) International Conference took place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. This July, MapSIS stakeholders are meeting to assess future monitoring programs and related indicators that will provide useful information on gaps and updates needed for the next cycle of MSP.

EMD 2022: a look back at MSP discussions in Ravenna (23/06/2022)

The European Maritime Day 2022 took place in May in Ravenna, and it was the opportunity to gather MSP stakeholders from across the EU and to work in multiple formats of workshops, online and hybrid, to share ideas and trigger new ones inclusing MSP. The EMD website provides an access to all sessions in video, a useful resource to explore.

How to incorporate underwater cultural heritage into MSP? (23/06/2022)

New Guidelines and Good Practices on "How to incorporate Underwater Cultural Heritage into Maritime Spatial Planning".

UN ocean governance framework and the EU MSP Directive (23/06/2022)

The Implications of the Ocean Governance Framework established by the United Nations for the Implementation of the EU MSP Directive - Background Technical Study by EU MSP Platform

MSP news on video (23/06/2022)

With MSP online webinars, communication campaigns or stakeholder interviews, a wealth of Maritime Spatial Planning video content is created ongoingly, we have selected a few recent MSP videos available to watch on our Youtube channel.

UN Ocean Conference (27/06/2022)

Lisbon, Portugal

Euromaritime 2022 (29/06/2022)

Marseille, France

MSP-MED | Bilateral meeting Italy - Malta (30/06/2022)

Valletta, Malta

MapSIS 2022 (07/07/2022)

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Developing a truly European and sustainable nautical tourism (13/07/2022)

Online

Summer School for Young Planners “Sustainable Futures for the Baltic Sea Region” (22/08/2022)

University of Greifswald, Germany

FutureEUMSP Stakeholder event sessions (29/06/2022)

Catch up with the expert panels, presentations and lessons from our latest MSP Stakeholder conference

Conference: Planning for the future of Europe’s Marine Space - 14 & 15 June 2022, Brest - France (10/05/2022)

The “Planning for the future of Europe’s Marine Space – MSP Stakeholder Conference” organised by the MSP Assistance Mechanism on behalf of EC DG MARE and CINEA will take place in Brest, France on the 14th and 15th of June 2022. The aim of the conference is to review the progress and achievements in relation to MSP since the adoption of the MSP Directive in 2014 and to discuss the future of MSP and the challenges still to be addressed. Participants are invited to attend in person, however there will also be an opportunity to observe online if preferred. The Conference will be recorded for those unable to attend on the day. Register before May 25th, click "more" to access the event webpage.

MSP-OR: New EU supported project for MSP in Outermost Regions (12/04/2022)

MSP-OR is an EU-funded project to advance Maritime Spatial Planning processes in Outermost Regions of Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and French Guiana. While the project website is under development you can follow their Twitter account and updates with the hashtag #MSPforRUP.

Get ready for European Maritime Day 2022 (12/04/2022)

On 19 and 20 May 2022, the European Maritime Day will take place both online and physically in Ravenna, Italy. This year's theme of ‘Sustainable blue economy for green recovery’ will also address Maritime Spatial Planning in a dedicated thematic session entitled: "Maritime Spatial Planning and Stakeholder Engagement". This session will allow to take stock of the progress made since 2010, with the results and lessons of multiuse projects at sea, targeting research and innovation on food security, clean energy, green transport, climate action and resource efficiency, as well as cross-boundaries projects on MSP. The session will present the progress of the EU, as a global leader on maritime spatial planning, in addressing the Green Deal’s objectives at sea and stakeholders’ engagement.

Learning programme: “Ecosystem-Based Management and Marine Spatial Planning" (12/04/2022)

The Mediterranean Biodiversity Protection Community and the Interreg Euro-MED Academy is organising the learning programme “Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP)” from 19 April 2022 to 22 May 2022. This programme is endorsed by the IOC UNESCO UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

MSP in Germany: offshore wind draft law amended (12/04/2022)

Germany’s draft Wind Energy at Sea Act (WindSeeG) has been amended to include measures to accelerate the market’s development. The measures include the new expansion targets, the prioritising of offshore wind energy in maritime spatial planning, short-term tendering of additional areas and reorganisation of responsibilities in authorities and ministries.

BLUEfasma: circular economy and innovation in Mediterranean fisheries and aquaculture (12/04/2022)

MedCities is a partner of the Interreg-Med project BLUEfasma, which integrates and implements Circular Economy (CE) principles in the key blue growth sector of fishing, processing and marketing, as well as maritime spatial planning and maritime strategies' impacts on fisheries and aquaculture. Its overall objective is to empower the innovation capacity of SMEs, maritime clusters/networks, Public Authorities to boost blue CE growth in insular, island and coastal areas. The project already provides toolboxes and guidances such as the BLUEfasma Circularity Self-Assessment Tool, used as a unified Mediterranean measure of the SMEs readiness & willingness to invest in CE; acting as a decision support tool.

New online tool for Irish MSP (12/04/2022)

An interactive digital tool for marine spatial planning in Ireland has just been launched. This web map portal is Ireland’s first marine spatial planning portal. It links planning within the maritime area and the relevant policies for each marine sector or activity listed in the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF).

New study: "Systems and tools for monitoring, evaluation and monitoring of maritime spatial plans" (14/04/2022)

A new guidance document for monitoring, evaluating & revising maritime spatial plans was just published and is now available on our website. Based on literature review and stakeholder feedback, it comes with a toolbox tested in case studies & revised subsequentially with our MSP experts.

New WWF report on MSP in the Baltic Sea (12/04/2022)

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has assessed nine maritime spatial plans from around the Baltic Sea, developed by eight different EU countries and one autonomous region, to measure and compare the degree to which they comply with the principles of ecosystem-based management. Read more about this analysis, its conclusions and identified paths for progress.

Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) (19/04/2022)

Online event: a unique learning experience by interacting with actors involved in MSP management and experts from the scientific community across the Mediterranean.

ICMSPM 2022: International Conference on Marine Spatial Planning and Management (25/04/2022)

Online event

Reconciling Biodiversity and Climate Ambitions: Offshore Renewable Energy (26/04/2022)

Online event

EMFF workshop: achieving Synergies & clustering between maritime projects (05/05/2022)

Online workshop addressing a paramount question: what happens when #EMFF support ends?

Multi-Use Offshore Training Workshops (05/05/2022)

Workshop: Aquaculture Multi-Use Offshore: Environment and Biology.

Summer School “Sustainable Futures for the Baltic Sea Region” (22/08/2022)

The University of Greifswald initiates a Summer School for Young Planners and Regional Developers on “Sustainable Futures for the Baltic Sea Region” jointly with VASAB.

EU MSP Platform website - share your comments and ideas (17/01/2022)

The European MSP platform was recently revamped and migrated to the official domain of websites of the European Union. With clearer design and sections, we are looking forward to your visit and your feedback. A short online survey has been prepared for you to provide suggestions to continue the Platform’s development.

MSP Technical Expert Group at Ocean Data Conference 2022 (18/01/2022)

Two papers submitted by the Technical Expert Group (TEG) on Data for MSP have been selected for presentation during the conference. Both abstracts, “Technical solution for harmonizing EU Maritime Spatial Planning within EMODnet” and “Towards a metadata profile for Marine Spatial Plans in Europe”, will be presented on Monday the 14th of February during session 2: "Implementing the digital commons".

EMODnet Human Activities Portal: visualising MSP and uses of the ocean (27/01/2022)

The EMODnet Human Activities portal is being developed in the framework of the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) as initiated by the European Commission. Providing a single entry point for geographic information on 14 different themes, it can also display maritime spatial plans for any country who wishes to use the tool. You can already find the plans of Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Latvia, and more should follow!

Study on Access to Space and water for marine aquaculture in preparation (18/01/2022)

The MSP Assistance Mechanism Team is soon to start a Sustainable Aquaculture Study on behalf of DG MARE. Currently we are in the process of mobilising an expert team. As part of the study the AM MSP team will reach out to all Member States in order to organise brief workshops to support this research that will feed into the development of recommendations for all stakeholders.

Capacity4MSP: new report and policy brief (17/01/2022)

Capacity4MSP, a practical and interactive collaboration platform for MSP stakeholders, recently published a new report synthesising the knowledge gained from various MSP projects and MSP practices within and beyond the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) in order to supplement EU, pan-Baltic and national commitments towards a well-functioning MSP in the BSR by 2021. Click the link for more.

New training opportunities in ocean multi-use: UNITED project (17/01/2022)

Throughout 2022, the UNITED (Multi-Use Platforms and Co-Location Pilots Boosting Cost-Effective, Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Production in Marine Environments) project will organise a series of five workshops. Learn more and register today with the link below.

From plate to plug: offshore renewables, European fisheries and the role of MSP (17/01/2022)

New global research details future conflict potentials, guidance and the role of Maritime Spatial Planning.

Supporting multi-use of the sea with MSP. The case of Bulgaria, Black Sea (17/01/2022)

The Bulgarian Center for Coastal and Marine Studies published a new research paper: "Supporting Multi-Use Of The Sea With Maritime Spatial Planning. The Case Of A Multi-Use Opportunity Development - Bulgaria, Black Sea". Download it for free before Feb. 16, 2022.

Funding opportunities: latest Horizon2020 EUMissions calls published (17/01/2022)

Discover new funding opportunities such as European BlueParks, Mediterranean Lighthouse, DigitalTwin Ocean, Marine & freshwater Citizen Science actions and more.

MSP news on video (18/01/2022)

With MSP online webinars, communication campaigns or stakeholder interviews, a wealth of Maritime Spatial Planning video content is created ongoingly, we have selected a few recent MSP videos available to watch on our Youtube channel.

MSP Platform: radio interview at Blue Horizon (17/01/2022)

On December 21st, the Blue Horizon radio show explored the policy & institutional work of EU MSP Platform with Thanos Smanis, Blue Economy and Expert Coordinator of the EU MSP Platform. Listen to this podcast and learn more about our work and projects.

SEArica conference: EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (04/02/2022)

Focus on Blue Growth

International Ocean Data Conference 2022 (14/02/2022)

Sopot, Poland - hybrid event

ICMSPM 2022: 16th International Conference on MSP (25/04/2022)

Jerusalem, Israel

One Ocean Summit - Brest, France (09/02/2022)

The One Ocean Summit aims to raise the international community’s level of ambition on maritime issues; to translate our shared responsibility for the Ocean into concrete actions.