This page presents an overview of the key documents outlining what MSP is and how the process might be initiated and managed. A short introduction to MSP can be found here, along with a Glossary defining the most relevant concepts.
Related Newsletters
Project Marine Newsletters, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Ireland
Documents
- European Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (DIRECTIVE 2014/89/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 23 July 2014 establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning)
- Study on the economic impact of maritime spatial planning
- UNESCO 'step-by-step approach to MSP'
- The Blue Economy Report 2019
- The EU Blue Economy Report 2020
- UNESCO - Evaluating Marine Spatial Plans
- UNESCO - MSPglobal Policy Brief: Ocean Governance and Marine Spatial Planning
- Marine Ecosystem and Management - Insights from Practitioners: Challenges and Solutions for Ocean Planning
- HELCOM-VASAB - Guideline for the implementation of ecosystem-based approach in MSP in the Baltic Sea area
- HELCOM-VASAB - Guideline on transboundary consultations, public participation and co-operation
- Ocean Zoning: Making Marine Management More Effective
- Handbook of Ocean Resources and Management
- Environmental Planning for Oceans and Coasts
- LME:LEARN MSP Toolkit
- Designing Marine Spatial Planning Legislation for Implementation: A Guide for Legal Drafters
- A Marine Spatial Planning Framework for Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction
Videos
- EU MSP Platform - Maritime Spatial Planning in Europe: from plan to reality
- BaltSPACE Interactive Tool on MSP
- WWF - Become a Maritime Spatialist in 10 Minutes
- Blue Solutions / MARISMA / GEZ - Marine Spatial Planning in a Nutshell
- UK Marine Management Organisation - 'What is Marine Planning?'
- Estonian Ministry of the Finance - 'Planning Fundamentals'
- MSP Scenarios for the Blue Economy - Plan4Blue project
Definitions
''Maritime spatial planning means a process by which relevant Member State’s authorities analyse and organise human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives'‘
Source: Art. 3 of the EU Directive on MSP (2014/89/EU)
''The public process of analyzing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives that are usually specified through a political process.”
Ehler & Douvere 2007, “Visions for a Sea Change”, UNESCO/IOC