Comparative analysis of Maritime Spatial Planning ... - Seanergy 2020

Stakeholders should be involved throughout the process including during pre-planning, plan development,implementation and monitoring. Integrate existing tools such as EIAs, SEAs, the INSPIRE Directive and ICZM into the MSP processThese tools provide the legal basis for many of the requirements for MSP such as consultation and sectorconflictresolution and can be incorporated and built on within a MSP system. EU Projects provide a useful lead, but approaches should to be mainstreamed into national policy andlegislationEU MSP projects such as BaltSeaPlan provide an opportunity to pilot approaches and share lessons, butthe key findings need to be integrated into national policies and legislation to be effectively implemented. Ensure sufficient financial resourcesIt is a common theme that effective MSP requires sufficient financial and human resources across all thedifferent sub-categories.9.2 Specific recommendationsSpecific recommendations per sub-category are provided in the paragraphs that follow..9.2.1 Policy & LegislationFirst of all there is a need for the adoption of comprehensive primary legislation, in the form of anact or a law, for MSP. It is difficult to see how an appropriate legal framework for MSP couldordinarily be adopted on the basis of subordinate legislation, given that to be effective it will needto guide and indeed regulate the implementation of other items of primary legislation that relate todifferent sectoral activities (e.g. a navigation act or renewables law).Second, such legislation should be comprehensive in the sense not only that it clearly sets out thebasic procedures for MSP (in terms of consultation, the planning process, enforcement, disputeresolution etc) but also because it brings all activities that use maritime space within a definedarea (within the territorial sea and/or the EEZ and/or on the continental shelf) within its purview.Thirdly the legal framework for MSP will need to be completed through the adoption of subordinatelegislation and guidance notes as appropriate. It goes without saying that adequate resources willneed to be made available in order to ensure effective implementation.9.2.2 Data and Information managementComprehensive ecological, socio-economic and geo-technical data is required throughout theterritorial sea and EEZ.Data collection should be coordinated by an overarching strategy to avoid duplication of effort andto ensure that formats are compatible.Deliverable 2.351 | P a g e