PanBaltic SCOPE

The objective of the project is to contribute to more coherent maritime spatial planning (MSP) strategies in the Baltic Sea region (BSR) and to build lasting macro-regional mechanisms for cross-border MSP cooperation.

To achieve the overall objective the project shall:

– Build on the results and experiences from a series of MSP-related projects in the Baltic Sea Region, in particular the Baltic SCOPE project (2015-17), as well as on the national MSP processes;

– Establish a Planning Forum for cross-border cooperation;

– Facilitate and carry out concrete cross-border activities at different geographical levels in the Baltic Sea Region to meet the needs of the national MSP processes and to support the Member States in successfully implementing the MSP-directive;

– Develop approaches and tools at pan-Baltic level to contribute to coherent MSP in the BSR. Coherence is achieved gradually, as countries are at different stages of MSP development and have different needs;

– Support practical implementation of an ecosystem- based approach in MSP in the BSR;

– Develop methods to build better marine spatial planning processes with land use spatial planning processes to emphasize the land-sea interactions influencing the development of the coastal areas as well as the status of the Baltic Sea;

– Share best practices and build new knowledge to inform and support MSP in the BSR.

Nordregio roles

1) As leader of Activity 1.1.5 Lessons Learned, Nordregio provides feedback on progress to planners throughout the lifetime of the project, and conducts an overall assessment oflessons learned: A Lessons Learned Report with the focus on a) solutions on improved cross-border cooperation, b) stakeholder mobilization and integration, c) advancing the implementation of the EBA, d) data sharing, e) Land-Sea Interaction;

2) Leading of WP 1.3. Integrating Land-Sea Interaction into MSP. This WP is to identify and practically work with important aspects of land-sea interaction in the BSR and to work with data and method development to integrate these into MSP. Depending on the practical cases chosen, this might include work with both planning evidence, method development, processes and responsibilities and communication. This implies the following: a) identify important issues arising when integrating an LSI perspective into MSP, both in relation to data, methods, plans and processes, b) develop knowledge and methods for LSI analysis and work with practical problem solving, c) distil important obstacles to integrate LSI into MSP and how these can be overcomed) highlight good practices and formulate recommendations on how to continue working on integrating LSI in MSP in the BSR and beyond.

Potential geographical case studies are the Gulf of Riga and the FI-AX-SE axis (see WP 1.1). The interesting thematic areas identified so far include: linking traffic at sea with ports as a nexus to land-based activities and impacts, tourism and recreation or fishing and aquaculture and their implications for coastal communities, land-based pollution and its implications for the sea and its activities, and socio-cultural analysis in / of coastal areas.