Results of Maritime Spatial Planning in the EU

Abstract

The paper discusses the main results of the development of maritime spatial planning (MSP) in the European Union by 2023. The study aims to evaluate the experience and developments of the EU in this specific area. Methodologically the analysis is based on regulatory documents, which establish the requirements of the MSP for its coastal member countries. Information from official EU sources on specialised projects and programs has been studied and summarised. The author drew a number of conclusions complementing the latest Russian research in the field of modern marine management. It is argued that by now the EU has created conditions for the planning of certain marine areas for various types of marine activities, provided political, institutional, financial, information, and communication support for such actions. At the same time, the EU is largely focused on cross-border cooperation. An important result for the EU was the organisational factor, within which the management contour of the MSP processes for individual territorial administrative units (country, marine region/subregion, European Union) is being built. The proven algorithms provide the EU with the opportunity to become one of the main global actors that regulate the promotion of MSP technologies in various areas of the World’s ocean.