Forquestions:MattiaCecchinatoMattia.cecchinato@windeurope.orgMaritimeSpatialPlanningandco-locationIncreasedactivitiesinEurope’smarinewatershaveledtogrowingspatialdemandsandthereforegrowingcompetitionbetweenseausers.MaritimeSpatialPlanning(MSP)iskeytoenhancingoffshorewind(OW)developmentandimprovingcross-sectoralcooperationwithnature,aquaculture,fishing,energy,military,tourism,andtransport–andthusminimisingspatialconflicts.Furthermore,Governmentscanallowdifferentactivitiestocarryonalongsidewindfarms,includingnatureprotectionandrestoration.In2022EUMemberStateshavesubmittedtheirfirstroundofMaritimeSpatialPlans(MSP)asmandatedundertheMSPDirective(2014/89/EU).Altogethertheseplanshaveallocatedmorethan220GWofOWcapacityacross16MemberStates1,enoughtoreachEurope’scurrent2030offshorewindambitions.However,manyusesforOWfarmsarestillnotspeltoutexplicitlyinmostoftheMSPs,exceptforBelgium,Germany,andtheNetherlands.AllMemberStateswillrevisetheirMSPsbefore2030.Theywillhavetoconfirmthecurrentareasandstartscreeningothersforthepost-2030phase.ThisshouldbedoneinparalleltothedefinitionofMaritimeProtectedAreas(30%oftheseaunderprotectionrules,accordingtotheBiodiversityStrategy)andnaturerestorationareas.Tothisend,MemberStatesshouldprioritiseexploringco-locationandmulti-useoptionstosolvespatialconflictsandincreasethefunctionalityofthesea.1“OffshoreWindinEUmaritimeSpatialPlans”,WindEurope(September2022)Maritimeplanningshouldboostsynergiesacrossactivitiesatsea,ratherthancreatingapatchworkofsingle-useareas.OffshorewindcoexistingwithbiodiversityWindfarmscanhavebothpositiveandnegativeimpactsontheenvironment.Theycanoffermultipleavenuestoprotectandrestoreecosystemsandtoenhancebiodiversity.Theiradverseimpactsneedtobecarefullyavoided,mitigated,orcompensatedduringthepermittingphase,throughtoconstruction,operationanddecommissioning.AccordingtoEUnaturelegislation,windenergycanbedevelopedinornexttoMaritimeProtectedAreas,providedthattheAppropriateAssessmentisdoneinlinewithEuropeanandnationallegislationandtherearenosignificantimpactsonthelocalecosystems.TheEuropeanCommission’sguidancedocument“WindenergydevelopmentsandEUNatureLegislation2”helpstointerprettheEUBirdsandHabitatsDirective.Itgivespracticalexamplesofhowprojectapprovalcanbefacilitated-withoutcompromisingnatureprotectionneeds-throughstrategicplanning,usingfsolidenvironmentaldata,andsuitablemitigationmeasures,amongothers.Inaddition,offshorewindfarmscanbecomerestorationareaswhendesignedtoincludeactiverestorationmeasures.2TheguidancedocumentwaspublishedwiththeEC’sOffshoreRenewableEnergyStartegy(andit’savailableHERE)•MaritimeSpatialPlanningcanimprovecross-sectoralcooperationandmulti-useoftheseaspace.•Theoffshorewindsectoriscommittedtoenvironmentalprotection.•Windenergycancontributetoandcoexistwithnatureconservationandrestorationobjectives.•Offshorewindbringsopportunitiestorestoreecosystemsandenhancepositiveeffectsonbiodiversity.Forquestions:MattiaCecchinatoMattia.cecchinato@windeurope.orgEnvironmentalprotectionTheMSPDirectivehasworkedwellalreadytode-riskprojectsandensureenvironmentalimpactsaretakenintoaccountintheearlyplanningstageofprojects.Infact,theDirectiverequiresallplanstoundergoaStrategicEnvironmentalAssessment(SEA),whichisamacro-environmental,economic,andsocialassessmentofallactivitiesatsea.TheSEAsupportsregulatorsbyprovidingapreliminaryin...