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1
A race for space in the Belgian marine waters
Marine Spatial Planning in Belgium
International Marine Spatial Planning Symposium: Sharing Practical Solutions/11ht Annual
Ronald C. Baird Sea Grant Science Symposium”
16 May 2012, Providence
Charlotte Herman, Belgium, Directorate-General for Environment
charlotte.herman@environment.belgium.be

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2 Belgian part of the North Sea

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3 Activities in the BPNS

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4 Fisheries

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5 Offshore Wind Energy Zone

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6 Wind farms and export cables

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7 Installed windturbines

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Special Area of Conservation (Habitat Dir)
8
Special Protection Areas (Birds Dir.)

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9 Aquaculture zones (mussel)

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10 Dredge disposal sites

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11 Aggregate extraction zone

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12 Anchorage area

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13 Radar and measuring pillars

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14 Navigation routes

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15 Military zone

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16 Gas pipelines

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17 Telecom cables

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18 A sea of chaos
Map Mare Liberum. Superimposed projection of all users of the BPNS
(GAUFRE report “Towards a Spatial Structure Plan for Sustainable Management of the Sea”)

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MSP issues
Claims for space anno 2012
• No claims have signifcantly been reduced;
• Some existing claims have increased in surface;
- nature conservation (new MPA’s in EEZ),
- maritime transport (short sea shipping),…
• Other claims are likely to increase in the near future:
- wind energy;
- coastal defense –rise of sea level;
- sea ports – expansion; …
• New claims are being considered:
- new aquaculture technologies (extraction of seashells?);
- renewable offshore energy (tidal energy?)
- increase of shipping activities (logistic offshore platform?)

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MSP drivers
• Users of the sea demand for MSP as an integrated MSP will lead to
solve uncertainties and will attract investors (certainty, planning for
the future)
• MSP will contribute to the success of other policy competencies;
e.g. MSP will serve as a tool for the achievement of a Good
Environmental Status by 2020 (as required by the European Union)
• European and international tendency to promote MSP

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21 Marine Spatial Planning in 2012
Caution: the legal basis is still under negotiation, so things might undergo
changes
Legal basis underway:
• Law Marine Environment (1999), as amended
• Royal decree establishing the procedure for the adoption of the Marine Spatial
Plan
• Royal decree establising the Marine Spatial Plan
Initiator / Coordinator:
• Ministerial level – (federal) minister of the North Sea (Mr. J.Vande Lanotte)
• Administration level – (federal) Directorate – General Environment

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Marine Spatial Planning in 2012
Procedure
Pre-draft Plan  Advisory Commission
Draft Plan  Socio-economic public consultation*
 SEA (including public consultation)*
Marine Spatial Plan implemented by Royal Decree
* Formal transboundary consultation

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23 Marine Spatial Planning in 2012
Advisory Commission - Federal and regional (Flemish Region) representatives from public services
- 30 days
Public consultation - Including a public hearing/ stakeholders meeting
- Formal contact with some other governments / institutions
- 60 days
Socio-economic - No formal procedure, to be «agreed» between States
transboundary - 60 days
consultation
SEA transboundary - the « affected State » to decide whether the State wants to take
consultation part in the consultation
- 60 days

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24 Marine Spatial Planning in a later stage
Renewal procedure
- Renewal every 6 years
- Intermittent renewal procedure

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25 Marine Spatial Planning in 2012
MSP = instrument, tool
Plan Content
1. Spatial analysis of Belgian part of the North Sea
- Introduction
- Physical aspects
- Nature value
- Existing user functions
- Existing spatial structure
- Spatial alliances and conflicts
2. Long term vision on spatial use
3. Clear economic, social and ecological objectives
4. Measures, funding, instruments and actions to implement the Marine Spatial Plan

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Challenges
Multi – level government
European Union: policy targets (e.g., CFP, MSFD, IMP,…)
Federal State: general competency for North Sea Policy
 federal public services Internal Affairs, Mobility, Defence, Environment,…
Flemish Region: specific competencies
 fishing, dredging, sea ports, coastal defence, salvage and towage
operations,…
Local authorities: coastal municipalities (e.g., beach)/province (e.g., disaster
plan)

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Opportunities and key factors for success
 Balance - between existing use of space / future use of space
 Multiple use of space
 Long term vision and objectives MSP – future perspective, no ad hoc approach
 Transparency – intelligent use of bilateral consultation, well – informed decision,…
 Stakeholder participation
 Coherence between land and sea
 Coordination within the Belgian state structure – respect competencies (federal, regional,
local, international..)
 Cross-border cooperation and consultation – potential “common” MSP, sea basin
approach,...

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Thank you!