PAP/RAC participated in the 29th Meeting of the Member States Expert Group on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP), held on 22–23 October 2025 in Limassol, Cyprus, organised by the European Commission (DG MARE).
The meeting brought together EU Member States, regional organisations and partner initiatives to discuss progress and future directions in MSP implementation, with a focus on the revision of the MSP Directive, the European Ocean Pact, MSPglobal initiatives and emerging regional support mechanisms.
PAP/RAC highlighted UNEP/MAP’s long-standing mandate and experience in promoting ecosystem-based and cross-sectoral approaches, demonstrating how the Barcelona Convention framework supports coherent, inclusive and regionally coordinated MSP implementation across the Mediterranean basin.
Discussions highlighted the importance of stronger regional cooperation for effective MSP implementation, improved coherence and efficiency across planning processes, and better awareness of forthcoming EU policy developments relevant for national implementation.
In this context, PAP/RAC stressed the potential of the Barcelona Convention system to further strengthen regional dialogue, knowledge exchange and capacity development, while ensuring complementarity with EU mechanisms and global commitments. This role is increasingly relevant for linking national MSP efforts with broader policy frameworks, avoiding duplication and reinforcing a coherent, basin-wide approach to sustainable ocean governance in the Mediterranean.
