Maritime Spatial Plan(s)
Status: Adopted
Portugal adopted its maritime spatial plan, the Plano de Situacão do Ordenamento do Espaço Maritimo Nacional (PSOEM), corresponding to the subdivision of the mainland, the subdivision of Madeira and the subdivision of the Extended Continental Shelf in December 2019 by the Council of Ministers (Resolution No. 203-A/2019)
Portugal's maritime spatial plan is available here
View the brochure presenting the Portuguese maritime spatial plan (in English)
The Geographical Information System (GIS) for the Portuguese maritime spatial plan is available here
A website has also been created containing all the updated information regarding Portuguese maritime spatial planning.
The PSOEM for the subdivision of the Azores (PSOEMA) is being developed by the Autonomous Region. The geoportal OEAM supports technical consultations and the subsequent implementation process.
MSP Legislation
The EU MSP Directive is transposed into national legislation through Law No. 17/2014 on ‘marine spatial planning and management‘, approved for the entire Portuguese maritime space, including the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. Its enabling legislation, Decree-Law No. 38/2015, entered into force on 12 March 2015, and develops the marine spatial planning and management law, defining, among others, the MSP instruments:
- i) the Situation Plan with the identification of the protection and preservation areas of the maritime space, and the temporal and spatial distribution of current and potential uses and activities;
- ii) the Allocation Plans for the private use of some areas or volume of the maritime area not considered in the situation plan.
National MSP authority
Portugal's Competent Authority for MSP is the Ministry of the Sea
Contact
Ministry of the Sea
Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM)
José Manuel Marques
(Head of Marine Environment and Sustainability Department)
jmarquesdgrm.mm.gov.pt (jmarques[at]dgrm[dot]mm[dot]gov[dot]pt)
Directorate-General for Maritime Policy (DGPM)
Conceição Santos
(Deputy Director General for Maritime Policy)
conceicao.santosdgpm.mm.gov.pt (conceicao[dot]santos[at]dgpm[dot]mm[dot]gov[dot]pt)
Vanda Dores
(Head of Strategy Department)
vanda.doresdgpm.mm.gov.pt (vanda[dot]dores[at]dgpm[dot]mm[dot]gov[dot]pt)
Autonomous Region of the Azores
Directorate-General for Sea Affairs
Pedro Neves
(Regional Director for Sea Affairs)
Autonomous Region of Madeira
Regional-Directorate for the Sea
Mafalda Freitas
(Regional Director for the Sea)
mafalda.freitas.araujomadeira.gov.pt (mafalda[dot]freitas[dot]araujo[at]madeira[dot]gov[dot]pt)
For more information
For more information regarding the evolution of the MSP process in Portugal please see the dedicated country profile below.