25/05/2018 (Agence Europe) – 160 experts from all around the world met in Brussels on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 May for the first meeting of the International Forum on Maritime Spatial Planning. They discussed ongoing projects both in the EU and abroad and shared views on the challenges of planning public sea space across borders. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) and Directorate General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission (DG-MARE) announced a joint roadmap to accelerate marine/maritime spatial planning processes worldwide. The meeting is the first of a series, as the Forum is scheduled to meet twice a year between now and 2020. (LC)