Brussels, 16/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - Simpler, more coherent and, above all, common management of the EU maritime area and coastal zones - that is the message from the first reactions to the consultation launched by the European Commission in March 2011. In a debate held at the European Parliament on Wednesday 15 June and chaired by Swedish MEP Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA), representatives of the Commission, the Parliament and NGOs tried to evaluate European policy in this area and to provide a framework for discussion on a possible future directive on maritime spatial planning (MSP) and integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). According to Lövin, the debate is all the more urgently needed as great confusion reigns, with these areas currently being managed by a large number of instruments and authorities, at both member state and European levels. But it is also the huge range of activities and features of the sea and its coastal areas, issues related to the environment, fishing, biodiversity and sustainable development which led most speakers to suggest that effective management begins with a European legislative framework. According to the representative of Directorate General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries at the Commission, the new approach should include key points, such as the principle of subsidiarity and support for existing processes. A Commission proposal is expected by September. (J.K./transl.rt)