Twenty six (26) European environmental NGOs, among which MIO-ECSDE, joined their voices in a position paper reacting to the recently published (March 2013) EU Proposal for a Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) and Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) Directive. These NGOs acknowledge the importance of the MSP and ICM as tools to ensure that marine ecosystems and their component habitats and species are taken into consideration in decision making related to the use of coastal and marine areas as well as of ecosystem services. Furthermore, they welcome the proposed requirement for an ecosystem-based approach. However, they are deeply concerned by the high potential of the proposed Directive to be misinterpreted as just a tool to drive the EU’s Blue Growth agenda forwards, while putting environmental objectives on par with sectoral growth objectives.

[attachments template=small-with-title include=”3393″]