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Finland

MSP EU Legend 3
This map was compiled from different international sources such as EMODnet, EEA or Marine Regions. Information obtained from these sources was cross-checked with data from national sources. While compilation was carried out by the European MSP Platform, validation and quality assurance remain the responsibility of the primary data sources.

Basic facts on Marine Waters

  • Finland's territorial sea, out to12 nautical miles (as defined by UNCLOS) is covering an area of 54,130 km² (and 4,330 km² islands, not included in water areas)
  • Finland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ - as defined by UNCLOS) is covering an area of 29,080 km².
  • Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone are limited to the adjacent states.

Relevant links

View best practices relevant for Finland
Go to Baltic Sea basin page
Contact email:
balticsea [at] maritime-spatial-planning.ec.europa.eu

Ongoing projects

View all projects for Finland
Back to all Countries

Maritime Spatial Plan(s)

Status: Adopted

The first Finnish maritime spatial plan was approved in December 2020. 

Finland's MSP is available here (in English)

The Geographical Information System (GIS) for Finland's MSP is available here

The MSP was prepared in three parts covering both territorial waters and the EEZ. 

  • The Northern Bothnian Sea, Quark and Bothnian Bay drafted by the Regional Councils of Lapland, Oulu region, Central Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia.

View the Northern Bothnian Sea plan

  • The Archipelago sea and Southern Bothnian Sea drafted by the Regional Councils of Satakunta and Southwest Finland.

View the Archipelago sea and Southern Bothnian Sea plan

  • The Gulf of Finland drafted by the Regional Councils of Helsinki-Uusimaa and Kymenlaakso.

View the Gulf of Finland plan

The autonomous territory of Åland Island has special status for planning its territorial waters. An MSP Plan for the Åland Island is developed according to its own maritime spatial planning legislation.

Information on Åland Island MSP is available here

MSP legislation

The Maritime Spatial Planning Directive was transposed into Finnish law in 2016. MSP regulations are covered by the Land Use and Building Act, which is the most important act to steer land-use, spatial planning and construction. Nonetheless, maritime spatial planning is not part of the land-use planning system or land use plan hierarchy of Finland. Maritime spatial plans are strategic and general, non-binding plans that have indirect steering impacts.

The MSP of Åland Island was developed according to a seperate planning legislation - regulation iin chapter 5. 24a and 24b from the Water Act (1996:61).

National MSP authority

Finland's competent authority for MSP is the Finnish Ministry of the Environment

Contact:
Department of the Built Environment
Aleksanterinkatu 7
P.O. Box 35, FI-00023 Government, Finland
Phone: +358 29 5250296
tiina.tihlmanatym.fi (Tiina Tihlman): Ministerial Adviser

For more information

Finland full country profile
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