What is Capacity4MSP about?
During the last decade significant progress has been achieved in building cooperation networks and creating a strong policy background for maritime spatial planning (MSP) in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). Nearly all BSR countries are engaged in MSP processes and are in various stages of preparation of their marine plans, making our region a front-runner in Europe and the world.
Project platform Capacity4MSP builds on the results of the current and recently completed MSP projects and ongoing MSP processes in the BSR. Capacity4MSP creates a practically oriented and interactive collaboration platform for knowledge exchange and intensified dialogue between MSP practitioners, policy- and decision-makers and other stakeholders.
To ensure the project aims, Capacity4MSP has following tasks:
- Synthesise the outcomes of MSP-related projects in correlation with ongoing MSP processes and activities in the BSR countries;
- Identify support mechanisms for the implementation of the MSP;
- Promote the BSR MSP data portal BASEMAPS;
- Work on follow up of the regional MSP commitments in the BSR;
- Develop MSP roadmap for Russia;
- Organise thematic, multi-level and cross-sectoral workshops;
- Continue the Planning Forum – hands-on meetings for the BSR MSP planners;
- Elaborate the MSP stakeholder involvement and engagement process in the BSR;
- Present project results at the 4th Baltic MSP Forum in June 2021 – a joint final conference organised together with Land-Sea-Act project.
Capacity4MSP tasks
Capacity4MSP involves 9 partners from 7 different countries including Russia and 16 associated partners from 8 BSR countries and 1 outside the BSR. Project is funded by the Interreg BSR programme and its duration is from August 2019 till September 2021.
Why is the project important for the EUSBSR?
The Baltic Sea has limits in terms of its ecological integrity and the available space for different activities which, from other hand, are inherently connected to activities and processes on land. Therefore, transnational cooperation is a core prerequisite for successful and long-lasting planning and management of the sea. Capacity4MSP directly supports the macro-regional commitments and ongoing work towards the finalisation of maritime spatial plans by 2021, by integrating and synthesising various outputs of single projects and relevant MSP activities, analysing them from a macro-regional perspective and ensuring efficient and effective knowledge transition across and beyond the BSR.
Due to MSP`s comprehensive and cross-cutting nature, Capacity4MSP contributes to all three strategic objectives of the EUSBSR. The project's contribution is directly linked to the EUSBSR objective ‘Save the Sea’ where the main task is to ensure and improve cooperation on MSP and by applying the ecosystem-based approach in MSP ensure a rich and healthy wildlife in the BSR. In addition, Capacity4MSP contributes to the EUSBSR objective ‘Connect the region’ and especially ‘Connect the people’. By ensuring space for future activities and protecting the carrying capacity of the marine environment, blue growth can be boosted effectively and successfully, hereby increasing ‘prosperity in the region’.
Capacity4MSP builds a bridge between EUSBSR HA ‘Spatial Planning’, the EUSBSR Policy Areas (PA) ‘Ship’, ‘Energy’, ‘Culture’, ‘Nutri’ and their respective Flagships. In this way, Capacity4MSP capitalizes on mutual synergies and will enhance the effectiveness of EUSBSR cooperation on MSP.
What does the Flagship status mean to the project?
A Flagship status is not only a recognition, moreover, it is a bigger responsibility and commitment to deliver tangible outcomes that will continue to pave the way towards coherent MSP across the Baltic Sea Region.
Capacity4MSP project partners at the kick-off meeting in November 2019
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