Assessment of the relevance and effect of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive in the context of the European Green Deal : final report

The specific objective of this study was to assess the relevance and effect of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive in the context of the European Green Deal and other relevant EU-level legislation. The study analysed the suitability of the MSP Directive and its implementation to address current and future challenges as regards the sustainable development of the Blue Economy, including the protection and preservation of the marine environment. From its inception, the interaction between the MSP Directive and other directives was foreseen. The European Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) includes the MSP Directive and Directive 2008/56/EC, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Preamble 15 of the MSP Directive explicitly states that maritime spatial planning will contribute to achieving the aims of other directives, including: - Directive 2009/28/EC, on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources - Council regulation no 2371/2002, on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy - Directive 2009/147/EC, on the conservation of wild birds - Council Directive 92/43/EEC, on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - Decision No 884/2004/EC, on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (No longer in force, Date of end of validity: 24/08/2010; Implicitly repealed by 32013R1315) - Directive 2008/56/EC, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and - Various commission communications. In 2019, the EU adopted the European Green Deal as an integral part of the strategy to implement the UN 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. The European Green Deal (COM(2019 640 final) is "a new growth strategy that aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use". COM(2019)640 finally contains explicit reference to maritime developments, including maritime transport, fisheries, climate change and includes "ways to manage maritime space more sustainably" (in section 2.1.7). As acknowledged in the EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030", achievement of the EU objectives formulated under the Green Deal, and associated actions related to climate change, the Farm to Fork strategy and others, impact on use of marine space and thus interact with the implementation of Directive 2014/89/EU. The main research question addressed in this study was: how can the MSP Directive 2014/89/EU contribute to the achievement of the EU's objectives under the European Green Deal and related relevant legislation?