This paper takes stock of the impact the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive 2014/89/EU has had on developing maritime spatial planning (MSP) practice in Europe. Drawing on the practical experience of 22 Member States, it analyses how countries with varying political, planning and regional contexts, as well as varying MSP experience prior to 2014, have chosen to implement the Directive and what lessons they have learned in the process. A key lesson is that while the Directive provides a normative framework for approaching MSP, this has been variously adapted to national contexts. MSP in Europe is thus characterised by varied territorial coverage of plans, different national institutional arrangements for MSP, a variety of planning processes, and a variety of sectors covered by maritime spatial plans. We then examine four topics that are likely to remain prominent in future MSP, namely: • taking account of climate change, • applying the ecosystem approach, • considering social and community impact of MSP and • improving coherence. While planners identify a range of challenges associated with each of these topics, countries have also developed practical solutions, although these are constrained by the respective remit and capacity of MSP as a process. The sheer diversity of maritime spatial plans and approaches, differing overall visions for MSP and methodological challenges, such as cumulative or socio-economic impact assessment, feature among the key challenges for achieving greater coherence in MSP within sea basins and beyond.

Jacek Zaucha and Kira Gee acknowledge the support received within the eMSP NBSR (Maritime Spatial Planning – Joining forces in the North and Baltic Seas) project (EMFF-MSP-2020–101035797). Emiliano Ramieri was supported by the “National Biodiversity Future Centre – NBFC” funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, by the European Union Next Generation EU, project code CN_00000033. Leila Neimane recognizes the support received within the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101034309 in the framework of the SEAS (Shaping European Research Leaders for Marine Sustainability) programme. Sigrid Eskeland Schütz acknowledges the support received within the project Designing a Refined Legal Framework for Offshore Wind in the North Sea Basin (DeWindSea) funded by Akademiaavtalen.

Peer reviewed