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PartiSEApate! Register for autumn round of pan-Baltic dialogues

Registration open for autumn series of PartiSEApate workshops

Registration is now open for the following pan-Baltic dialogues on MSP:

Data network building for MSP in the Baltic Sea

15th - 16th October 2013, lunch to lunch – Location: BSH, Hamburg (Germany)

Organiser: German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. Contact: Bettina Käppeler

Transnational MSP data harmonization and requirements are the subject of detailed discussions in the PartiSEApate pilot cases and the recommendations for a pan-Baltic MSP governance model. This workshop will bring together INSPIRE contact points and various maritime data providers throughout each Baltic Sea Region country. Based on impulse statements and showcases from existing networks and pilot projects, including HELCOM speakers, participants will jointly explore ways for making data networks with relevance for MSP compatible with each other.

MSP, shipping and ports

24th October 2013, 9.00 - 16:00 – Location: Skane European Office in Brussels (Belgium)

Organiser: Region Skane back-to-back with MONALISA / MONALISA 2.0 Joint Workshop (23rd Oct 2013). Contact: Peter Askman

Shipping lanes and access to port routes are key elements of every maritime spatial plan. In the Baltic Sea, where shipping is already very intense, further growth is expected. At the same time the sector will need to respond to growing environmental, safety and efficiency demands. With impulse statements from representatives of the shipping and ports sector as well as pilot case presentations we want to jointly explore the maritime spatial planning implications, identify key bottlenecks, conflicts and synergies with other stakeholders and look for possible solutions.

The role of MSP as a management tool for nature protection

31st October - 1st November 2013 – Location: Ministry of Environment, Riga (Latvia)

Organiser: Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology. Contact: Elina Veidemane

As the environmental pillar of the EU Integrated Maritime Policy, the Maritime Strategy Framework Directive sets the goal of achieving “good environmental status” of marine waters by 2020. MSP is viewed as one of the measures to achieve these goals. With impulse statements from HELCOM, WWF and pilot case presentations, relevant stakeholders from all Baltic Sea region countries are invited to discuss how MSP can serve as a management tool for safeguarding and protecting the marine and natural environment at the Pan-Baltic level, what kind of spatially relevant concepts are already available and how these may be implemented also in times of knowledge gaps.

Offshore energy production and MSP

7th - 8th November 2013, lunch to lunch – Location: BSH, Hamburg (Germany)

Organiser: German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. Contact: Bettina Käppeler

Offshore wind parks have been a key driver for MSP as they represent a new place-based infrastructure often in competition for space with other uses. Numerous challenges have to be addressed by spatial planners when it comes to offshore wind energy, such as identification of appropriate marine areas for the turbines and cable connections, considering coastal infrastructure, buffer zones and possible combined uses, land-sea grid integration as well as transnational super-grid developments which may allow for import and export of energy when suitable. Invited speakers represent the energy and grid companies, relevant country agencies and research and pilot project representatives.

PartiSEApate cooperates with HELCOM for workshop on MSP and fisheries: "Fishing for Space"

14th November 2013 – Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Vilnius (Lithuania)

Organiser: HELCOM.  Contact: Marco Milardi

The fishery sector is a very important stakeholder when it comes to planning maritime space. At the same time it has so far been a challenge to get access to relevant fishery data as well as finding appropriate spatial planning tools. In cooperation with HELCOM, which acts as the main organiser, PartiSEApate will join forces in preparing the workshop to discuss how fishery management can be integrated into maritime spatial planning, presenting experience and findings from both PartiSEApate pilots as well as other Baltic and Atlantic-based projects. The results from this workshop will be taken into consideration in the same manner as all other pan-Baltic dialogues organised directly within the framework of the PartiSEApate project.

MSP country fiches available for all BSR countries

As input to the Helcom Ministerial Conference to be held on October 3rd 2013, country fiches have been developed for all countries around the BSR providing a brief overview on the status of Maritime Spatial Planning. In a concise way, each fiche shows:

  • Delimitation of marine waters
  • Current governance structures on MSP
  • Main sea uses
  • Maritime spatial planning legislation
  • Description of maritime spatial plans (in force and/or planned)
  • Relationship between MSP and environmental protection
  • Main contact points of responsible bodies for MSP

PartiSEApate "on the move"

You can meet PartiSEApate project partners and learn more about the project during the following events:

Reports and presentations on Pan-Baltic Dialogues held in spring 2013 now available

Reports summarising the main results from the Pan-Baltic Dialogues held thus far (along with all Powerpoint presentations) are available for download on the PartiSEApate website. Topics covered so far include:

First transnational Lithuanian / Latvian MSP stakeholder meeting

The 1st meeting introducing Lithuanian MSP solutions to Latvian stakeholders was held on June 19th 2013 in Liepaja, Latvia, hosted by the Baltic Environmental Forum (Latvia) and the Coastal Research and Planning Institute (Lithuania). Around 50 participants including representatives of Latvian ministries, the energy and shipping sectors, local municipalities, NGOs, VASAB, researchers and planners joined the meeting. The discussion centered on the aims and objectives of the Lithuanian MSP process, the definition of existing sea uses, future developments that require cross-border coordination and the identification of potential conflicts or synergies for new/future spatial uses in the LT/LV sea area. 

Key findings of the meeting:

  • At the current stage the issues of highest priority for cross-border consultations are environmental protection and the development of deepwater facilities in the coastal segment of Būtinge – Šventoji. Particular stakeholder concerns relate to enhanced coastal erosion processes and potential pollution risks for the marine environment in the LT/LV sea area.

  • The most important synergies for stakeholders in the LT/LV sea area refer to (1) joined LT/LV offshore wind energy development using joined cable connections, ensuring land-sea integration through Būtinge port, where pipelines, cables and infrastructure already exist, (2) the development of cross-border environmental monitoring programs in order to ensure Good Environmental Status and (3) the use of the Lithuanian MSP experience in the establishment of an inter-ministerial panel in the forthcoming Latvian MSP process and for cross-border consultation.

  • Stakeholders identified as essential requirement for cross-border consultation the availability of an MSP stocktake on biological conditions and infrastructure development from neighbouring countries in order to ensure planning connectivity on the sea space. 

For more information download our summary report.

Maritime Spatial Planning Course for Professionals - Late registrations still accepted until end of THIS WEEK !!!

A course for professionals involved in MSP around the BSR is being organised by the Maritime Institute in Gdansk in cooperation with the Blekinge Technical University, the World Maritime University and the Baltic University Programme. The course, which includes distance work as well as two seminars (Gdansk, 23rd-25th September 2013 / Malmö, 28th-30th October 2013) starts on 9th September 2013. If you are still interested in registration please contact Paula Lindroos.