Country information
Basic facts on marine waters
- Territorial Sea (12NM): 121,538.19 km2/ 6NM-Aegean, Levantine Seas & 12NM-Ionian, Adriatic Seas
- Exclusive Economic Zone: 358,091.63 km2
Strategic documents related to MSP
- Special Framework for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development for Aquaculture
- Water Framework Directive (in Greek)
- Marine Strategy Framework Directive (in Greek)
- Presidential Decree “On the declaration of Exclusive Economic Zone in the Ionian Sea, the Ionian Islands and up to Cape Tainaro in the Peloponnese”(Government Gazette A 59/17.04.2025)
- Act of the Council of Ministers “Approval of a National Spatial Strategy for the Maritime Space” (Government Gazette D 227/17.04.2025)
- Ministerial Decision “Technical Specifications of the Maritime Spatial Planning Frameworks (MSPF) of Law 4546/2018” (Government Gazette D 228/17.04.2025)
- Ministerial Decision “Definition of spatial units for the preparation of maritime spatial planning frameworks”(Government Gazette D 229/17.04.2025)
Technical resources related to MSP
- Addressing MSP implementation in case study areas: Inner Ionian Sea – Corinthian Gulf
- Addressing MSP implementation in case study areas: Myrtoon Sea – Peloponnese-Crete Passage
- Reviewing and mapping fisheries restricted areas in the Aegean Sea
- Mapping the Aegean Sea and setting alternative scenarios for MSP
- Adriplan methodology
- Experiences from the Ionian islands pilot project
- MSP exercise in Southern Adriatic/Northern Ionian
- Pilot MSP plan in Lesvos and Rhodes
- WebGIS platform for implementing MSP in Greece and Cyprus
Relevant MSP projects
- CAMP – Coastal Area Management Programme
- MSP-MED “Towards the operational implementation of MSP in our common Mediterranean Sea” (2020-2022)
- ΘΑΛ-ΧΩΡ 2 (THAL-CHOR 2) (2018-2023)
- PORTODIMARE – geoPortal of Tools & Data for sustainable Management of coAstal and maRine Environment (2018-2020)
- SUPREME – Supporting Maritime Spatial Planning in the Eastern Mediterranean (2017-2018)
- CO-EVOLVE – Promoting the co-evolution of human activities and natural systems for the development of sustainable coastal and maritime tourism (2016-2019)
- ECOAST – New methodologies for an ecosystem approach to spatial and temporal management of fisheries and aquaculture in coastal areas (2016-2018)
- MUSES – Multi-Use in European Seas (2016-2018)
- MEDTRENDS – Future Trends in the Mediterranean Sea (2016)
- PROTOMEDEA – Towards the establishment of Marine Protected Area networks in the Eastern Mediterranean (2015-2019)
- MARISCA – Maritime Spatial Planning for the protection and conservation of the biodiversity in the Aegean Sea (2015-2016)
- ΘΑΛ-ΧΩΡ (THAL-CHOR) (2014-2015)
- ADRIPLAN – ADRiatic Ionian maritime spatial PLANning (2013-2015)
- COASTGAP – Coastal Governance and Adaptation Policies in the Mediterranean (2013-2015)
- CoCoNET – Towards Coast to Coast Networks of Marine Protected Areas (from the shore to the high and deep sea), coupled with sea-based wind energy potential (2012-2016)
Current status of MSP
Name of the plan |
NATIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGY FOR MARITIME SPACE (NSSMS) |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
2025 |
Size of planning area in km²
|
479,629.82 km2 |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Ministry of Environment & Energy |
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 Zone |
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)
|
Partial allocation |
Stakeholders involved (Limited /Key sectors /Sectors & Public)
|
Sectors & Public |
Participatory process (Informative /Consultative /Collaborative)
|
Consultative |
Funding (Government /Public-Private /Grants)
|
Public-Private |
Name of the plan |
1st pilot MARITIME SPATIAL PLANNING FRAMEWORK (MSPF) |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
N/A |
Size of planning area in km²
|
N/A |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
N/A |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
Completed |
Assessments for planning
|
Completed |
Plan development
|
Underway |
Plan completion
|
N/A |
Plan approval
|
N/A |
Plan implementation
|
N/A |
Plan review
|
N/A |
National authority in charge of MSP |
Ministry of Environment and Energy |
Governmental funding |
N/A |
External funding |
N/A |
Public-Private funding |
N/A |
Total size of planning area |
N/A |
Time required to complete the planning document |
N/A |
Main issues that led to the adoption of MSP (drivers) |
All sea uses, compliance with environmental objectives |
Stakeholder engagement activities |
Yes |
Sectors included in planning |
All sectors |
Articulation between MSP and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IZCM) |
Land-sea interactions aspects are considered in the Plan in preparation |
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 |
Yes |
Articulation between MSP and climate change (including the Paris Agreement) |
N/A |
Plan approval process |
N/A |
Legal status of the plan (guiding or legally binding) |
|
Plan review process |
MSPFs review process every 10 years (max.) |
Performance monitoring and evaluation |
Evaluation 5 years |
Interactions with neighbouring countries in the context of MSP attending transboundary coherence approaches |
N/A |
Legal framework
Law n° 4546 (GG 101/A/12-June-2018) transposes the EU MSP Directive (2014/89) into the Greek legal system and Law n° 4759/2020 (GG 245/Α/9-12-2020) amending the previous one through Chapter 2.
According to the provisions of the Law n° 4546/2018, MSP is to be subject to consultation with sectoral ministries, regional authorities and the public. It is also to be subject to an opinion/advice from the National Spatial Planning Council.
Contact
Ministry of Environment and Energy
Stavros Papastavrou – Minister