Identification of maritime spatial planning best practices in the Baltic Sea Region and other European Union maritime regions.

Abstract

This report identifies good practices in implementation of the Baltic Sea Broad-scale Maritime Spatial Planning Principles jointly developed by VASAB and HELCOM. in 2010. The main aim of this exercise is to support planning process in the Bothnian Sea and share experience on maritime spatial planning (MSP) among the VASAB and HELCOM stakeholders and other relevant actors. The first part of the report is devoted to presentation of the most important planning activities in the Baltic Sea Region covering marine waters. The following plans draft plans and planning projects have been analysed: Pilot maritime spatial plan for the Southern Middle Bank, Pilot maritime spatial plan for Western part of the Gulf of Gdańsk, Pilot maritime spatial plan for the Western coast of Latvia and the adjacent waters, Spatial plan for the German EEZ of the Baltic Sea, Spatial Development programme of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Pilot Project Pomeranian Bight / Arkona Basin, Pilot maritime spatial plans for the Western coast of Hiiumaa and Saaremaa and Pärnu Bay, The regional spatial plan for the Kymenlaakso region in Finland. Swedish experience in maritime spatial planning has not been described so far due to lack of relevant materials in English. In addition to that also the most important maritime planning efforts outside the Baltic Sea Region have been included as a benchmark such as: Integrated Management Plan of the Marine Environment of the Barents Sea and the Sea Areas off the Lofoten Islands, Maritime Spatial Planning in the Netherlands and the UK Marine Policy Statement. In the second part of the report the aforementioned plans and planning projects have been screened with regard to their complacency with the VASAB-HELCOM principles. On those basis a long list of good practices have been developed. Out of those good practices the most important ones for enhancement of cross border maritime spatial planning have been chosen and described in detail in the third part of the report. Those good practices concern the following themes: stakeholder participation, preparation of the SEA reports for maritime spatial plans, preparation of plans under high level of uncertainty (insufficient information), handling and coordination of MSP data flows at the level of Baltic Sea Region, elaboration and use of the basin vide vision for marine waters development, and finally launching and running of the conscious research programmes in support of the MSP.