Country information
Basic facts on marine waters
- Territorial sea (12 nm zone): 52 581 km² (includes Åland’s territorial waters, which have an area of 11 764 km²
- Exclusive Economic Zone: 29 080 km²
Strategic documents related to MSP
Relevant MSP projects
Current status of MSP
Name of the plan |
Maritime Spatial Plan for Finland 2030 |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
2020 |
Size of planning area in km2
|
69 897 m² |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Ministry of the Environment, Coastal Regional Councils |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
Completed |
Assessments for planning
|
Completed |
Plan development
|
Completed |
Plan completion
|
Completed |
Plan approval
|
Completed |
Plan implementation
|
Underway |
Plan review
|
Underway |
MSP Typology |
|
|---|---|
Scale (1 = Local / 2 = Sub-national / 3 = National)
|
National |
Scope (1 = Coastal Zone / 2 = Coastal and Marine / 3 = Marine)
|
Coastal and Marine |
Purpose (1 = Strategic / 2 = Zoning / 3 = Comprehensive)
|
Strategic |
Political commitment (1 = Informal / 2 = Executive decision / 3= Legal statute)
|
Informal |
Implementation framework (1 = Guiding / 2 = Legally binding)
|
Guiding |
Main objectives (1 = Biodiversity conservation / 2 = Economic development / 3 = Multiple objectives)
|
Multiple objectives |
Spatial allocation (1 = Limited / 2 = Partial allocation / 3 =Detailed allocation)
|
Partial allocation |
Stakeholders involved (1 = Limited / 2 = Key sectors / 3 =Sectors & Public)
|
Sectors & Public |
Participatory process (1 = Informative / 2 = Consultative / 3 =Collaborative)
|
Collaborative |
Funding (1= Government / 2 = Public-Private / 3 = Grants)
|
Government |
Name of the plan |
Maritime Spatial Plan of the Åland Islands |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
2021 |
Size of planning area in km2
|
11 764 km² |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Government of Åland |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
Completed |
Assessments for planning
|
Completed |
Plan development
|
Completed |
Plan completion
|
Completed |
Plan approval
|
Completed |
Plan implementation
|
Underway |
Plan review
|
N/A |
MSP Typology |
|
|---|---|
Scale (1 = Local / 2 = Sub-national / 3 = National)
|
Sub-national |
Scope (1 = Coastal Zone / 2 = Coastal and Marine / 3 = Marine)
|
Marine |
Purpose (1 = Strategic / 2 = Zoning / 3 = Comprehensive)
|
Strategic |
Political commitment (1 = Informal / 2 = Executive decision / 3= Legal statute)
|
Informal |
Implementation framework (1 = Guiding / 2 = Legally binding)
|
Guiding |
Main objectives (1 = Biodiversity conservation / 2 = Economic development / 3 = Multiple objectives)
|
Multiple objectives |
Spatial allocation (1 = Limited / 2 = Partial allocation / 3 =Detailed allocation)
|
Partial allocation |
Stakeholders involved (1 = Limited / 2 = Key sectors / 3 =Sectors & Public)
|
Key sectors |
Participatory process (1 = Informative / 2 = Consultative / 3 =Collaborative)
|
Collaborative |
Funding (1= Government / 2 = Public-Private / 3 = Grants)
|
Government |
The regional land use plans of eight Regional Councils cover both land and coastal maritime waters – there are several ratified land use plan:
National authority in charge of MSP |
Ministry of the Environment |
Governmental funding |
Yes |
External funding |
European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, Operational Programme for Finland |
Public-Private funding |
No |
Total size of planning area |
69 897 km² |
Time required to complete the planning document |
Four years, the period from 2017 to 2020. The plan update will be carried out from 2024 to 2027. |
Main issues that led to the adoption of MSP (drivers) |
EU’s Integrated Maritime Policy, Implementation of the EU MSP Directive; The Plan update is driven by European Green Deal as well as maritime security and self sufficiency. |
Stakeholder engagement activities |
Collaborative process with various engagement activities |
Sectors included in planning |
energy sectors, maritime transport including ports, maritime industry, fishing and aquaculture, blue biotechnology, extractive sector, tourism and recreation, maritime cultural heritage, as well as the preservation, conservation and improvement of nature. Attention is paid to national defence needs. |
Articulation between MSP and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IZCM) |
MSP and ICZM are integrated processes. |
Articulation between MSP and marine conservation (including the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework) |
National marine conservation is considered in MSP decision-making |
Articulation between MSP and sustainable blue economy |
Continuous collaborative process both at the national and regional level |
Articulation between MSP and climate change (including the Paris Agreement) |
Climate-smart MSP is an overarching concept considered both in national MSP and in sea-basin collaboration |
Plan approval process |
Eight coastal regional councils approve the plan for each of their respective marine areas. |
Legal status of the plan (guiding or legally binding) |
Guiding |
Plan review process |
The review process has been started in early 2024. |
Performance monitoring and evaluation |
The M&E framework has been established, the evaluation of communication and interaction was carried out in 2024, and the monitoring of plan implementation is ongoing. |
Interactions with neighbouring countries in the context of MSP attending transboundary coherence approaches |
Continuous interactions with Baltic Sea countries through various collaboration networks such as Helcom-Vasab MSP WG and the Planners’ Forum. |
Legal framework
The Maritime Spatial Planning Directive was transposed into Finnish law in 2016. MSP regulations are covered by the Land Use and Building Act (482/2016), which is the most important act to steer land-use, spatial planning and construction.
Eight Coastal Regional Councils are responsible for drafting and approving maritime spatial plans in the territorial waters and on the EEZ.
There are three maritime spatial plans covering both territorial waters and the EEZ: one for the Northern Bothnian Sea, the Quark and Bothnian Bay drafted by the Regional Councils of Lapland, Oulu region, Central Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia; one for the Archipelago Sea and Southern Bothnian Sea drafted by the Regional Councils of Satakunta and Southwest Finland; and one for the Gulf of Finland drafted by the Regional Councils of Helsinki-Uusimaa and Kymenlaakso.
Additionally, MSP plan for the Å land Islands has been developed and came into force on 22.3.2021. The MSP of Å land Islands was developed according to a separate planning legislation -regulations in chapter 5. §§ 24a and 24b Water Act (1996:61).
Contact
Mari Pohja-Mykrä – Ministerial Advisor
PO Box 35, FI-00023 Government, Finland