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Call key data

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) for the North Sea

Funding Program

European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund

Call number

EMFAF-2024-PIA-MSP

deadlines

Opening
07.05.2024

Deadline
11.06.2024 17:00

Funding rate

80%

Call budget

€ 2,500,000.00

Estimated EU contribution per project

max. € 2,500,000.00

Link to the call

ec.europa.eu

Link to the submission

ec.europa.eu

Call content

short description

The objective of this call for proposals is to facilitate the implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning in the EU, including through the effective application of Directive 2014/89 establishing a framework for MSP. This call is intended to fund projects developing innovative responses to tackle specific challenges that EU Members States might encounter when putting into effect, monitoring and/or revising their maritime spatial plans. Many of these challenges are common to coastal Member States. Therefore, there is a shared interest in developing innovative responses that can apply within a sea basin and/or across sea basins. This means that projects should bring together participants from different Member States, located in a sea basin, or from different sea basins.

Call objectives

Proposals are expected to develop innovative responses to tackle the above-mentioned specific challenges that EU Members States might encounter in the implementation and/or revision of their maritime spatial plans.

Hereunder is a list of priorities related to the aforementioned challenges:

  • MSP as an enabler of the European Green Deal. Developing strategies and approaches to review/revise maritime spatial plans to make them future proof, more integrated and more coherent, especially in a sea basin context. Contributing to the development or review of the MSPs, taking into account circular blue economy and nature-food-energy nexus, coherently in a sea-basin context. Climate proofing of MSP, including incorporating climate adaptation and mitigation actions and/or strategies.
  • Facilitate/enable the development of marine protected areas and economic sectors (e.g. tourism and maritime/underwater cultural heritage, offshore energy, fisheries, aquaculture) in the maritime domain: ex-ante assessments (Strategic Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment) and environmental monitoring; multi-use in project design and licensing/permits; development of a regulatory framework for multi-use, including Land Sea Interactions (LSI); allocation of sufficient sea space, enabling synergies with other sectors / activities.
  • Applying an Ecosystems Based Approach (EBA) in MSP: designing maritime spatial plans to integrate objectives and measures of other EU instruments (e.g. the Marine Strategy Framework Directive) with the aim to reduce collective and cumulative pressures and ensuring that marine ecosystems are in a healthy, productive and resilient condition.
  • Analysing how maritime spatial plans identified and addressed existing and potential tensions between different sectors. For example analysing the socio-economic implications of the offshore energy development and marine protected areas on recreation and tourism activities, boating, indigenous life, aquaculture and on fishing. Developing strategies on how to address those interactions, social and economic implications, increase the social acceptance and ensure perceived fairness in the MSP process.

Applicants should identify one among the above priorities, or address a combination thereof, and build their proposal around it.

Priority will be given to proposals that build on the outcome of prior MSP related projects, relevant to the objectives of the call. In this context, proposals should describe how they build on, complement and differ from finalised or ongoing research and innovation projects, including from EU programmes, where relevant. In case a proposal includes activities in a particular sea basin in which a dedicated sea basin strategy or similar initiative exists, priority will be given to proposals that explain how they contribute to the objectives of the relevant sea basin strategy or initiative.

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Expected effects and impacts

Applicants have to list the main results expected from the project. The expected results to be achieved by the end of the project must be concrete, realistic and time bound and quantifiable, as far as possible.
In particular, proposals are expected to:

  • Ensure that maritime plans are coherent and coordinated across the marine region concerned;
  • Create a repository of best practices and lessons learnt from the project and a list of achievements of the projects, including in coordination with the European MSP platform;
  • Produce two "policy briefs", one at mid-term and one at the end of the project, that summarise the main results of the project and their relevance for the implementation of the MSP Directive. These documents should include elements of "policy feedback", in particular suggestions for changes / improvements in the current EU policy instruments.

In addition, the proposals should identify specific expected impacts in relation to the targeted "Priorities".

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Expected results

Applicants should explain in their proposal how they will implement the activities below described, resulting in concrete and measurable results within the project's duration.

Projects must undertake one or more of the following main activities as part of the project implementation:

  • Specific activities aimed at implementing provisions set out in articles 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the MSP Directive, including the review and/or revisions of maritime spatial plans;
  • Specific activities aimed at implementing provisions set out in article 10 of the MSP Directive (Data use and sharing);
  • Specific activities aimed at implementing provisions set out in article 11 of the MSP Directive (Cooperation among Member States);
  • Specific activities aimed at implementing provisions set out in article 12 of the MSP Directive (Cooperation with third countries).

In addition, applicants should include in their project the following complementary activities/tasks to support the above core activities:

  • Establishment of a Steering Committee (SC) to ensure the overall strategic steering of the project. The SC should comprise relevant representatives of the Member States where the action takes place (such as MSP competent authorities), as well as the beneficiaries involved. The Commission and CINEA may participate in an observer capacity only.
  • Establishment of an Advisory Committee (AC) to provide expert advice on the project's activities. The AC should be composed of a maximum of five recognised experts in MSP or in relevant fields of activity. The Commission and CINEA may participate in an observer capacity only.
  • Working procedures defining how the project and the SC will operate (assigning clear roles and responsibilities, describing the decision-making process, frequency of meetings etc.);
  • An opening and closing conference.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to assign dedicated staff to the development and implementation of the proposed communication and dissemination activities. This should be appropriately reflected in the proposed budget.

The list of complementary activities is non-exhaustive. Applicants may propose additional activities, as long as the proposed complementary activity is justified and establishes a coherent link with the project objectives and the objectives of this call.

Networking with other EU projects

During the lifetime of the projects funded under the MSP calls, a number of events (no more than once per year) may be organised at EU level for the grant beneficiaries to facilitate the exchange of experiences and good practices across sea basins, to foster mutual learning and to enhance the European dimension of Maritime Spatial Planning. Project beneficiaries are expected to participate in these events, which will be held in Brussels or other relevant locations.

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Eligibility Criteria

Regions / countries for funding

EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)

eligible entities

Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs)

Mandatory partnership

Yes

Project Partnership

Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 2 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities), which complies with the following conditions:

  • minimum 2 entities from 2 different eligible countries
  • Applicants must be public authorities or bodies in charge of maritime spatial planning of those coastal countries which are responsible for MSP in the selected area and/or a regional organisation that has competences in Maritime Spatial Planning or activities concerned by Maritime Spatial Planning (nature protection, development of offshore renewables, fisheries). Other public authorities or bodies shall be considered eligible applicants provided that they are endorsed by the public authorities or bodies in charge of maritime spatial planning at national level in the related coastal countries.
  • The coordinator must be established in an EU Member State.

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

  • be legal entities (public or private bodies) endorsed by the public authorities or bodies in charge of maritime spatial planning at national level in the related coastal Member States.
  • be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
    • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
    • non-EU countries in the Atlantic, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, North Seas and the Mediterranean, or having waters adjacent to EU Outermost Regions, under cross-border Maritime Spatial Planning cooperation and only when its participation is necessary for the objectives of a given action and link with activities undertaken under Regional Sea Conventions - Individual proposals by the non-EU countries are not eligible.
  • be public authorities or bodies in charge of maritime spatial planning of coastal Member States.

Specific cases:

Exceptional funding — Entities from countries mentioned in the work programme (if any) are only exceptionally eligible, if the granting authority considers their participation essential for the implementation of the action.

Natural persons — Natural persons are NOT eligible (with the exception of self-employed persons, i.e. sole traders, where the company does not have legal personality separate from that of the natural person).

International organisations — International organisations are eligible. The rules on eligible countries do not apply to them.

Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees for the protection of the EU financial interests equivalent to that offered by legal persons.

EU bodies — EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre) can NOT be part of the consortium.

Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. Please note that if the action will be implemented by the members, they should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible).

other eligibility criteria

Financial support to third parties is not allowed.

Proposals must relate to activities concerning the following sea basin/area: North Sea. Proposals may include cooperation with other sea basins (Atlantic, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean, as well as the EU Outermost regions marine areas).

Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that include cooperation and transfer of results between and/or among sea basins.

Proposals can focus on a part/sub-region of these sea basins/areas.

Activities should normally relate to the EU waters, but may extend into neighbouring waters, if this is necessary for the implementation of the projects (in view of their nature and their objectives) and in particular where cross-border MSP cooperation requires third country involvement in the given sea basin.

Additional information

Topics

Agriculture & Forestry, Fishery, Food, Soil quality, 
Air Quality, Biodiversity & Environment, Climate & Climate Change, Water quality & management, 
Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy

Relevance for EU Macro-Region

EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)

project duration

between 24 and 48 months

Additional Information

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (accessible via the Topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section. Paper submissions are NOT possible.

Proposals (including annexes and supporting documents) must be submitted using the forms provided inside the Submission System ( NOT the documents available on the Topic page — they are only for information).

Proposals must be complete and contain all the requested information and all required annexes and supporting documents:

  • Application Form Part A — contains administrative information about the participants (future coordinator, beneficiaries and affiliated entities) and the summarised budget for the project (to be filled in directly online)
  • Application Form Part B — contains the technical description of the project (to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded)
  • mandatory annexes and supporting documents (to be uploaded):
    • detailed budget table: not applicable
    • CVs of core project team: applicable
    • activity reports of last year: not applicable
    • list of previous projects: applicable

Proposals are limited to maximum 60 pages (Part B). Evaluators will not consider any additional pages.

Call documents

Call document EMFAF-2024-PIA-MSPCall document EMFAF-2024-PIA-MSP(568kB)

Contact

EMFAF
+32 2 299 11 11
Website

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