VASAB ministers encourage execution of the joint HELCOM-VASAB roadmap on maritime spatial planning

26 September 2014

The regional roadmap for maritime spatial planning (MSP), first adopted in the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, is today further pushed for implementation by the eleven member states of the Vision and Strategies around the Baltic Sea (VASAB), hosting its 8^th Ministerial Conference in Tallinn, Estonia. The MSP roadmap covering the period 2013–2020 is a key result of the joint HELCOM-VASAB working group on maritime spatial planning, operational since 2009.

The statement of HELCOM in the Conference was given by the Chair, Harry Liiv, referring to the decades’ long knowledge in HELCOM on marine ecosystems, maritime and land activities and their impacts on the Baltic Sea.

“During the 40 year lifespan of HELCOM, the production, exchange and use of marine and maritime information on our region has further intensified. All countries gathered here today have contributed, and will continue to contribute, considerable intellectual and financial resources to develop and maintain this reassuring bedrock of “best available science” for maritime spatial planning and other regional policies related to the Baltic Sea, as a part of the extended HELCOM cooperation. I urge you to use this source of information in Maritime Spatial Planning.”

“Further, I am looking forward to further develop the HELCOM monitoring and surveillance, as well as the resulting data and GIS services, as one of the priorities of the Estonian Chairmanship in HELCOM, to serve even better spatial policy and planning needs,” said HELCOM Chair, Harry Liiv.

An introductory presentation to the Conference was given by HELCOM co-chair in the joint maritime spatial planning working group, Ms. Anita Mäkinen.

The main outcome of the Conference will be the adoption of the Declaration of the 8^th VASAB Ministerial Conference 2014.

Full HELCOM statement