sou · GWB348EN · 2009-01-01 00:00:00 — Planning of Swedish sea areas Figure 4.12 The map shows protected areas in the archipelago Source: The Swedish EPA (). Planning of Swedish sea areas archipelago is also an important area for (Figure 4.13). Approximately 15 million of freight and 10 million passengers are annually transported through the area. The dense traffic and larger have made the existing channels through the archipelago too narrow and difficult of passage. The swell they create causes erosion. However, the to create bigger and safer channels by blasting and dredging collides with other interests, such as environmental protection, fishing and outdoor life. Planning of a new approach to , known as Horsstensleden, has been ongoing for several years. The harbour at , north of , is on the list of strategic harbours for freight transport that the Inquiry on a Har- bour Strategy has proposed.11 is an open location with few , which means that the risks of accident and conflicts with other interests are less there. The heavy traffic to central parts of is nonetheless likely to continue irre- spective of what status is accorded to . That applies not least to passenger transport. 11 Hamnstrategi – strategiska hamnnoder i det svenska godstransportsystemet. [Harbour Strategy – strategic nodal harbours in the Swedish freight transport system]. Final Report by the Harbour Strategy Inquiry SOU 2007:58. Planning of Swedish sea areas Figure 4.13 The map shows the channels and scheduled traffic, together with commercial harbours in the archipelago. Classification of different types of chan- nels according to the Source: , the Office of Regional Planning and in and in County. Planning of Swedish sea areas During the summer there is also much leisure boat traffic in the archipelago (Figure 4.14). Sailing and boating represent probably the most common outdoor leisure pursuits there. Leisure boating nevertheless has its negative sides, since it results in and the discharge of polluted water. Motor boats also add to exhaust gases and noise. The increasing number of leisure boats also brings a need to extend the construction of jetties and small boat harbours. A study by in County shows that the number of jetties and other constructions along the shores has increased significantly during recent decades.12 A similar development has been recorded in Bohuslän.13 12Vad händer med våra stränder? [What's happening to our beaches?] Deras framtid i våra händer. [Their future in our hands.] in County, report 2006:18. 13Strandexploatering i kommuns södra skärgård. [Shoreline exploitation in municipality's southern archipelago.] , , , . Planning of Swedish sea areas Figure 4.14 The map shows the channels, leisure boat channels, natural harbours and guest harbours in the archipel- ago Source: (2007).14 14 Arholma-Landsort med : Din guide till skärgårdens öar, gäst- och naturhamnar [Your guide to the archipelagos , guest harbours and natural harbours] , L. Nautiska förlaget, . Planning of Swedish sea areas Offshore shallows – windpower collides with other interests As a result of the planning objective set by the Riksdag, for the construction of additional windpower with effect from 2002, the offshore banks (reefs or sandbanks) have become areas of great importance for exploitation. produced in 2007 a new national planning objective which means that windpower generation at sea is planned to be extended so that by 2020 the total output from sea-based windpower stations will be . That is estimated to correspond to more than 1 000 new wind power-stations. The shallow off-shore banks provide an opportu- nity to construct foundations for wind power-stations far out at sea. This siting is advantageous both with regard to the wind strength and because the power-stations are scarcely visible from land. Residents by the coasts often regard wind power-stations as a visually disturbing presence in the landscape. Because these off- shore banks are also important for many species and hence for environmental protection, these interests must be balanced against one another. Since 2003 a very hastily prepared inventory of the banks in Swedish waters and within the Swedish economic zone has been in progress (Figure 4.15). The Swedish EPA is of the view that a number of the banks counted cannot be considered as possible construction sites. At the same time pre-studies and legal processes have been started on applications for permission to build on other banks, for example the Södra midsjöbank and Stora middlegrund. The Swedish EPA has proposed that Stora middlegrund should be given Natura 2000 site status. The Government has, however, so far (Spring 2008) taken no decision on the matter. In wind power-stations are operating on Utgrunden in and on Lillgrund in the Sound. Planning is under way for a major wind power-station project on in the Swedish economic zone. Construction is likewise planned on the German part of , as well as on the Danish side of this shallow area. There is no organised coordi- nation among Swedish, German and Danish authorities. Interna- tionally coordinated spatial planning would create better conditions for good management of this shallow area. There is a great risk that without coordination faulty assessments will be made of the combined consequences for the environment, the eco- system and the impact on other interests. Planning of Swedish sea areas planning in the area could also constitute a basis for examining and discussing how countries can together most cost-effectively extend the electricity network. Such a network could handle the electricity output from the windpower installations and perhaps also distrib- ute it internationally. Planning of Swedish sea areas Figure 4.15 The map shows the offshore banks that have been inventoried by the Swedish EPA and other authorities, to establish where wind- power can and may be built, as well as where exploitation should not be permitted. On some offshore banks planning for wind- turbine parks is already in progress. According to the Swedish EPA, offshore banks marked in red should be protected. The banks either have the status of a Natura 2000 site already or have been proposed for it Source: The Swedish EPA Planning of Swedish sea areas Other countries claims as regards laying cables or other use of the Swedish economic zone Under the UN Convention on the of the Sea other states have the right to lay submarine cables or pipelines on the shelf of another state. The state has nevertheless relatively wide scope to influence and even to prevent this, on envi- ronmental grounds. Under the Espoo Convention an Environ- mental Impact Assessment () must be prepared by the state or enterprise that intends to lay cables or pipelines on the shelf. A natural gas pipeline 1 200 kilometres long is planned between in through the Baltic to in . The planning and eventual construction is being undertaken by . This is a public limited company owned by major energy companies, including the Russian company, . The gas pipeline is proposed to pass through the economic zones of , and . On , 2007 Nord Stream lodged an application to the Swedish Government for per- mission to lay pipelines on the shelf and to erect a ser- vice platform within the Swedish economic zone. Nord Stream has carried out surveys of the sea bottom along the intended route of the pipeline. Because Nord Stream submitted an incomplete application the Government has not yet (Spring 2008) been able to consider it. The Governments view is that under the Espoo Convention the company must produce an for the full length of the pipeline through the territorial waters and economic zones of all the coun- tries concerned. The Government has also demanded a report of the trans-boundary consultations that are required under the Espoo Convention. Also, although Nord Stream is following the international rules in its planning and in its application for permission for a gas pipe- line, it is obvious that the company will be able to play a very strong part in this context, because the countries and governments concerned have not coordinated their interests in the matter. That enables the company to negotiate with one country at a time and to play them off against one another. By placing positive statements by the EU Environment Commissioner, , on the company website, Nord Stream gives the impression that the EU has adopted a position in favour of the project. A more proactive method of working, for example through coordinated spa- Planning of Swedish sea areas tial planning, would give the governments and the EU greater influence over the formation of major international projects like this. Figure 4.16 Geographical areas with significant conflicts of interest Planning of Swedish sea areas The survey shows that in Swedish sea areas there are several geo- graphic areas with significant conflicts of interest (Figure 4.16). A process of spatial planning should be embarked on as soon as possible in these areas. All relevant interests should be taken into account in this process and several compromises will probably be required. The precautionary principle suggests that planning is most urgent in areas with great basic natural values or great sensi- tivity to change (seen from an ecosystem perspective), where there is also great pressure for exploitation. Conflicts of interests occur even at the level of principle, which can have an impact on future planning work. That applies particu- larly to certain interest groups attitudes to areas where fishing is banned and also to other types of protected areas. There is often opposition to the designation of such areas, irrespective of their geographical position. In the examples given here the focus has been on the physical exploitation of and sea areas. That is also the direction taken by the Inquirys proposals as regards the development of a planning system for Swedish sea areas. In the practical work of management, however, other impacts on the environment must also be weighed in the balance, such as emissions from point sources, run-off from agricultural land and private sewers, air pol- lution, and so on. Win-win situations and ways to reduce conflicts The presence of a number of different interests within one and the same area does not necessarily entail that one interest must yield to another. Sometimes there are win-win situations. One example is the of windpower. The research studies that have been made regarding the long-term negative effects of wind power- stations on biological diversity have not shown any clear results. Swedish studies in that have been carried out within the research programme Vindval show that birds in general avoid wind power-stations and that very few collide with them.15 Migra- 15 Vindkraft – Tillståndsprocessen och kunskapsläget. [Windpower – The permit process and the knowledge basis]. Information brochure from the , 2007. (The brochure contains a survey of the current state of knowledge about the effect of windpower on its surroundings, based on studies in Vindforsk and Vindval). Planning of Swedish sea areas tory birds choose other routes and fly round windpower installa- tions. It is nevertheless not known what the effects may be in the longer term or when bigger windpower parks are constructed. power-stations have in certain cases proved to have positive effects for biological diversity. For example, the foundations for wind-turbines can function as an artificial reef for attached organ- isms such as mussels and even as protection for other organisms. Windpower installations can also entail protected areas for fish because trawling is banned in the area. A possible negative effect of dense construction of windpower stations along the coasts of Europe is that the diffusion of alien species can be facili- tated. The windpower stations can act as stepping stones. Increased cooperation and common planning between neigh- bouring countries on the of windpower installations should make it possible to use the cables more efficiently or, alter- natively, to place a number of parallel cables on the sea bottom. In the and archipelago areas the protection of nature and cultural values can often be combined with the development of local societies and local employment opportunities. There should also be possibilities for cooperation between nature and cultural values and outdoor life/tourism. The introduction of a system of spatial planning will affect all levels of society in the sea areas and the majority of social actors. Existing regional bodies will through the Inquirys proposals acquire increased responsibilities by taking on spatial plan- ning in the territorial sea and in sea areas within the baseline (Fig- ure 4.17). Previously, the regional bodies have primarily had tasks relating to regional development and not management. This also means that the responsibility for planning in the greater part of these sea areas should be removed from basic municipalities. The consequences for the municipalities are nevertheless expected to be marginal since most of them do not at present conduct any real planning in their sea areas. In a number of municipalities plans and similar instruments have nonetheless been drawn up. An important task for the regional level will be to take this work into account in their planning. It is also important that forms of coop- Planning of Swedish sea areas eration between municipalities and the regional bodies should be built up. Figure 4.17 Schematic picture of the proposals as regards spatial planning. The Inquiry has not adopted a position on precisely where the boundary should be drawn between the comprehen- sive plans of the municipalities and the regions plans (see further, in the text) The municipal level will retain influence in planning in the territo- rial sea and in the sea inside the baseline even after the appointment of the regional bodies as the responsible authorities. New routines and procedures for consultation will be established, through which local participation can continue. planning will improve the practical opportunities to achieve more holistic plan- ning and, it is hoped, political engagement. The public will also have far better opportunities to obtain an insight into the priorities adopted in the sea areas. This is expected to increase the legitimacy of planning and participation in the planning process. Planning of Swedish sea areas The central government level is proposed to become responsi- ble, via , and Planning, for planning within the economic zone and for supervision regarding the regional bodies spatial planning. will be the responsible authority for statutory review of the regional plans, measured against certain criteria, which is in part a new element in the Swedish tradition of comprehensive planning. The proposal means that the Boards organisation will need to be strengthened. The extent to which that will be necessary should be considered by a future Legal and Implementation Inquiry. The proposal as regards spatial planning may in general terms entail changes for enterprises in sea areas. First and foremost, spatial planning will simplify matters for them, since it will be clearer where a given activity can be pursued. The binding zoning that is proposed may result in consequences for business activity in the designated areas. The procedures on hearing of applications, which in greater detail affect the activity of enterprises, will need to be investigated more closely in the future Legal and Implementation Inquiry. Social consequences should be illuminated in detail in that Inquiry, which should also consider the costs of introducing the system.