The 3rd Capacity4MSP project platform’s partner meeting was held online on 16 march 2021. This meeting was crucial for project partners to discuss draft project reports and collect feedback from partners for further developments. Main discussion topics are listed below.

Within the framework of the project platform Capacity4MSP, Scientific and Research Institute of Maritime Spatial Planning Ermak NorthWest conducted a survey for Russian maritime spatial planning (MSP) stakeholders. The survey was based on the successful MSP experience in European countries, where throughout the planning process a broad public participation is provided.

With the approval by the European Commission on the 15 February, the revision process of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) Action Plan has concluded and the implementation can accelerate. The New Action Plan will be more focused, support closer cooperation among stakeholders and support the achievement of targets set in the EU policies and UN sustainable Development Agenda.

VASAB ministers in Tallinn in 1994 adopted the first commonly agreed transnational vision of the BSR which played a significant role for the spatial development of the whole BSR. It outlined spatial development perspective, values and overall goals for the BSR and defined strategies and common actions to make vision come true. This vision was updated in 2009 with VASAB Long-Term Perspective for the Territorial Development of the Baltic Sea Region (hereinafter - LTP), that highlighted territorial development trends and challenges, as well as presented territorial cohesion perspective for the BSR in 2030.

VASAB Long-Term Perspective for the Territorial Development of the Baltic Sea Region (LTP) was adopted by the Ministers responsible for spatial planning and development of BSR countries in October 2009 in Vilnius. Concerning the arise of new challenges and trends, the VASAB Committee on Spatial Planning and Development of the Baltic Sea Region has decided to update the LTP. In this regard an Open Tendering Procedure for the update of the VASAB Long-Term Perspective has been announced.

2nd Planners’ Forum within the project platform Capacity4MSP took place on 11 November 2020 online. Already as a traditional activity during the meeting was the exchange of the most pressing issues from each Baltic Sea Region’s country that was continued with broader discussions on the topics from agenda.