EMFAF-2024-PIA-MSP: Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) for the North Sea

Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) can act as a powerful enabler of the European Green Deal and MSP is a key component of a sustainable blue economy. EMFAF support to Maritime Spatial Planning Projects continues to cover the needs of EU Member States in the implementation, monitoring and revision of their maritime spatial plans, as well as to support the cross-border cooperation and combined efforts of countries at sea-basin level to tackle the targets under the European Green Deal and other initiatives (e.g. the Biodiversity Strategy, the Farm to Fork Strategy, EU strategy on offshore renewable strategy). 

 Objectives: 

The objective of this call for proposals is to facilitate the implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning in the EU, including through the effective application of Directive 2014/89 establishing a framework for MSP. This call is intended to fund projects developing innovative responses to tackle specific challenges that EU Members States might encounter when putting into effect, monitoring and/or revising their maritime spatial plans. 

• MSP as an enabler of the European Green Deal: developing strategies and approaches to review/revise maritime spatial plans to make them future proof, more integrated and more coherent, especially in a sea basin context. Contributing to the development or review of the MSPs, taking into account circular blue economy and nature-food-energy nexus, coherently in a sea-basin context. Climate proofing of MSP, including incorporating climate adaptation and mitigation actions and/or strategies. 
• Facilitate/enable the development of marine protected areas and economic sectors (e.g. tourism and maritime/underwater cultural heritage, offshore energy, fisheries, aquaculture) in the maritime domain: ex-ante assessments (Strategic Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment) and environmental monitoring; multi-use in project design and licensing/permits; development of a regulatory framework for multi-use, including Land Sea Interactions; allocation of sufficient sea space, enabling synergies with other sectors / activities. 
• Applying an Ecosystems Based Approach in MSP: designing maritime spatial plans to integrate objectives and measures of other EU instruments (e.g. the Marine Strategy Framework Directive) with the aim to reduce collective and cumulative pressures and ensuring that marine ecosystems are in a healthy, productive and resilient condition. 
• Analysing how maritime spatial plans identified and addressed existing and potential tensions between different sectors: For example analysing the socio-economic implications of the offshore energy development and marine protected areas on recreation and tourism activities, boating, indigenous life, aquaculture and on fishing. Developing strategies on how to address those interactions, social and economic implications, increase the social acceptance and ensure perceived fairness15 in the MSP process. 

 Applicants should identify one among the above priorities, or address a combination thereof, and build their proposal around it. 

 Proposals must relate to activities concerning the following sea basin/area: North Sea. Proposals may and are encouraged to include cooperation with other sea basins (Atlantic, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean, as well as the EU Outermost regions marine areas).  

 Eligible applicants: 

Applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must: 

• be legal entities (public or private bodies) endorsed by the public authorities or bodies in charge of maritime spatial planning at national level in the related coastal Member States. 
• be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.: 
• EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)) 
• non-EU countries in the Atlantic, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, North Seas and the Mediterranean, or having waters adjacent to EU Outermost Regions, under cross-border Maritime Spatial Planning cooperation and only when its participation is necessary for the objectives of a given action and link with activities undertaken under Regional Sea Conventions - Individual proposals by the non-EU countries are not eligible. 
• be public authorities or bodies in charge of maritime spatial planning of coastal Member States. 

 Beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register.  

Budget: 

The available call budget is EUR 2,5 million. The European Commission expects to fund one project.  

 Duration: 

Projects should normally range between 24 and 48 months.  

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) for the North Sea call for proposal 

 Call document: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/emfaf/wp-call/2024/call-fiche_emfaf-2024-pia-msp_en.pdf  

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