Legitimacy and EU Marine Governance

Abstract

Measures taken as part of marine governance can have significant implications for the social, economic and cultural interests and identities of individuals and groups of people. This makes it important to inquire about the legitimacy of key laws and policies in this field. The EU has developed a comprehensive set of rules for protection of the marine environment, promotion of sustainable ’blue growth’ and efficient use of marine space. The Chapter assesses and compares the extent to which and how legitimacy is considered in the three main legal instruments making up this regulatory framework, i.e., the Water Framework Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive. Although considerable differences exist between the directives, social and legitimacy aspects generally receive quite limited attention and tend to be addressed mostly by means of public participation, a practice that in itself is associated with considerable legitimacy challenges.