Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The EMFAF supports the EU common fisheries policy (CFP), the EU maritime policy and the EU agenda for international ocean governance. It provides support for developing innovative projects ensuring that aquatic and maritime resources are used sustainably.
The fund helps achieve sustainable fisheries and conserve marine biological resources. This leads to:
- food security through the supply of seafood products
- growth of a sustainable blue economy
- healthy, safe and sustainably managed seas and oceans
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The objective of this call for proposals is to facilitate the implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning in the EU, including through the effective application of Directive 2014/89 establishing a framework for MSP.
This call is intended to fund projects developing innovative responses to tackle specific challenges that EU Members tates might encounter when putting into effect, monitoring and/or revising their maritime spatial plans.
Many of these challenges are common to coastal Member States. Therefore, there is a shared interest in developing innovative responses that can apply within a sea basin and/or across sea basins. This means that projects should bring together participants from different Member States, located in a sea basin, or from different sea basins.
To meet these challenges Member States will have to:
- Reflect and align their maritime spatial plans to the ambition of the European Green Deal
- Cater for cumulative impacts of ocean stressors
- Reinforce the sea basin dimension of MSP
- Making MSP digital and pan-European
Detailed Call Description
Proposals are expected to develop innovative responses to tackle the above mentioned specific challenges that EU Members States might encounter in the implementation and/or revision of their maritime spatial plans. Hereunder is a list of priorities related to the aforementioned challenges:
- MSP as an enabler of the European Green Deal. Developing strategies and approaches to review/revise maritime spatial plans to make them future proof, more integrated and more coherent, especially in a sea basin context. Contributing to the development or review of the MSPs, taking into account circular blue economy and nature food-energy nexus, coherently in a sea basin context. Climate proofing of MSP, including incorporating climate adaptation and mitigation actions and/or strategies.
- Facilitate/enable the development of marine protected areas and economic sectors (e.g. tourism and maritime/underwater cultural heritage, offshore energy, fisheries, aquaculture) in the maritime domain: ex-ante assessments (Strategic Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment) and environmental monitoring; multi-use in project design and licensing/permits; development of a regulatory framework for multi-use, including Land Sea Interactions (LSI); allocation of sufficient sea space, enabling synergies with other sectors / activities.
- Applying an Ecosystems Based Approach (EBA) in MSP: designing maritime spatial plans to integrate objectives and measures of other EU instruments (e.g. the Marine Strategy Framework Directive) with the aim to reduce collective and cumulative pressures and ensuring that marine ecosystems are in a healthy, productive and resilient condition.
- Analysing how maritime spatial plans identified and addressed existing and potential tensions between different sectors. For example analysing the socioeconomic implications of the offshore energy development and marine protected areas on recreation and tourism activities, boating, indigenous life, aquaculture and on fishing. Developing strategies on how to address those interactions, social and economic implications, increase the social acceptance and ensure perceived fairness in the MSP process. Applicants should identify one among the above priorities, or address a combination thereof, and build their proposal around it. Priority will be given to proposals that build on the outcome of prior MSP related projects, relevant to the objectives of the call.
Networking with other EU projects:
During the lifetime of the projects funded under the MSP calls, a number of events (no more than once per year) may be organised at EU level for the grant beneficiaries to facilitate the exchange of experiences and good practices across sea basins, to foster mutual learning and to enhance the European dimension of Maritime Spatial Planning. Project beneficiaries are expected to participate in these events, which will be held in Brussels or other relevant locations.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
80%
The grant awarded may be lower than the amount requested.
Thematic Categories
- Environment and Climate Change
- Fisheries/ Aquaculture and Maritime Policy
Eligibility for Participation
- International Organisations
- Local Authorities
- Private Bodies
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies) endorsed by the public authorities or bodies in charge of maritime spatial planning at national level in the related coastal Member States.
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
- non-EU countries in the Atlantic, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, North Seas and the Mediterranean, or having waters adjacent to EU Outermost Regions, under cross-border Maritime Spatial Planning cooperation and only when its participation is necessary for the objectives of a given action and link with activities undertaken under Regional Sea Conventions – Individual proposals by the non-EU countries are not eligible.
- be public authorities or bodies in charge of maritime spatial planning of coastal Member States.
Consortium composition – Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 2 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities), which complies with the following conditions:
- minimum 2 entities from 2 different eligible countries
- Applicants must be public authorities or bodies in charge of maritime spatial planning of those coastal countries which are responsible for MSP in the selected area and/or a regional organisation that has competences in Maritime Spatial Planning or activities concerned by Maritime Spatial Planning (nature protection, development of offshore renewables, fisheries). Other public authorities or bodies shall be considered eligible applicants provided that they are endorsed by the public authorities or bodies in charge of maritime spatial planning at national level in the related coastal countries. The coordinator must be established in an EU Member State.
Eligible activities: are the ones set out in section 2 above.
Projects should take into account the results of projects supported by other EU funding programmes. The complementarities must be described in the project proposals (Part B of the Application Form).
Projects must comply with EU policy interests and priorities (such as environment, social, security, industrial and trade policy, etc).
Financial support to third parties is not allowed.
Geographic location (target countries)
- Proposals must relate to activities concerning the following sea basin/area: North Sea.
- Proposals may include cooperation with other sea basins (Atlantic, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean, as well as the EU Outermost regions marine areas).
- Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that include cooperation and transfer of results between and/or among sea basins.
- Proposals can focus on a part/sub-region of these sea basins/areas.
- Activities should normally relate to the EU waters, but may extend into neighbouring waters, if this is necessary for the implementation of the projects (in view of their nature and their objectives) and in particular where cross-border MSP cooperation requires third country involvement in the given sea basin.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
EU Contact Point
For help related to this call, please contact: CINEA-EMFAF-CALLS@ec.europa.eu