Maritime Spatial Planning

in the Baltic Sea Region

Past, present, perspective

Talis Linkaits

VASAB Secretariat

XIX International Environmental Forum

22 March 2018, Saint Petersburg

A cooperation of ministers of the

11 Baltic Sea Region countries

responsible for spatial planning and

development

Intergovernmental network

founded in 1992

to promote cooperation on spatial

planning and development

in the Baltic Sea Region

• Well integrated and coherent macro-region with overcome divides

• Well balanced setup of metropolitan centres, small and medium

size cities and towns

• Fast, reliable and environmentally efficient technologies of

transport, information and communication

• Integrated energy production and supply system with well

diversified sources of energy

• Integrated land and sea space planning and management

• Maritime spatial planning principles alleviating potential sea use

conflicts for the present and future generations

Territorial cohesion

perspective

of the Baltic Sea Region

in 2030

October 2009, Vilnius

Joint Efforts in MSP

• Joint HELCOM-VASAB MSP WG

established in October 2010

• All countries around the Baltic

Sea are represented

• Well established rules and

procedures on how to work

• Legitimized process of

coordination

• Guided by Ministerial level

decisions

– 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting

– 2014 VASAB Ministerial Conference

© WWF Germany

Baltic Sea MSP Principles

1. Sustainable Management

2. Ecosystem Approach

3. Long Term Perspective and Objectives

4. Precautionary Principle

5. Participation and Transparency

6. High Quality Data and Information Basis

7. Transnational Coordination and Consultation

8. Coherent Terrestrial and Maritime Spatial Planning

9. Planning Adaptive to Characteristic and Spatial Conditions at different

Areas

10. Continuous Planning

adopted in 2010

Draw up and apply maritime spatial plans throughout the Baltic

Sea Region by 2020 which are coherent across borders and

apply the ecosystem approach

Necessary steps

• Ecosystem approach in MSP

• Trans-boundary consultations and cooperation in MSP

• Public participation

• Information and data for MSP

• Education for MSP

MSP Roadmap 2013-2020

Implementation:

• Guideline for the implementation of ecosystem-based

approach in MSP in the Baltic Sea area

1 October 2015

• Guidelines on transboundary consultations, public

participation and co-operation

25 February 2016

MSP Roadmap 2013-2020

MSP Data Expert Sub-group of the joint HELCOM-VASAB MSP WG

• support of data, information and evidence exchange for MSP

• cross-border / trans-boundary MSP data needs

• ensures comparability of maritime spatial plans in the BSR

• bridge between MSP planners and Data experts

MSP Data Expert Sub-group

First Report 2017

• List of National MSP Data

Focal Points

• General structure of MSP data

• Transboundary/cross-border

planning issues

• Currently available data sets in

the BSR countries and

HELCOM

• Data and information gaps and

challenges

Baltic MSP Data structure

OUTPUT DATA

Outcome of maritime

spatial plan (plan solutions, spatial designations)

INPUT DATA

Data used for planning +

other plans

Themes:

1. aquaculture areas,

2. fishing areas,

3. installations and infrastructure

4. maritime transport routes and traffic

flows,

5. military training areas,

6. nature and species conservation sites

and protected areas,

7. raw material extraction areas,

8. scientific research,

9. submarine cable and pipeline routes,

10. tourism

11. underwater cultural heritage

+ administrative borders

+ planning zones

• Minimum requirements on OUTPUT Data

• Cartographic visualisation

• Technical tools

Towards BSR MSP web map

MSP Data Expert Sub-group

Next steps

© Ingela Isaksson

MSP in Baltics

FLAGSHIPS:

Baltic SCOPE – Towards Coherence and Cross-border

Solutions in Baltic Sea Maritime Spatial Plans, ended 2017

Baltic LINes – Coherent Linear Infrastructures in Baltic

Maritime Spatial Plans

Pan Baltic Scope – Started 2018, to achieve coherent national

maritime spatial planning

OTHER RELEVANT PROJECTS:

BONUS BALTSPACE – Towards Sustainable Governance of

Baltic Marine Space

BONUS BaltCoast – A Systems Approach Framework for

Coastal Research and Management in the Baltic

Plan4Blue – Maritime Spatial Planning for Sustainable Blue

Economies

GOF2014 and MSP

23-24 NOVEMBER 2016 RIGA, LATVIA

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