Portugal

Basic facts on Marine Waters

Portugal has one of the largest maritime areas in Europe.
According to Law No. 17/2014, related to maritime spatial planning and management, the national maritime space extends from the baselines (as defined by UNCLOS) to the outer limit of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.
Portugal submitted a claim to extend its jurisdiction over an additional 2.15 million square kilometers of the neighbouring continental shelf in May 2009,[ii] which would result in a maritime area with a total of more than 3,877,408 km². The claim is still under examination after Morocco’s reservation in July 2015

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Download Full Country Information Profile

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Brochure 'Portuguese Maritime Spatial Plan'

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Contact the sea basin helpdesk

Relevant links for Portugal

View practical information for Portugal

Go to Atlantic Ocean page

Relevant practices for Portugal

National Ocean Strategy 2013-2020

Plano de Ordenamento do Espaço Marítimo (POEM)

Situation Plan - Maritime Spatial Planning Plan (PSOEM)

Cross border MPA Galicia bank – Vigo and Vasco da Gama seamounts

Identifying conservation priority areas to inform maritime spatial planning

Strategic Environmental Assessment Better Practice Guide

TPEA Good Practice Guide

Sustainability of the Portuguese North-Western Fishing Activity in the Face of the Recently Implemented Maritime Spatial Planning

Relevant projects for Portugal

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Which Maritime Spatial Plans exist?

The National Maritime Spatial Planning Situation Plan (PSOEM) corresponding to the subdivision of the mainland, the subdivision of Madeira and the subdivision of the Extended Continental Shelf was approved in December 2019 by the Council of Ministers (Resolution No. 203-A/2019). The Maritime Spatial Planning Situation Plan is available here: https://www.psoem.pt/ .

Also, a website and a geoportal have been created with all of the information regarding Portuguese maritime spatial planning, and keeping the relevant information fully updated.

The PSOEM for the subdivision of the Azores (PSOEMA) will soon be submitted to the Consultative Committee, followed by public consultation. The Azores MSP geoportal (OEAMA) is online and will support the technical consultations and the subsequent implementation process.

MSP Legislation

In April 2014, Law No. 17/2014 on ‘marine spatial planning and management‘ was approved as the fundamental law for MSP 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 fundamental law, defining, among others, the regime of maritime spatial planning instruments: i) 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) Allocation Plans for the private use of some areas or volume of the maritime area not considered in the situation plan.