Stakeholder consulation in the Latvian MSP process

Baltic SCOPE

Abstract: 

This practice presents different aspects of stakeholder consultation in the Latvian MSP process.

Sea Basin(s): 
Baltic Sea
Country: 
Latvia
Year: 
2017
Application in MSP: 
Applied in an MSP process
Sectors: 
Not sector specific
Type of Issue: 
Stakeholders
Type of practice: 
Guidance
Stage of MSP cycle: 
Vision and aims
Stocktake
Analyse spatial aspects
Develop and implement plan
Cross-border / trans-national aspect: 
Yes
Coherence with other processes: 
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Key words: 
stakeholders
consultations
transboundary
Source / Links: 

http://www.balticscope.eu/events/final-reports/

Questions this practice may help answer

  • What are important aspects and lessons learned of the Latvian national stakeholder consultation process?
  • How can transnational stakeholder consultation be carried through?

Implementation Context

Stakeholder consultation is an obligatory element in the MSP process.

Aspects

Latvian national MSP consultation process

The figure below illustrates the elements of the national MSP consultation process.

A prominent role played the MSP working group, which is composed of relevant ministries and public bodies, planning regions and coastal municipalities, as well as non-governmental orgnaisaitons. The working group met five times throughout the MSP process.

A database of all stakeholders was maintained and a stakeholder analysis was done.

Stakeholders were informed on MSP and the developments within the MSP process through multiple instruments, including consultation events, a dedicated website, explanatory material published on that website, an animated film on MSP, etc.

Public consultations on the draft MSP and the SEA report were held at the same time, which helped that all aspects were considered in the discussion.

Latvian transboundary MSP consultation process

The figure below shows the transboundary consultation process in Latvian MSP.

Since 2009, Latvia has been engaged already in informal dialogue through projects (BaltSeaPlan, PartiSEApate, Baltic SCOPE) as well as the HELCOM-VASAB MSP Working Group. Transboundary consultations within the MSP process started at an early stage. They were held with Estonia, Lithuania and Sweden being direct neighbours of Latvia.

Transferability

The elements of stakeholder consultation can be transferred to other MSP processes.

Responsible Entity

Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia

Contact Persons

Ingūna Urtāne and Kristīne Kedo