10 Recommendations to improve Maritime Spatial Planning to reach European climate, energy and biodiversity targets

Offshore wind and related electricity grid infrastructure are imperative to reach Europe’s climate targets and strengthen its energy independence. Simultaneously, marine ecosystems – which are already vulnerable – must be protected from further stress caused by climate change and the pressures of traditional and new economic activities. Thorough planning is vital to allocate space to those activities which are most needed and least detrimental to the environment, in line with climate, conservation and restoration objectives.

According to the MSP Directive, EU Member States must develop national Maritime Spatial Plans (MSPs) defining the possible uses of their marine space following an ecosystem-based approach. This Directive aims to keep the collective pressure of maritime activities within levels compatible with the achievement of Good Environmental Status (GES) of the sea.

In 2022, three members of the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) – BirdLife, WWF and WindEurope – analysed available MSPs in the EU to assess how closely they follow the provisions of the MSP Directive, address European renewable energy targets, and contribute to the achievement of GES and other environmental objectives. The recommendations below are based on those assessments and build on OCEaN’s 2021 MSP messages. They identify concrete actions for Member States to undertake and specific points to improve in upcoming national-level MSP evaluations and revisions.

10 Recommendations on how to improve Maritime Spatial Planning

Learn more about the Conference - Speeding up Nature Positive Offshore Energy Infrastructure Deployment

Read OCEaN, RGI and WindEurope's Joint Press Release from the Conference

Case Study on marine environmental data monitoring for nature-friendly offshore wind