The Planning Forum of the Pan Baltic Scope collaboration met in Tallinn, Estonia on 28-29 May 2019 to work and discuss maritime spatial planning around the Baltic Sea. Read this short summary and review the presentations to get the idea of what was discussed during the sixth Planning Forum in the Pan Baltic Scope collaboration.

TOPICS THIS TIME:

• Pressing issues
• Activity priorities
• Fisheries and offshore wind energy
• Green infrastructure
• Lateral meetings held
• Follow-up on regional framework
• Long lasting mechanisms
• Closing conference contribution

SOME OF ISSUES RAISED AT THE PLANNING FORUM:

• Bottom trawling, marine protected areas and spatial planning
• Municipalities and guidance
• Notifying of an adopted plan

GIVING OVERVIEW ON HOW FISHERIES AND OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY COEXIST AND IS HANDLED

Summaries mapped how the countries handle coexistence between fishing and offshore wind farms in plans; during surveying, constructing, operating. The task force will get back on next meeting in September to discuss further findings.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

Essential fish habitats and first pan-Baltic maps. A step forward compared to before Pan Baltic Scope work. Green infrastructure definition, method, maps, connectivity and how to use maps and results in planning. And green infrastructures as both factories and as highways.

Presentations:

Essential Fish Habitats (and Marine Spatial Planning)

Concept of GI and its possible application in MSP process

Latvian case – testing concept at national scale

HANDS ON INPUT ON ASSESSING THE BALTIC REGIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR MSP

Assessed the assessment – proposed if and if so what to complement or make clearer in the joint HELCOM-VASAB principles, principles used in the whole sea basin of the Baltic Sea. A basin surrounded by 10 countries.

Presentation:

Assessment of Regional MSP Frameworks

IDEAS FOR CLOSING CONFERENCE – MSPFORUM

MSPforum Global meets regional will take place on 19-21 November 2019 in Riga, Latvia. Event will join the 3rd Baltic MSP Forum, 4th edition of MSP Global MSPforuma and the closing conference of Pan Baltic Scope collaboration. During the MSPforum Pan Baltic Scope will present and discuss the project topics and results. Regarding the Planning Forum, idea is to present what the Planning Forum has done, what we learnt from that, and listen to how neighbours in other parts of the world are collaborating to work together and exchange vital planning knowledge.

ABOUT THE PLANNING FORUM

The planning forum is an informal, international forum for maritime spatial planning in the Baltic Sea, in the Pan Baltic Scope collaboration. It is attended by the 12 project partners and 8 planning authorities. This the 6th Planning Forum took place during 7.5 hours on 28 to 29 May 2019. The forum was followed by the Estonian consultation on Estonia’s proposed MSP plan. Read more about Planning Forum here.