An Ocean of Opportunity: An Integrated Maritime Policy for the EU 1 Hermien Busschbach European Commission – Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and

An Ocean of Opportunity: An Integrated Maritime Policy for the EU

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Hermien Busschbach

European Commission – Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

IOI Malta International course on Regional Ocean Governance, December 2nd 2009

Maritime Spatial Planning: Achieving Common Principles in the EU


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Content of presentation:

• IMP/ global recession

• Maritime Spatial planning

• Links with MSFD and data

• Future steps on Maritime Spatial planning


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Examples of economic recession in Maritime transport

• Overcapacity and global recession affects container shipping business profitability

• Around $68 billion of global revenues will be wiped out during 2009 (est. Drewry)

• Overcapacity expected to remain the upcoming years

• 1st half of 2009:

Rotterdam -15,1% Hamburg -28,6% Antwerp -18,5% Bremerhaven -20,8%


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Maritime economic aspects in the Blue Paper

“The first goal of an EU Integrated Maritime Policy is to create optimal conditions for the sustainable use of the oceans and seas, enabling the growth of maritime sectors and coastal regions”

“Business integration and competitiveness in the maritime sector are greatly enhanced by the formation of multi-sectoral clusters. These clusters are instrumental to maintain the maritime know-how of Europe and will occupy therefore a central position in the Maritime Policy.”

“The Commission will encourage the formation of multi-sectoral clusters and regional centres of maritime excellence, and promote a European network of maritime clusters.”


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How can Integrated Maritime Policy contribute to respond to the economic crisis

• Creating investment, jobs and wealth by making the best use of our seas and oceans.

• Enhance sustainability of our seas

• Push for research and technology to innovate and change the way business is done (e.g. invest in renewable energy)


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The IMP Action Plan (bleu paper)

Covers different issues and tools for integrated policy:

• Maritime Spatial Planning

• European network for maritime surveillance

• Maritime Data collection


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What is Maritime Spatial Planning?

• MSP is a process

• Builds on the ecosystem approach

• Forward looking

• The process should be open and transparent involving all stakeholders

• It covers all maritime sectors – integrated approach


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Advantages of Maritime Spatial Planning

• Essential for sustainable development of maritime regions

• A tool for promoting rational use of the sea and improved decision-making

• Important for mitigation and adaptation to climate change

• Provides a stable planning framework for maritime investments

• Arbitration between competing human activities


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Land use

Tourism

Oil &Gas

Coastal DefencePorts & Navigation

Military Activities

CultureConservationDredging & Disposal

Submarine Cables

Fishing Renewable Energy

Marine Recreation

Mineral Extraction

Mariculture

COMPETING CLAIMS Maritime Policy


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Cross border cooperation, in context of different levels of government/legislation.

• Global policy/legislation : UNCLOS, IMO

• Different EU regulation regimes a.o.: Common fisheries policy

Bird and Habitat directive

Marine Strategy Framework directive

• Different national and regional policies


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An integrated Marine Governance network

Market(industry)

ScienceCivil society

(NGO’s)

politics

Government(Inter)national,

regional

MSP


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Arguments for a European approach to MSP

• Increasing number of EU Member States use MSP

• Strengthen the competitiveness of EU’s maritime economy

• Provide reliable planning framework for the Internal Market

• Build on the ecosystem-based approach – useful tool for implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive

• Encourage cross-border cooperation

• Coordinate sectoral approaches and reducing the costs of non-coordination

• Facilitate common understanding of MSP


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EU Policy process: The Roadmap on MSP

• Roadmap Communication adopted on 25th November 2008

• Identifies 10 key principles for MSP in the EU

• Stimulate a wide debate on development of a common approach to MSP in Europe

• Important delivery of the Integrated EU Maritime Policy


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The 10 key-principles on MSP

Overarching principle: ecosystem approach

• Using MSP according to area and type of activity

• Defining objectives to guide MSP

• Developing MSP in a transparent manner

• Stakeholder participation

• Coordination within Member States – simplifying decision processes

• Ensuring the legal effect of national MSP

• Cross-border cooperation and consultation

• Incorporating monitoring and evaluation in the planning process

• Achieving coherence between terrestrial and maritime spatial planning

• Strong data and knowledge base


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Policy process: Workshops

Series of 4 workshops to discuss the key principles of the Roadmap:

1. Kick-off conference in Brussels 26 February - more than 130 participants from Member States and maritime sectors

2. Workshop in Ispra (Italy) 23-24 april

3. Workshop in the Azores 2-3 July

4. Final workshop and concluding conference in Stockholm 2 October


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Ecosystem based approach MSP; link with Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)

• The ecosystem based approach is legal obligation of the MSFD and forms also the underlying principle of MSP. Marine Strategy elements can contribute to MSP and vice versa.

• Ecosystem-based approach implies the management of human activities and sustainability objectives.

• In order to reach the Good Environmental Status as required by the MSFD, a programme of measures has to be in place by 2015. It is specified that these can include spatial measures (art 13 (4)) and spatial and temporal distribution controls (annex IV).


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Strong data and knowledge base; link MSP to EMODNET

• reducing uncertainty in knowledge of the oceans and the seas

• a catalogue providing free access to European marine data collections.

• a set of complete interoperable information layers for European sea basins.

• a user-driven process that determines priorities for the collection and assembly of marine data for each sea-basin on a "collect once, use many times" principle


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More information on the messages from the workshop on the key –principles on the DG Mare Website.

http;//ec.europa.eu//maritimeaffairs/spatial_planning


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Policy process: Studies on MSP

• Legal aspects of MSP – concluded (is available on the Commission website)

• Economic benefits of MSP – ongoing

• Two preparatory actions are foreseen for the Baltic and the North Sea / North East Atlantic

• Potential of MSP in the Mediterranean Sea – just about to be launched

• Further studies under consideration


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Policy process: Next steps

• Progress report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament

• Timing: Foreseen for 1st quarter 2010

• Will build on the debate in the workshops, the experience gained through the preparatory actions and the results of the studies conducted so far

Thank you for your attention!

http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/spatial_planning_en.html

Documents

An Ocean of Opportunity: An Integrated Maritime Policy for the EU 1 Hermien Busschbach European Commission – Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and