Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Baltic Sea Region

The aim of the BaltCoast project was to combine numerous concrete pilot projects and measures across the German, Swedish and Finnish Baltic Coast with the development of processes and regulations for spatial planning.

For first time in the Baltic Sea Region, Baltcoast:

• Integrated the need for development with the need for protection,
• Included all types of coastal areas, e.g. areas of intensive tourism, urban expansion areas, infrastructure development areas etc.,
• Included both off-shore and land-side coastal areas,
• Linked the project-oriented approach with the process of statutory spatial planning by widening participation to all public and private actors able to contribute.

Project activities included:

• Identifying and solving usage conflicts in offshore areas in the BSR,
• Identifying and solving usage conflicts in specific coastal in-land areas,
• Implementing existing regional programmes and concepts for using and protecting coastal zone areas.

The project resulted in a plan for the territorial waters adjacent to the German land of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and a change in German law. BaltCoast also developed recommendations for spatial planning in sea areas, which were presented to the 6th VASAB Ministerial Conference in Gdansk in 2005. These recommendations also prompted more systematic work by national spatial planners in the BSR countries.

Project partners

• Ministry of Labour, Construction and Regional Development Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (DE) – Lead Partner
• Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing (DE)
• Ministry of the Interior of the State of Schleswig-Holstein (DE)
• Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) (DE)
• Regional Council of Ostrobothnia (FI)
• Regional Planning Association Vorpommern (DE)
• Aarhus County (DK)
• Association of Local Authorities of Tartu County (EE)
• Municipality of Sellin (DE)
• City of Putbus (DE)
• North-West Mecklenburg County (DE)
• Kalmar County Administration (SE)
• Warnow Region e.V. (DE)
• Municipality of Torsas (SE)
• Municipality of Mönsteras (SE)
• Municipality of Västervik (SE)
• Municipality of Oskarshamm (SE)

Sub-contractors

• s.Pro sustainable-projects GmbH
• VASAB Secretariat