Slovenia

National authority in charge of MSP

Governmental funding

External funding

Public-Private funding

Size of planning area

• The territorial sea comprises 166.9 km2, internal waters 64.3 km2, in total 213.2 km2
•  Internal waters of the Republic of Slovenia are contained within Koper Bay, where the country’s principal and only port is located, and within Piran Bay. Internal waters include all ports, bays, and the anchorage area of the Port of Koper.
•  Territorial waters of the Republic of Slovenia are in the sea area that extends from the baseline towards the open sea to the extents according to the international law or to the extents of the borderline defined by an international agreement.

Time required to complete the planning document

Main issues that led to the adoption of MSP (drivers)

Stakeholder engagement activities

The Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning was coordinating the preparation of Maritime spatial plan of Slovenia. The process also included broad consultation involving stakeholders from the national (ministries and national public institutions) and local levels. In the process are participating also coastal local municipalities, the relevant economic actors of different sectors and business support organizations, universities and research institutions and NGOs (civil organizations).

Sectors included in planning

Articulation between MSP and coastal zone management

Articulation between MSP and marine protected areas

Maritime spatial plan of Slovenia will be judged in accordance with the SEA Directive. In the procedure for comprehensive environmental impact assessment, the effects of the plan will be evaluated on the basis of the environmental report. The procedure is conducted by the ministry, responsible for the environment.

Articulation between MSP and sustainable blue economy

• In the Slovenian territorial sea, a number of activities are carried out which in spite of the diversity of their programmes are already largely coordinated with each other
• Visible disparities are evident between the fishing activities and maritime transport (particularly in the area of traffic separation scheme), protection and development interests in the coastal zone (nature, tourism, transport, interests of local communities) and between specific seasonal nautical and tourism activities in the coastal zone (swimmers, navigation, anchoring)
• The Port of Koper is among the largest “space users” due to its anchorage area and different impacts on the environment. Large cargo ships sail to the northern Italian ports of Trieste and Monfalcone through the Slovenian sea. Future technological and business growth of the ports in the Northern Adriatic will lead to the expansion of maritime traffic and the resulting increase in the environmental impacts
• There is a significant lack of space in the field of aquaculture, since all breeding fields at Debeli rtič, Strunjan and Seča are fully occupied
• The interstate memorandum on traffic separation scheme is the most notable regulatory regime, which area covers approx. 50% of the entire Slovenian sea and presents an evident limitation for other activities and uses (fishing, sports, etc.)
• Research of the underwater cultural heritage is clearly insufficient. According to the official records of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, there are 38 sites registered, but there are another 52 that have not been investigated and properly secured. Underwater heritage is subjected to intense damage and destruction due to the shallowness of the Gulf of Trieste, large ships with deep drafts, frequent anchoring and bottom fishing
• In the field of energy products (oil, gas and other energy sources) no activities and interests were identified. Because of limited spatial possibilities, a wide range of users already present in the area and the potential possibilities, this industry is hardly feasible and it is environmentally questionable
• Among all recorded activities (and the related uses of marine land), there are many historically linked to the marine environment; therefore, their presence in the area has a wider social significance (saltpans, shellfish farms, local harbours – culture, identity, tradition, tourism, etc.). In the MSP preparation, it will be essential to ensure the conditions for their long existence and qualitative development
• Identification of the areas (interests of local communities) that can be governed and planned by local communities. It would be reasonable to determine the areas and modalities of spatial intervention in the coastal zone, where the local communities could independently intervene both in the coastal and marine areas. It is appropriate that the local communities can independently start the process of spatial documents preparation for the agreed locations and types of interventions (as defined in the legislation), and join in the preparation of River Basin Management Plans

Plan approval process

Legal status of the plan (guiding or legally binding)

Plan review process

Performance monitoring and evaluation