SIMWESTMED - Recommendations on the procedural steps to follow for the development of cross-border MSP (R3)
Creators: name: Bassan, N.
name: Manea, E.
name: Maragno, D.
name: Innocenti, A.
name: Fabbri, F.
name: Morelli, M.
name: Campostrini, P.
name: Gissi, E.
name: Musco, F.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: MSP
Maritime Spatial Planning
SIMWESTMED
EBA
Ecosystem-Based Approach
Western Mediterranean
cross-border

description: Component: C 1.3 Support for Member States' implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning<br>
Sub‐component: C 1.3.1 Develop and propose a conceptual methodology for transboundary MSP in the Western MED, with operational details on selected aspects<br>
Deliverable: Recommendations to support common understanding on a regional scale on MSP, including synergic implementation of regionally relevant policy instruments

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This document identifies a number of key issues considered particularly relevant for the implementation of MSP in the Western Mediterranean. Preliminary contents were presented and discussed at the “SIMWESTMED regional meeting” held on the 5th of October 2017 in Hyeres (France). Outcomes of the discussion have been used to integrate and detail the preliminary identified issues and develop the current version of the document.

The main goal is to identify common issues driving or hindering MSP implementation in the Western Mediterranean and provide suggestions to strengthen drivers and/or remove obstacles, taking into consideration the framework provided by the Barcelona Convention (including its Protocols, in particular the one dealing with ICZM) and the Directive 2014/89/EU on MSP. Some of the identified issues are common also to the Eastern Mediterranean, thus applying to the entire Mediterranean Basin.

In the following pages, the document briefly describes the current state of MSP implementation in the Western Mediterranean, with particular focus on EU countries, mainly referring to the information included in the EU MSP Platform and the eight major issues identified, including for each of them a number of specific suggestions. Besides considering the results of the Hyeres workshop, the issues and related suggestions have been defined capitalizing the work done for the elaboration of the Conceptual Framework for MSP in the Mediterranean.
description: This report/document was produced as part of the SIMWESTMED Project (Grant Agreement N0. EASME/EMFF/2015/1.2.1.3/02/SI2.742101).

PROJECT: Supporting Implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning in the Western Mediterranean region (SIMWESTMED)

Competition for maritime space – for renewable energy equipment, aquaculture and other uses – has highlighted the need to manage our waters more coherently. Maritime spatial planning (MSP) works across borders and sectors to ensure human activities at sea take place in an efficient, safe and sustainable way. That is why the European Parliament and the Council have adopted a legislation to create a common framework for maritime spatial planning in Europe. The Directive 2014/89/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 (said Maritime Spatial Planning Directive) establishes a framework in order to reduce conflicts between sectors and create synergies between different activities, to encourage investment – by creating predictability, transparency and clearer rules, to increase cross-border cooperation – between EU countries to develop energy grids, shipping lanes, pipelines, submarine cables and other activities, but also to develop coherent networks of protected areas, and to protect the environment – through early identification of impact and opportunities for multiple use of space.

The SIMWESTMED project (Supporting Implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning in the Western Mediterranean region) is an EU/DG Mare co-funded cross-border project. It was launched on 1st of January 2017 and involves Spain, France, Italy and Malta, while these countries had just designated their Competent Authorities and transposed the Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Directive. SIMWESTMED aims to support the implementation of the MSP Directive in the waters of Spain, France, Italy and Malta, as well as to establish cross-border cooperation mechanisms between these Member States, to contribute to the coherence of their marine spatial plans to be established by 2021.

The action ran until 31st of December 2018 and was based on a partnership of public bodies of the countries and two international organisations. It was composed of CEDEX, IEO, AFB, CEREMA, Shom, CORILA and its affiliated entities IUAV and CNR-ISMAR, MIT, IMELS, PA, CPMR, UNEP-MAP and its affiliated entity UNEP-MAP/PAP-RAC. Shom acted as coordinator.

The objectives of the SIMWESTMED project were addressed through a variety of activities and desktop or case studies. They are dedicated to identifying the methodology steps, and explore the challenges and opportunities of the MSP implementation in the Western Mediterranean area, including thus related to transboundary issues (Ecosystem based approach, marine policies, Barcelona Convention, Land Sea Interactions, geographical scale of the plans, data interoperability, tools to support MSP). The project led to a multiplicity of outputs including overviews of MSP relevant information related to the countries and on more focus areas, to a number of interviews and meetings where stakeholder views were collected to feed the reasoning, and to guidelines and good practices to be shared at a national and transnational level with marine stakeholders, scientists as well as planners, administrations and authorities. 

In addition, SIMWESTMED permitted a lot of progression internally in the countries and regarding transboundary cooperation. It led to establish and develop new dialogues and to connect the technical or scientific actors, the stakeholders, the administrations of the countries of a same sea basin, and the administrations within the countries, including the representative of Regions. It allowed to better understand Maritime Spatial Planning mechanisms, to share knowledge and as such reached to build capacities, which is of importance as there is such a need in the Mediterranean area compared to more Northern countries. The project also permitted to address topics which have never been addressed before.

The involvement of some countries in SIMWESTMED and in the EU-DG Mare "brother" projects SUPREME, SIMNORAT and SIMCelt was useful for them to develop a global vision with their neighbours through the East and West side of the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic sea basin.

At the end of this exercise, it is stated the need of pursuing the work and dialogue in particular through common tools, but at this stage, the SIMWESTMED has constituted a common knowledge and background.

Disclaimer: 

The contents and conclusions of this report, including the maps and figures, do not imply the expression of any opinion or endorsement of the participating partners concerning the legal status of any country, territory, area, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The depiction and use of boundaries, geographic names and related data shown on maps included in this report are not warranted to be error free nor do they imply official endorsement or acceptance by any of the participating partners. This report is a working document and may rely on data from sources external to the SIMWESTMED project Consortium and, in addition to this, it may contain some information gaps. Neither the European Commission or Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises nor UN Environment/MAP Barcelona Convention Secretariat may be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained in this report.