Supporting the Implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning in the North Atlantic Region
SIMNORAT was co-funded by the EC – DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) Call for Poposal EASME/EMFF/2015/1.2.1.3
€1.800.000 and 80% of the budget was funded by the EU
SIMNORAT focused on two key objectives:
- Supporting the implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning in EU Member States;
- Launching and carry out concrete and cross-border MSP initiatives between Member States.
To address these objectives the activities undertaken focused on the following issues:
- Initial assessment
- Cooperation on MSP in Western Mediterranean
- MSP process
- Methodology for a transboundary MSP
- Spatial demands and future trends
- Data and information’s requirements for MSP.
- Tools and methods supporting MSP.
- Stakeholder’s engagement
A poster introducing the project is available in English and in French.
Project Results
The following outputs are available from the SIMNORAT project. A Signposting Document directs users and stakeholders towards appropriate SIMNORAT outputs and resources by providing summaries of the components and the main findings.
Several of these outputs are described in detail in the Practices Database. These descriptions can be found using the links under Practices in the left menu. To consult the deliverables directly, click on the links:
The data portal set up during the project is available at https://simnorat.mspdata.eu/
Project Events
A final conference was organised on 29-30 January 2019 in Brest (France). To consult the programme and the minutes please click here. On the first day, presentations introduced the Atlantic setting, informed about the national MSP implementation, gave an overview of the project results and shared the perspectives on MSP of other EU MSP projects. The activities and outcomes of the case studies were presented in a poster session (Bay of Biscay and North western marine waters of Iberian Coast case studies). On the second day, workshops were held on Ecosystem-based management, data needs and information on MSP as well as on Stakeholder engagement.
As part of the case study Spain-Portugal, a transboundary stakeholder workshop was organized in Vigo (Spain) on 27 November 2018 to consider the implementation of a cross-border Marine Protected Area (MPA) between Spain and Portugal. The report and further documents can be downloaded here.
A Stakeholder Conference was organised on 19 December 2017 and a report with the presentations is available online.
Project partners
SIMNORAT involved the following partners:
- Aveiro University (PT);
- CEDEX – Study and Experimentation Centre (ES);
- CEREMA – Expertise Centre on Risks studies, Environment, Mobility and space planning (FR);
- CPRM – Conference of Peripherical Maritime Regions;
- IEO – Oceanographic Institute (ES);
- FBA – French Biodiversity Agency (FR);
- Shom – French Hydrographic Office (FR).