- Portugal has one of the largest maritime areas in Europe.
- According to Law No. 17/2014, related to maritime spatial planning and management, the national maritime space extends from the baselines (as defined by UNCLOS) to the outer limit of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.
- Portugal submitted a claim to extend its jurisdiction over an additional 2.15 million square kilometers of the neighbouring continental shelf in May 2009,[ii] which would result in a maritime area with a total of more than 3,877,408 km². The claim is still under examination after Morocco’s reservation in July 2015
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Portugal
WHICH MARITIME SPATIAL PLANS EXIST?
The National Maritime Spatial Planning Situation Plan (PSOEM) corresponding to the subdivision of the mainland, the subdivision of Madeira and the subdivision of the Extended Continental Shelf was approved in December 2019 by the Council of Ministers (Resolution No. 203-A/2019). This document is a significant step towards achieving the objectives set by the Directive but cannot be considered as an effective Marine Spatial Plan yet.
MSP LEGISLATION
In April 2014, Law No. 17/2014 on ‘marine spatial planning and management‘ was approved as the fundamental law for MSP for the entire Portuguese maritime space, including the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. Its enabling legislation, Decree-Law No. 38/2015, entered into force on 12 March 2015, and develops the marine spatial planning and management fundamental law, defining, among others, the regime of maritime spatial planning instruments: i) Situation Plan with the identification of the protection and preservation areas of the maritime space, and the temporal and spatial distribution of current and potential uses and activities; ii) Allocation Plans for the private use of some areas or volume of the maritime area not considered in the situation plan.
National MSP authority
Ministry of the Sea
Contact
Ministry of the Sea
Directorate General of Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM)
José Manuel Marques, Head of Marine Environment and Sustainability Department
jmarques@dgrm.mm.gov.pt
Directorate General for Maritime Policy (DGPM)
Conceição Santos, Deputy Director General for Maritime Police
conceicao.santos@dgpm.mm.gov.pt
Vanda Dores, Head of Strategy Department
vanda.dores@dgpm.mm.gov.pt
Autonomous Region of Azores
Directorate General for Maritime Affairs
Filipe Porteiro, Regional Director
Autonomous Region of Madeira
Regional Directorate of the Sea
Mafalda Freitas, Regional Director