Coastal regions face increasing pressures from population growth and competing uses of coastal and marine spaces. The 2014 EU MSP Directive establishes a framework for maritime spatial planning to promote sustainable development and uses of oceans. While it does not explicitly include integrated coastal management, the directive presents opportunities to incorporate coastal considerations into marine planning. Challenges include implementing planning at various governmental levels, integrating multiple policies, and maintaining engagement over long timescales. Coastal areas will remain important for humans and require sustainable management that considers both land and sea interactions.

1. A European Perspective: Challenges,
Opportunities and the Future of
Coastal & Estuary Management
Rhona Fairgrieve,
29 September 2015

2. Coastal Challenges
Coastal regions among the most populated & productive
• 40% of EU citizens live in coastal areas
• High economic, ecologic, social & cultural value
• Increasing competition for maritime and coastal space
• Increasing pressures on coastal/marine resources
Specific problems
• Inefficient/unbalanced use of space
• Conflicting claims on space
• Non-optimal use of economic potential
• Degradation of coastal/marine ecosystems
(8% of coastal habitats and 11% of coastal species in favourable conditions)

3. A brief history lesson
Year
1992
1993/4
2002
Mid
‘00s
Late
‘00s
Key developments
• House of Commons Select Committee on Coastal
Zone Protection & Planning
• Estuaries & Firths Initiatives set up around UK –
local Coastal Partnerships established
• EU ICZM Recommendation on Integrated Coastal
Zone Management – National Strategies
• Marine planning emerging – Irish Sea Pilot Project
• Thoughts about marine & coastal strategies
• Marine legislation:
– UK: M&CA Act (‘09) and M(S) Act (‘10)
– NL: Spatial plan for NL EEZ
– Mediterranean EU MS: ICZM Protocol to Barcelona Conv.
Also:
• 2000 – Water Framework Directive
• 2007 – Marine Strategy Framework
Directive

4. Early 2010s
• Economic disruption
• Pursuit of ‘Blue Growth’ agenda within
Integrated Maritime Policy
• Some EU MS pursuing marine planning to
accommodate national drivers
• Consideration of / consultation on a Directive
• “Do we need a MSP/ICM Directive?”
• Preliminary proposals developed 2011/12
– First time ever that 2 DGs worked on 1 Directive

7. MSP Directive – 6 March, 2014

8. Directive 2014/89/EU
 Establishes the framework for
Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP)
aimed at promoting the sustainable
growth of maritime economies, the
sustainable development of marine
areas and the sustainable use of
marine resources.

9. Positives
 Sustainable growth, sustainable development & sustainable use
 “Land-sea interactions” to be taken into account
 References to "coastal regions" retained
 MSFD, WFD & INSPIRE – links to legislation across the acquis
 Ecosystem-based approach to be applied
 Coherence between formal & informal processes (incl. ICM)
 Spatial & temporal distribution of activities = planning
 Nature & species conservation to be planned for
 Strategic Environmental Assessment – Recital 24
 Cross-border cooperation, sea-basins & RSCs recognised
 Timetabling: by 31 March 2021.

10. Disappointments
 No inclusion of Integrated Coastal Management in its own
right
 "Coastal waters" only included in relation to maritime
planning, not in its own right (and at discretion of MS)
 Deletion of "coastal zones“ from primary scope of Directive
 Lots of "shall aim to contribute to…", "as appropriate", etc.
 Procedural in nature, not operational
 No Implementing Acts
 No timetable for MS to submit reports on implementation
 Strategic Environmental Assessment – only in a Recital

11. Challenges
• Coasts & estuaries CAN be included in marine
plans – but at MS’ discretion
• LSI means different things to different people –
sensitive subject on which to gain consensus
• Resources – human, financial, data, legislative
provision, etc.
• Timescales – transposition by Sept. 2016; creation
of marine planning authorities and delivery of
MSPs by 31 March 2021
• Integration across policy areas – WFD, MSFD, etc.

12. 2014 2015 2021
MSP Transposition
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
MSP Implementation
M.S.P.
Energy
Environment
Fish
Transport
GES
M.S.F.D.

13. 4 Directives & a Recommendation
Land/ terrestrial areas
Coastal
waters
Marine waters
Territorial watersExclusive Economic Zone
MSP Directive/2014
MSFD/2008
Water Framework &Floods Directives -
2000/2007
Freshwaters (Surface &
groundwaters)
ICZM/2002

14. Opportunities
• “Land/sea interactions”- facilitate understanding
of what it might mean in context of MSP
• ICZM Protocol & earlier ICM work – not wasted!
• Different regimes & requirements:
– UK model: new marine regime to complement T&CP
– Baltics: extension of terrestrial planning to 200nm
• Other EU-sponsored programmes in coastal
areas: ARCH, MARMONI, PAP/RAC, Atlantic
Strategy
• SIMCelt - Transboundary, cross-border MSP?

15. Areas of joint interest
MSFD
MSPWFD
More efficient & sustainable
management of marine
resources
• Ecosystem based approach
• "Land/sea interactions"
• Sound data for decision
making
• Data exchange &
management
• Engagement of
stakeholders & public
participation
• Cross-border cooperation
[ICM]

16. The future for coasts & estuaries
• Humans will still live in coastal areas, not at sea
• Estuaries have substantial infrastructure
investment that isn’t easily moved
• You can’t do marine planning without
considering what happens at coastal margins
• However: beware…
– Stakeholder fatigue
– Decline in/lack of resources and interest
– Mismatch in human/policy/politics timescales

17. MSP Challenge 2050: Assen, NL

18. • ICM -> MSP: complementary, not in conflict
• Exchange of knowledge, support & data
• Local, national & international applications
We’ve come a long way in 20+ years…

19. marijana.mance@ec.europa.eu
DG ENV, Marine & Water Industry Unit

20. Rhona Fairgrieve
rhona.fairgrieve@gov.scot
+44 (0)131 244 2284