{"id":22447,"date":"2026-05-21T14:54:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifeplatform.eu\/?p=22447"},"modified":"2026-05-21T14:54:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:54:18","slug":"the-european-parliament-calls-for-an-inclusive-and-equitable-approach-to-maritime-spatial-planning-echoed-by-small-scale-fishers-in-european-maritime-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeplatform.eu\/fr\/the-european-parliament-calls-for-an-inclusive-and-equitable-approach-to-maritime-spatial-planning-echoed-by-small-scale-fishers-in-european-maritime-day\/","title":{"rendered":"The European Parliament Calls for an Inclusive and Equitable Approach to Maritime Spatial Planning – echoed by Small-Scale Fishers in European Maritime Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday in Strasbourg, in Plenary Session, the European Parliament adopted a motion for a Resolution on \u201cthe impact of the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive 2014\/89\/EU on fisheries in selected fishing areas and sea basins\u201d, reflecting many of the priorities currently being raised by small-scale fishers at European Maritime Day in Cyprus.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) welcomes the adoption of the European Parliament\u2019s Motion for a Resolution on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP).<\/strong> The Resolution paves the way for developing the Ocean Act, a new piece of framework legislation which aims to strengthen ocean governance in the EU, serving as a single reference point for all economic, climate, environmental, and social targets to protect and sustainably use ocean resources. It is set for adoption in 2026.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Drafted by the French MEP Madame St\u00e9phanie Yon-Courtin, Vice-Chair of the Pech Committee for the Renew Group<\/a>, and from the French maritime region of Lower Normandy, the adoption of this motion for a resolution on the eve of European Maritime Day (EMD) is highly significant. EMD brings together stakeholders and decision makers from all sectors of the Blue Economy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Resolution is also timely in the sense that coastal waters are increasingly dominated by big, financially powerful and politically influential players, encouraged by the rise of the Blue Economy and the green transition towards off-shore renewable energy. A red carpet has been rolled out for them, and fisheries are essentially being squeezed out in a highly unfair, unstructured and destructive process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In its current form, \u201cthe MSP directive tends to favour the expansion of capital-intensive and spatially exclusive economic activities, which could marginalise traditional, mobile and collective uses of the sea, in particular fishing\u201d, legislators note. \u201cFisheries and aquaculture are strategic sectors for the security and sovereignty of the EU, particularly in terms of food security and maritime sovereignty, and contribute to the competitiveness and resilience of coastal communities\u201d, and \u201cthe strategic value of these sectors should therefore be duly recognised in MSP\u201d, they point out, noting that: \u201censuring sufficient, balanced and predictable access to maritime space is therefore essential for developing competitive EU fisheries, as recognised by the European Ocean Pact\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Resolution laments that the \u201ccurrent MSP legal framework has not satisfactorily delivered the expected benefits for fisheries\u201d. For this to happen, \u201cMSP must be inclusive, ensuring the early, continuous and effective involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including fishers and shellfish gatherers and their representative organisations, and communities in the outermost regions, through a bottom-up approach and throughout the decision-making process, ensuring that this involvement is appropriate, meaningful and not limited to a merely consultative role\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Resolution highlights \u201cthe essential role of small-scale fishing\u201d,\u00a0 and calls for \u201cMSP to take this segment fully into account, particularly in terms of access to space, proximity to fishing grounds and the safety of activities\u201d. It calls for \u201c <\/span>a differentiated approach to the management of small-scale fisheries that includes preferential access within the 12 nautical mile zone for small-scale fisheries, low-impact activities and conservation projects<\/b>\".\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"These recommendations are closely aligned with the LIFE and Blue Ventures \u201c<\/span>Feuille de route pour une p\u00eache \u00e9quitable<\/span><\/a>\u201d, which calls for an \u201cAction Plan for Small-Scale Fisheries in Europe by 2026\u201d and is currently being presented by a delegation of fishers at European Maritime Day in Cyprus. They also echo the Joint Call to Action for the Future of Small-Scale Fisheries, issued by the Union of Small-Scale Fishers of Cyprus during the same forum, reflecting growing momentum across Europe for fairer, more inclusive, and more resilient small-scale fisheries policies.<\/span><\/p>\n

MEPs are calling for the implementation of a bottom-up, balanced, multi-use approach to MSP that would aim to avoid adverse effects on marine resources and biodiversity, and therefore on fisheries and aquaculture, and would ensure that these activities are not excluded from the maritime space. Their resolution highlights that \u201cco-location of activities, such as fixed or floating offshore wind infrastructure can also be used to develop aquaculture, shellfish and algae farming and for the protection of habitats for marine fauna and flora or regenerative activities and for fisheries activities such as passive and low-impact fisheries\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Four of its recommendations are particularly important for small-scale coastal fisheries, <\/b>namely the call for:<\/span><\/p>\n