Policy Area Spatial Planning
Policy Area Spatial Planning works on a well-integrated and coherent Baltic Sea Region.
The Policy Area Spatial Planning ensures a transnational approach in spatial planning in the Baltic Sea Region and creates a forum and cooperation platform for regional, trans-boundary and cross-sectoral dialogue towards more coherent planning.
Policy Area Spatial Planning focuses on encouraging the use of maritime and land-based spatial planning in all Member States around the Baltic Sea. The overall goal is to achieve territorial cohesion perspective in the Baltic Sea Region by 2030, i.e. the region shall be well-integrated and coherent and has overcome the socio-economic development divides between its individual parts and turned the global challenges into assets.
PA Spatial Planning is currently coordinated by VASAB and HELCOM.
Read more about PA Spatial Planning by visiting our Digital Brochure.
Implementation
PA Spatial Planning has two thematic areas:
- land-based spatial planning;
- maritime spatial planning (MSP).
Land-based spatial planning
Goal: Strengthening territorial cohesion in the Baltic Sea Region through land-based spatial planning.
Strategic target: To increase the knowledge on land-based spatial planning in BSR by organizing regular thematic events and other activities.
Land-based spatial planning has been carried out by all Baltic Sea Region countries at national, regional and local level. PA ensures a joint framework to follow up territorial development trends and challenges, to build a territorial cohesion perspective for the BSR in the 2030, as well as to propose concrete actions to stimulate territorial development potentials to overcome existing gaps. VASAB has established a common platform, which allows partners to meet, network, exchange knowledge and experiences.
The first common spatial vision for the Baltic Sea Region sketched by VASAB was adopted by ministers responsible for spatial planning in Tallinn in 1994. The VASAB Long-Term Perspective for the Territorial Development of the Baltic Sea Region (LTP) provided more focused actions on urban networking & urban-rural relations, accessibility, and management of the Baltic Sea. VASAB Vision for the Territorial Development of the Baltic Sea Region 2040 is the latest contribution to these efforts, adds a territorial dimension to the EUSBSR and was developed in close cooperation with other policy area coordinators.
Maritime spatial planning (MSP)
Goal: Ensuring coherent maritime spatial plans throughout the Baltic Sea.
Strategic target: To draw up and apply maritime spatial plans throughout the BSR which are coherent across the borders and apply ecosystem-based approach.
Maritime spatial planning (MSP) helps various users to balance sectoral interests that compete for marine space and contribute to achieving sustainable use of marine areas to the benefit of economic and social development as well as the marine environment. MSP has to be aligned with terrestrial planning to ensure land-sea interactions. The establishment and implementation of MSP by applying the ecosystem approach is required by the EU MSP Directive.
The Regional Baltic MSP Roadmap 2021-2030, along with VASAB Vision 2040 and HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan sets the framework for MSP cooperation and defines the necessary steps to achieve the goal to draw up and apply maritime spatial plans throughout the BSR which are coherent across borders and apply the ecosystem-based approach to contribute to reaching jointly agreed environmental and climate goals. Transboundary coherence of maritime spatial plans implies strengthening of cooperation with non-EU neighboring countries and organizations.