eMSP NBSR

Emerging ecosystem-based Maritime Spatial Planning topics in North and Baltic Sea Regions (eMSP NBSR)

 

Project’s webpage: https://www.emspproject.eu/

 

Call: EMFF-MSP-2020
Project duration: 30 months
Start date: 1 September 2021
Estimated project cost: € 3,123,394.41
Requested EU contribution: € 2,469,145.65

Project has been approved by the European Commission European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency. Project is financed with the contribution of the European Union.

The aim of the eMSP NBSR project is to enable Maritime Spatial Planners of managing authorities and policymakers from the North and Baltic Sea Regions to reflect on current MSP practices, to learn effectively from each other, and to collectively identify problems and solutions. This will provide new knowledge and information to national governments and the European Commission on implementation, development and research actions, and managerial approaches that can or should be taken to deal with future challenges and opportunities afforded by the sea in a coherent way and with involvement of industry, academia and non-governmental organisations.

With all countries having MSP plans in place by 2021, MSP in Europe will enter a new stage. The period that follows is a unique opportunity to take stock: What has been achieved so far in the respective countries and sea basins and what needs to be done to ensure MSP fulfils its potential? It is also a unique opportunity to share the lessons learnt, to expand and align the available information and knowledge base, and to use the newly gained knowledge and experience to jointly tackle the challenges ahead. Preparing for this future, however, is not a one-off event, but a process that requires continuous learning and exchange between MSP authorities/planners, stakeholders and scientists. A suitable platform that brings together people, information and insights in a flexible and above all reflexive way is currently lacking.

Overall goals of eMSP NBSR:

  • Support a coherent implementation of marine plans across borders and coherence in overall maritime policy in the North and Baltic Sea Regions.
  • Support continued development of MSP to identify and address present and future challenges.
  • Develop capacity and capabilities of responsible authorities to make them better equipped to these challenges.
  • Assist Baltic and North Sea countries to establish a structure for cross-border collaboration and learning on these matters.
  • Provide practical solutions and recommendations in relation to the most urgent emerging topics (project learning strands), identified by partners as: ocean governance, ecosystem-based management, sustainable blue economy, monitoring and evaluation of MSP, and the future of data technology.
  • Identify key future areas of work for MSP.

The core output of the eMSP NBSR project is a mechanism that allows maritime spatial planners to jointly develop approaches for MSP implementation in the North and Baltic Sea Regions and beyond, guiding them through the implementation phase of the maritime spatial plans and taking on board the ambitions and challenges for MSP stemming from policy developments under the EU Green Deal and other related EU initiatives. The eMSP NBSR project is designed to address the urgent need for learning of maritime authorities and inter-ministerial bodies. At the heart of the project is a Community of Practice (CoP) North and Baltic Sea Regions that will facilitate continuous learning as a long-term way to ‘future proof’ MSP.

The project addresses three types of overall objectives related to:

  1. providing MSP practitioners in NBSR with both capacity and methods to learn together how to address common problems;
  2. promoting structures for a continued sharing and learning across marine basins;
  3. urgent concrete issues to address in MSP practice at the implementation stage.

The project will generate new knowledge that is relevant for the North and Baltic Sea Region in five key emerging topics (project learning strands). This knowledge has added value for all European Member States and neighbouring countries with maritime areas. It will also improve the understanding of societal challenges such climate change in the maritime environment and the roadmaps to address these, through-out the EU. The case studies developed in the Community of Practice will give access to the latest insights in key areas, such as vulnerable coastal areas.

Lead Partner:

Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)

Project Partners:

Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands (MINLNV)
Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands (MIN IenW)
Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (BSH)
Gdynia Maritime University (GMU)
Danish Maritime Authority (DMA)
Regional Council of Southwest Finland (FI RCSW)
Government of Àland (FI GA)
Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM)
French Naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOM)
De Blauwe Cluster (BC)
The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM)
VASAB Secretariat
Nordregio
Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE)

In project topics interested parties:

Uni DK
Ministry of the Environment, Finland

 

VASAB Contacts

Margarita Vološina, Communication Manager
Phone: +371 26480283
E-mail: margarita.volosina@vasab.org