HELCOM, Integrated Approaches and MSP Hermanni Backer HELCOM Secretariat First Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Thematic Discussion on Maritime Policy Tallinn 15 October 2010

Story of the river Ilissus

Integration, but how exactly and to what ends? Integration certainly needed EU BS Strategy -an effort to integrate various regional Baltic Sea policies EU Maritime Policy -an effort to integrate various European maritime policies...including MSP- a label to efforts to integrate policies with spatial dimensions These cover many well-meant goals –But how do they work together? –What is the outcome of balancing between different interests?

HELCOM & Ecosystem Based Approach Rio 1992 and follow-up... HELCOM – OSPAR Ministerial Meeting in 2003 HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) 2007 EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive

Horizontal action par excellence - Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Aims to cross sectoral, and thematic, divides for more coherent management Focuses on space (also other types of management needed) Has potential for i.a environmental integration (of e.g. HELCOM BSAP) –and promoting more sustainable practices HELCOM- VASAB cooperation. Future participation from the wider EU BS Strategy community? Fisheries?

PLAN BOTHNIA An EU IMP MSP preparatory action, coordinated by HELCOM, which was selected for funding by DG MARE in September 2010 Will test MSP, through assessment and a draft plan, in the Bothnian Sea between Sweden and Finland Partners are Swedish and Finnish national institutions for Fisheries, Environment, Maritime Affairs and Spatial Planning, as well as VASAB 2010 and Nordregio

Information and science needs e.g. What are the environmental, social, cultural and economic values at stake? What is Good Environmental Status? What human activities take place in which parts of BS? What is sustainable level of human activity x? Comulative activities?

HELCOM GIS www services

Thank you!