Country information
Basic facts on marine waters
- Internal waters (to the baseline) and Territorial sea (12 NM): Approximately 25 200 km2
- Exclusive Economic Zone: Approximately 11 300 km2 (Note: the EEZ between Estonia and Russia is not agreed)
Strategic documents related to MSP
Technical resources related to MSP
Relevant MSP projects
- MPA Europe (2023-2026)
- MSP4BIO (2022-2027)
- MAREA (2020-2022)
- Pan Baltic Scope (2018-2019)
- Baltic SCOPE (2015-2017)
- Baltic LINes – Coherent Linear Infrastructures in Baltic Maritime Spatial Plans (2016-2019)
- Plan4Blue – Maritime Spatial Planning for Sustainable Blue Economies (2016-2019)
- GAP2 – Connecting Science Stakeholders and Policy (2011-2015)
- BaltSeaPlan – Introducing Maritime Spatial Planning in the Baltic Sea (2007-2013)
Current status of MSP
Name of the plan |
Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
2022 |
Size of planning area in km2
|
30 110 km2 |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Ministry of Finance |
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)
|
Marine |
Purpose (Strategic /Zoning /Comprehensive)
|
Comprehensive |
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)
|
Partial 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 |
Hiiu Maritime Spatial Plan |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
2016 |
Size of planning area in km2
|
3 786 km2 |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Hiiu County Government |
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)
|
Sub-national |
Scope (Coastal Zone /Coastal and Marine /Marine)
|
Marine |
Purpose (Strategic /Zoning /Comprehensive)
|
Comprehensive |
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)
|
Partial allocation |
Stakeholders involved (Limited /Key sectors /Sectors & Public)
|
Sectors & Public |
Participatory process (Informative /Consultative /Collaborative)
|
Consultative |
Funding (Government /Public-Private /Grants)
|
Grants |
Name of the plan |
Pärnu Maritime Spatial Plan |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
2017 |
Size of planning area in km2
|
2 595 km2 |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Pärnu County Government |
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)
|
Sub-national |
Scope (Coastal Zone /Coastal and Marine /Marine)
|
Marine |
Purpose (Strategic /Zoning /Comprehensive)
|
Comprehensive |
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)
|
Partial allocation |
Stakeholders involved (Limited /Key sectors /Sectors & Public)
|
Sectors & Public |
Participatory process (Informative /Consultative /Collaborative)
|
Consultative |
Funding (Government /Public-Private /Grants)
|
Grants |
National authority in charge of MSP |
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications |
Governmental funding |
Financing from state budget |
External funding |
N/A |
Public-Private funding |
N/A |
Total size of planning area |
The Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan solution has been drawn up for the entire Estonian maritime area (both territorial sea and exclusive economic zone), except for the previously planned maritime areas bordering the counties of Hiiu and Pärnu, which will continue to be valid |
Time required to complete the planning document |
Five years, from 25 May 2017 to 12 May 2022 |
Main issues that led to the adoption of MSP (drivers) |
To agree on the long-term principles of the use of the Estonian marine area in order to attain and maintain a good status of the marine environment and to promote the maritime economy |
Stakeholder engagement activities |
The Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan was prepared through three public displays, followed by public discussions. the material has been coordinated with all the relevant ministries and authorities, and interested parties (e.g. professional associations, developers, persons who expressed their wish to participate in the procedure, etc.) and the above-mentioned authorities have been consulted |
Sectors included in planning |
Fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, maritime rescue, renewable energy production, seabed infrastructure, tourism and recreation, protected natural objects, marine culture, cultural monuments, national defense, mineral resources, dumping, permanent connections |
Articulation between MSP and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IZCM) |
Gives general guidelines for onshore planning, coastal management is a competence of the local level |
Articulation between MSP and marine conservation (including the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework) |
MSP takes into account protected areas and their conservation objectives |
Articulation between MSP and sustainable blue economy |
MSP promotes the sustainable growth of a blue economy |
Articulation between MSP and climate change (including the Paris Agreement) |
MSP takes climate change into account |
Plan approval process |
Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan was approved by the Government on May 12th 2022 |
Legal status of the plan (guiding or legally binding) |
Legally binding |
Plan review process |
At least once every five years |
Performance monitoring and evaluation |
The Action Plan will help to monitor the implementation of the Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan and to provide relevant reviews to the Government of the Republic and conclusions on the timeliness and relevance of the Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan |
Interactions with neighbouring countries in the context of MSP attending transboundary coherence approaches |
The plan has been developed in cooperation with neighboring countries. |
Legal framework
Planning on land and in Estonia’s marine waters (EEZ, territorial sea, and inland waters) is based on the Estonian Planning Act, which has been in force since July 2015, and an Order of the Government from October 2012. The two pilot MSP plans are based on this Order. The national MSP process was initiated on 25 May 2017.