On Wednesday 20 May in Strasbourg, the European Parliament called for a revision of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive as part of the Ocean Act, expected in late 2026.
The own-initiative report by Stéphanie Yon-Courtin (Renew Europe, French) was adopted in plenary by 518 votes to 31 with 102 abstentions. All the tabled amendments were rejected (see EUROPE 13870/13).
The Parliament believes that this revision should make the provisions on stakeholder participation, particularly fishermen and coastal communities, binding, and ensure more harmonised implementation across Member States.
MEPs are also calling for the introduction of minimum standards to preserve space dedicated to fishing and aquaculture, in the name of the Union’s food sovereignty. They stress that it is necessary to have an “increase in reserved areas dedicated to small-scale low impact inshore fishing within the 12 nautical mile zone and underpinned by co-management regimes”.
The Parliament highlights the rise in conflicts over sea use between fishing, offshore renewable energy, maritime transport, protected areas and defence infrastructure. It warns against a gradual reduction in fishing areas, particularly for small-scale inshore fishing, as well as against the growing pressure on certain sea basins, exacerbated since Brexit.
MEPs are calling for greater harmonisation of marine data, currently considered insufficient, in order to strengthen decision-making based on scientific and socioeconomic evidence. Lastly, the Parliament is calling for a sea basin approach to maritime spatial planning. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)