Baltic Marine Environment
Protection Commission

 

Baltic Marine Environment
Protection Commission

    HELCOM-VASAB MSP WG

    Joint HELCOM-VASAB Maritime Spatial Planning Working Group

    A joint co-chaired Working Group on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP), the Joint HELCOM-VASAB Maritime Spatial Planning Working Group (HELCOM-VASAB MSP WG) was launched in October 2010 by HELCOM and the Vision and Strategies around the Baltic Sea (VASAB) Committee on Spatial Planning and Development of the Baltic Sea Region (CSPD/BSR). The Working Group was established to ensure cooperation among the Baltic Sea Region countries for coherent regional Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) processes in the Baltic Sea. The decision to set up this group was made at the HELCOM Moscow Ministerial Meeting on 20 May 2010, promoted by the VASAB Ministerial Declaration on 16 October 2009 in Vilnius. The mandate of the group was extended to 2030 by HELCOM HOD 60-2021 and 85th VASAB CSPD/BSR Meeting in 2021.

    More information about the group can be found here.

    Documents

    Mandate of the HELCOM-VASAB MSP Working Group (PDF)Download
    Work plan 2022-2024 of the HELCOM-VASAB MSP Working Group (PDF) Download
    HELCOM-VASAB MSP Principles (PDF)Download
    Guideline for the implementation of ecosystem-based approach in MSP in the Baltic Sea area (PDF)Download
    Regional Maritime Spatial Planning Roadmap 2021-2030Download

    Policy Area Spatial Planning (PA Spatial Planning)

    The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) has attributed a prominent role to HELCOM and VASAB for the promotion of maritime spatial planning (MSP) in the region, in designating both organisations as co-leads of the MSP segment of the EUSBSR’s Policy Area Spatial Planning (PA Spatial Planning).

    PA Spatial Planning consists of two thematic parts, namely MSP and land based spatial planning. HELCOM and VASAB are the joint coordinators of the MSP part, with the HELCOM-VASAB MSP Working Group acting as its Steering Committee. The policy area seeks to encourage the use of maritime and land-based spatial planning in all member states around the Baltic Sea and develop a common approach for cross-border cooperation.

    More information about HELCOM-VASAB cooperation role in EUSBSR can be found here.

    Vision and Strategies around the Baltic Sea (VASAB)

    EUSBSR’s Policy Area Spatial Planning (PA Spatial Planning)

    EU MSP Directive

    Contacts

    Mock Employee
    Joacim Johannesson

    Co-Chair (HELCOM)
    Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management – SwAM, Sweden
    joacim.johannesson@havochvatten.se

    Mock Employee
    Kai Trümpler

    Co-Chair (VASAB)
    Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency – BSH, Germany
    kai.truempler@bsh.de

    Mock Employee
    Penina Blankett

    Vice-Chair (HELCOM)
    Ministry of the Environment, Finland

    Mock Employee
    Tiina Tihlman

    Vice-Chair (VASAB)
    Ministry of the Environment, Finland

    Mock Employee
    Lotta Ruokanen

    Professional Secretary
    HELCOM Secretariat
    lotta.ruokanen@helcom.fi
    Tel: +358 40 5050 392

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