During the 5th Baltic MSP Forum on 11-12 November 2025 in Riga, Latvia, Northern European Sea Basins project (NESBp) will organise two parallel sessions Advancing Transboundary Governance: Baltic and North Sea Challenges and Prospects and Effective Use of Space for a Sustainable Blue Economy: Baltic Approaches to Multi-Use in Marine and Coastal Areas.

Both sessions will take place on 12 November 10:45 – 12:00 EET in VEF Culture Palace, Riga, Latvia. More about the 5th Baltic MSP Forum and registration for this event – www.BalticMSPforum.eu.

Session “Advancing Transboundary Governance: Baltic and North Sea Challenges and Prospects”

The session aims to identify pathways for more adaptive, inclusive, and coherent governance, offering insights into how cross-basin learning and dialogue can help future-proof maritime governance structures across European sea regions. Focusing on the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), the session will present findings from the ongoing NESB project’s governance analysis, which explores current governance structures and practices related to marine space and Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP). It will also introduce developments in the North Sea, including the initial phase of governance scenario development under the NESB project, as well as the evolving and increasingly prominent role of the Greater North Sea Basin Initiative (GNSBI).

Through a comparative lens, the discussion will highlight both differences and commonalities in governance approaches across the two sea basins, particularly in addressing challenges such as climate change, ecosystem degradation, spatial conflicts, and the acceleration of offshore energy development. Authors of the governance analysis and scenario work will be joined by key stakeholders – including representatives of GNSBI, the HELCOM-VASAB MSP Working Group, and national policymakers or planners – to reflect on current structures and co-develop ideas for more effective and forward-looking governance models.

Session aim: Co-define what “good governance” looks like across sea basins by comparing Baltic and North Sea approaches, reviewing early NESB project findings, and co-creating practical principles and next steps for future-proof, transboundary Maritime Spatial Planning.

Speakers and more information HERE.

Session “Effective Use of Space for a Sustainable Blue Economy: Baltic Approaches to Multi-Use in Marine and Coastal Areas”

With growing spatial demands from offshore energy, marine nature protection, and maritime security sectors, clearly defined solutions to enable their co-existence through exclusive or multi-use option in sea space are needed.
Cross-sectoral coordination – both at sea and along the coast – is fundamental; for example, ports and coastal communities may find new opportunities through integrated land-sea planning for multi-use. The session will focus on how to manage overlapping spatial claims, reduce conflicts, and ultimately implement the Sustainable Blue Economy by making better, smarter use of shared marine and coastal space.

Why this session? Spatial efficiency helps balance competing interests and enables coexistence, supporting sustainable development. Multi-use solutions reduce single-use footprints and foster cross-sector synergies and innovations.

Session aim: To showcase practical solutions, existing planning and governance approaches, share lessons learned that support development towards spatial efficiency and multi-use in MSP.

Speakers and more information HERE.

The 5th Baltic MSP Forum is organised by the VASAB Secretariat together with the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia, as the Lead Partner of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project Baltic Sea2Land, and in cooperation with the partners of the project’s consortium. The 5th Baltic MSP Forum is supported by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2021-2027 – through the Subsidy contract for the project #C018 Baltic Sea2Land of Interreg Baltic Sea Region.

The NESB project is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the project consortium only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.