Marine spatial planning is a relatively new area of cooperation in the Baltic
Sea region — a site of long-term joint efforts towards environmental protection
and sustainable development. At the beginning of the 21st century, the integrated
management of coastal zones and marine
spatial planning emerged as a new area
of international cooperation. Despite intensive theoretical work on the mentioned
concepts, the development of a harmonised spatial planning in the Baltic Sea region is complicated by the complex nature
of the problem, a relatively intensive exploitation of marine resources, diverse interests of the stakeholders, and differences in national institutional systems. We
describe the key stages of the process,
which is regulated by the EU standards
on the one hand and affected by the activity of such organisations as VASAB and
HELCOM, on the other. In this article, we
examine basic documents defining the
principles and scope of marine planning
and analyse recent research works into
spatial development. We conclude that
marine spatial planning is a principal
tool of the EU’s integrated policy. Many
European countries of the Baltic region
are seeking cooperation with Russia to
preserve the natural and economic environment of the Baltic Sea. Most joint spatial planning projects have been initiated
by Finland, Sweden, Germany, and Poland