Country information
Basic facts on marine waters
- Territorial Sea (12NM): 460 262 km²
- Exclusive Economic Zone: 10 911 921 km²
Strategic documents related to MSP
Technical resources related to MSP
Which marine spatial plans exist?
Name of the plan |
National Sea and Coastline Strategy (SNML) |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
2024 |
Size of planning area in km2
|
3 165 438 km² |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
State / Ministry in charge of the Sea / DGAMPA |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
Complete |
Assessments for planning
|
Complete |
Plan development
|
Complete |
Plan completion
|
Complete |
Plan approval
|
Complete |
Plan implementation
|
Underway |
Plan review
|
N/A |
MSP Typology |
|
|---|---|
Scale (Local /Sub-national /National)
|
National |
Scope (Coastal Zone /Coastal and Marine /Marine)
|
Coastal and Marine |
Purpose (Strategic /Zoning /Comprehensive)
|
Strategic |
Political commitment (Informal /Executive decision /Legal statute)
|
Legal statute |
Implementation framework (Guiding /Legally binding)
|
Legally binding |
Main objectives (Biodiversity conservation /Economic development /Multiple objectives)
|
Multiple objectives |
Spatial allocation (Limited /Partial allocation /Detailed allocation)
|
Detailed allocation |
Stakeholders involved (Limited /Key sectors / Sectors & Public)
|
Sectors & Public |
Participatory process (Informative /Consultative /Collaborative)
|
Collaborative |
Funding (Government /Public-Private /Grants)
|
Government |
Name of the plan |
Strategic Document for the Facade (DSF x4) | North Atlantic-Western Channel | South Atlantic | Mediterranean |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
2019 for the strategic component, 2022 for the action plans |
Size of planning area in km2
|
371 096 km² |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Interregional Directorates for the Sea MEMN / NAMO / SA/ MED (x4) |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
Complete |
Assessments for planning
|
Complete |
Plan development
|
Complete |
Plan completion
|
Complete |
Plan approval
|
Complete |
Plan implementation
|
Underway |
Plan review
|
Underway |
MSP Typology |
|
|---|---|
Scale (Local /Sub-national /National)
|
Sub-national |
Scope (Coastal Zone /Coastal and Marine /Marine)
|
Coastal and Marine |
Purpose (Strategic /Zoning /Comprehensive)
|
Comprehensive |
Political commitment (Informal /Executive decision /Legal statute)
|
Executive decision |
Implementation framework (Guiding /Legally binding)
|
Legally binding |
Main objectives (Biodiversity conservation /Economic development /Multiple objectives)
|
Multiple objectives |
Spatial allocation (Limited /Partial allocation /Detailed allocation)
|
Detailed allocation |
Stakeholders involved (Limited /Key sectors /Sectors & Public)
|
Sectors & Public |
Participatory process (Informative /Consultative /Collaborative)
|
Collaborative |
Funding (Government /Public-Private /Grants)
|
Government |
Name of the plan |
Strategic Document for Maritime Basins (DSBM, x4) | French Guiana | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | South Indian Ocean |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
2020 (South Indian Ocean) 2021 (West Indies), 2024 (Guyana) Underway (Saint Pierre and Miquelon) |
Size of planning area in km2
|
3 608 050 km² |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Directorate for the Sea |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
Complete |
Assessments for planning
|
Complete |
Plan development
|
Complete |
Plan completion
|
Complete |
Plan approval
|
Complete |
Plan implementation
|
Underway |
Plan review
|
N/A |
MSP Typology |
|
|---|---|
Scale (Local /Sub-national /National)
|
Sub-national |
Scope (Coastal Zone /Coastal and Marine /Marine)
|
Coastal and Marine |
Purpose (Strategic /Zoning /Comprehensive)
|
Strategic |
Political commitment (Informal /Executive decision /Legal statute)
|
Executive decision |
Implementation framework (Guiding /Legally binding)
|
Guiding |
Main objectives (Biodiversity conservation /Economic development /Multiple objectives)
|
Multiple objectives |
Spatial allocation (Limited /Partial allocation /Detailed allocation)
|
Limited |
Stakeholders involved (Limited /Key sectors /Sectors & Public)
|
Sectors & Public |
Participatory process (Informative /Consultative /Collaborative)
|
Collaborative |
Funding (Government /Public-Private /Grants)
|
Government |
National authority in charge of MSP |
Ministry in charge of the Sea / DGAMPA |
Governmental funding |
Yes |
External funding |
Yes, pilot projects co-financed by the EU |
Public-Private funding |
No |
Total size of planning area |
3 165 438 km² |
Time required to complete the planning document |
2 years |
Main issues that led to the adoption of MSP (drivers) |
European legislation (Framework Directive for Maritime Spatial Planning, Marine Strategy Framework Directive) |
Stakeholder engagement activities |
Participation in the development process (trade unions, private sector, NGOs, etc.) followed by public consultation. Consultation of the dialogue and governance bodies (CNML, CMF, CMBU) |
Sectors included in planning |
Energy, biodiversity, the economy, risks, training, research, tourism, fishing, aquaculture, transport, etc. Any sector of activity excluding national defence. |
Articulation between MSP and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IZCM) |
One and the same document SNML (national) and SFM (façade/basin) |
Articulation between MSP and marine conservation (including the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework) |
Taking account of the MSFD (objective 2). The SNML implements France’s international environmental commitments (national biodiversity strategy, national protected areas strategy, law on nature restoration) |
Articulation between MSP and sustainable blue economy |
Sustainable blue economy section in the SNML (objectives 9, 10, 11, 12, 14) |
Articulation between MSP and climate change (including the Paris Agreement) |
Carbon neutrality is one of the four priorities of the SNML (development of offshore wind power and decarbonisation of maritime transport). |
Plan approval process |
2024 (SNML), 2019 (DSF – SFM), 2022 (DSF – PdA), 2020 (DSBM SOI), 2021 (DSBM – West Indies), 2024 (DSBM -Guyane) |
Legal status of the plan (guiding or legally binding) |
Legally binding |
Plan review process |
The various plans are revised every 6 years, i.e. 2030 for the SNML and 2031 for the DSF. |
Performance monitoring and evaluation |
Under development |
Interactions with neighbouring countries in the context of MSP attending transboundary coherence approaches |
Integrated into the SNML (objectives 15,16), focus on regional maritime cooperation and compulsory cross-border consultation with EU and non-EU member states. |
Legal framework
Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) transposed at national level in the Environment Code (articles L. 219-9 to L. 219-18 and R. 219-2 to R. 219-10) CPEM also transposed in the Environment Code.
Contact
Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGAMPA) Ministry of the Sea
Pierre-Maxime Giora – Deputy Head of the Office for the Monitoring of Maritime Strategies