Country information
Basic facts on marine waters
- Territorial sea (12 NM): 13 679 km²
- Exclusive Economic Zone: 98 240 km²
Strategic documents related to MSP
- National Strategy for Integrated Maritime Policy
- Policy Statement for Maritime Spatial Planning
Technical resources related to MSP
Current status of MSP
Name of the plan |
Maritime Spatial Plan of the Republic of Cyprus |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
2023 |
Size of planning area in km²
|
112 000 km² |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Shipping Deputy Ministry |
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 (Local/ Sub-national/ National)
|
National |
Scope (Coastal Zone /Coastal and Marine /Marine)
|
Coastal and Marine |
Purpose (Strategic /Zoning /Comprehensive)
|
Zoning |
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)
|
Consultative |
Funding (Government /Public-Private /Grants)
|
Public-Private |
National authority in charge of MSP |
Shipping Deputy Ministry |
Governmental funding |
Shipping Deputy Ministry |
External funding |
N/A |
Public-Private funding |
N/A |
Total size of planning area |
xxx |
Time required to complete the planning document |
Marine waters of the Republic (Territorial sea and EEZ), approximately 112 000 km² |
Main issues that led to the adoption of MSP (drivers) |
Sustainable growth of the Republic’s maritime economy, sustainable growth in its marine waters and sustainable use of its marine resources. |
Stakeholder engagement activities |
The Council of Ministers, by virtue of Regulations issued pursuant to Law 144(I)/2017, establishes means of public participation and consultation with all relevant stakeholders, authorities and the public concerned, at an early stage in the development and revision of the Maritime Spatial Plan. |
Sectors included in planning |
All marine and maritime sectors |
Articulation between MSP and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IZCM) |
The outcome of coastal management shall be taken into account in the Maritime Spatial Plan by the competent institutions. |
Articulation between MSP and marine conservation (including the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework) |
Conservation needs and trends and compliance with existing protected areas are considered. |
Articulation between MSP and sustainable blue economy |
N/A |
Articulation between MSP and climate change (including the Paris Agreement) |
N/A |
Plan approval process |
The plan was approved by the Council of Ministers, as provided by Law 144(I)/2017 |
Legal status of the plan (guiding or legally binding) |
Legally binding |
Plan review process |
The Maritime Spatial Plan is to be revised as the Council of Ministers may decide from time to time, at least every ten years. |
Performance monitoring and evaluation |
A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan of the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Plan is currently being prepared |
Interactions with neighbouring countries in the context of MSP attending transboundary coherence approaches |
N/A |
Legal framework
The MSP Bill transposing the Directive 2014/89/EU was approved by the House of Representatives of Cyprus on 29 September 2017 and published in the Official Gazette of the Republic on 13 October 2017 as Law 114(I)/2017.
Law 114(I)/2017 was amended by Law 34(I)/2021 published in the Official Gazette of the Republic on 23 March 2021.
Furthermore, a set of subsidiary legislation, namely The Maritime Spatial Planning (General Provisions) Regulations of 2021 (P.I.132/2021) and The Maritime Spatial Planning (Public Consultations) Regulations of 2021 (P.I.133/2021) were published in the Official Gazette of the Republic on 26 March 2021.
Contact
Mr. Kyriacos Aliouris- Senior Marine Surveyor, kaliouris@dms.gov.cy
Mr. Nicolas Ioannou- Maritime Affairs Officer A’, nioannou@dms.gov.cy