A North Sea Perspective on Shipping, Energy and Environmental Aspects in Maritime Spatial Planning (NorthSEE)

Project background

• The North Sea Region (NSR) is one of the busiest areas for shipping and exploitation of natural resources (oil, gas, wind, etc.) in the world, and contains unique natural reserves.

• The countries around the NSR are frontrunners when it comes to Maritime Spatial Planning. Most of them have implemented or are developing national Maritime Spatial Plans to promote sustainable development of the sea within their national boundaries.

• Relevant authorities have used their own planning methods and processes to develop these plans. Exchange of the different approaches can serve as a source of inspiration for improving national MSP processes.  Furthermore exchange can improve mutual understanding of the different national MSP systems and hence facilitate coordination.

• Given that the North Sea is a transnational area, coordination among national Maritime Spatial Plans is useful to capture synergies and to prevent incompatibilities concerning shipping routes, energy infrastructure and environmental protection.

Objectives

The NorthSEE project aims to achieve:

• Greater coherence in Maritime Spatial Planning (processes) and in Maritime Spatial Plans (capturing synergies and preventing incompatibilies.

• Creating better conditions for sustainable development of the area in the fields of shipping, energy and environment protection.

Activities

Actions within activities

Click on the activity names (or in the side balk left) for a detailed description of the actions within the activities.

Sectoral activities

Environment                         Shipping                          Energy

Integrated and horizontal activities

  MSP Coordination                   MSP Challenge                  Infoquarium  

Project presentation

The MSP Challenge in the NorthSEE project