The North Sea is both an environmental asset and a source for value generation for different maritime sectors. Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is a tool to help balance the often competing user interests as well as environmental protection aims. However, MSP can only be effective, if national Maritime Spatial Plans are coordinated and not contradictory. A lack of MSP coordination leads to spatial inefficiencies, higher costs for maritime industries and compromised environmental objects. The NorthSEE project launches a sea-basin wide coordination process among MSP authorities in the North Sea Region (NSR). In this context, NorthSEE aims at achieving greater coherence in MSP across the NSR for three transnational topics: environmental aspects, shipping routes and energy infrastructure. The project started in 2016 and will run for three years.
