Baltic SCOPE kick-off - Intended activities of Black Sea MSP project by Teofil Gherca, Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration of Romania * The information presented is the working exercise of the cross-border maritime spatial planning discussions and can not be treated as the official opinion of the European Commission and the Member States involved in the consortium of the Baltic SCOPE project.

1. CROSS BORDER MARTIME SPATIAL PLANNING
IN BLACK SEA – ROMANIA, BULGARIA
(MARSPLAN-BS)
Kick-off Event of the Baltic Sea project Baltic SCOPE
Riga, 29 September 2015

2. BLACK SEA BASIN SPECIFICITIES
The Black Sea is one of the main EU Eastern gate, a junction between Europe,
Central Asia and the Middle East, important transport and energy hub, a
crossroad of different cultures, a region with political, social and economic
fragmentation.
With a surface area of 423,000 km2 the Black Sea is the largest semi-enclosed
anoxic basin in the world, it is linked to the Mediterranean Sea by the
narrow Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits and to the shallow Sea of Azov by
the Kerch Strait in the north.
The Black Sea is among the most endangered ones in Europe, considered as
a ‘closed’ water basin with unique, dynamic and sensitive ecosystems under
threat by the continental pressures and conflicting coastal and maritime
activities.
It is at the centre of different and divergent geopolitical and strategic
interests .

3. SPECIFICITIES OF MARITIME SPATIAL PLANNING IN BLACK SEA

Only 2 EU member states in the Black Sea Basin;

After some active cooperation in ICZM, prevention of pollution,
economic cooperation in the last period there is a stagnation of the
cooperation between countries from the Black Sea Basin;

Until now very few progress has been made as regard the
implementation of the Directive on maritime spatial planning in both
countries and this projects will very much support the efforts of the
Governments in this direction

10 years of intense cross border cooperation between Romania and
Bugaria;

Relevant experience in cross-border planning (a strategic project –
Common territorial strategy for the cross-border area Romania – Bulgaria
has been implemented in 2012-2015, www.spatial.mdrap.ro);

4. ABOUT THE PROJECT

First project on Maritime Spatial Planning at the Black Sea;

10 project partners from Romania and Bulgaria;

Financed by EU Commission – grants for Integrated Maritime Policy;

Budget: 2.049.015,74 euro (80% EU and 20% own contribution);

Period of implementation (August 2015-August 2017);

Within the partnership there are many experts on all the relevant sector
but no sufficient expertise on MSP;

We intend to valorise and built on implemented MSP projects on other
EU seas.

5. PARTNERSHIP

Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration (Ro) – lead
partner;

Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (Bg);

Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests (Ro);

National Institute for Marine Research and Development – “Grigore
Antipa” (Ro);

National Institute for Research and Development Danube Delta (Ro);

National Institute for Research and Development in Construction, Urban
Planning and Sustainable Spatial Development – Urban-Incerc (Ro);

Ovidius University of Constanta (Ro);

Institute of Oceanology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bg);

Executive Agency Maritime Administration (Bg);

Bulgarian Ports Infrastructures Company (Bg).
Interest to involve other relevant stakeholders: the Permanent Secretariat of the Black Sea
Commission against pollution, the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning – Turkey,
State Scientific and Research Institute of Urban Design “Dipromisto” - Ukraine.

6. WP1 - CROSSBORDER MARITIME SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT
A. Initial assessment

Elaboration of detailed studies for a complete analysis of the
Romanian and Bulgarian marine areas;

Case studies on major challenges within the Romanian and
Bulgarian
maritime space, three specific areas and for two specific domains:

Eforie area (erosion)

Sfantu Gheorghe (spatial development sketches)

Bourgas (land sea interaction)

Elaboration of detailed study on the establishment of a new ship
routing system in territorial seas of Bulgaria and Romania

Aquaculture and fisheries

Reviewing the institutional and legislative framework relevant for
Black Sea maritime spatial planning in Romania and Bulgaria.

7. WP1 - CROSSBORDER MARITIME SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT
B. Preparing the cross-border cooperation in MSP

Setting out institutional framework for cooperation in cross-border
MSP;

Defining common methodology for analysis and spatial planning
for
maritime cross-border area;

Common strategic framework for maritime spatial planning in
Romania and Bulgaria;

Elaboration of a maritime spatial plan for the cross-border area
(Mangalia – Shabla).

8. WP1 - CROSSBORDER MARITIME SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT
C. Setting our a monitoring system of Black Sea area in MSP

Creation of a common spatial database for maritime areas in
Romania
and Bulgaria;

Defining the indicators to be monitored and monitoring
procedures;

Creation of a data sharing centre supporting the cross-border
maritime spatial planning activities.

9. WP2 - PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Advisory board

Committee Steering

Thematic Working Groups

10. WP3 - COMMUNICATION

2 conferences (kick-off meeting, closure)

1 scientific conference

10 Thematic workshops

1 Website

Publication and materials

Dissemination to relevant institutions for maritime policy

6 Newsletters

11. WP4 – LESSONS LEARNED

Information notes with lessons learned for all the activities;

Conceptual note for using MSP approach in other Black Sea basin
countries;

Report with conclusions and policy recommendations.

Active participation at conferences

12. Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration
Directorate General for Regional Development and Infrastructure
Www.mdrap.ro
Diana TENEA, Director General – project manager
diana.tenea@mdrap.ro
Teofil GHERCA, head of unit – project coordinator
teofil.gherca@mdrap.ro
+40372114519 / + 40752196153