Members of the Offshore Coalition for Environment and Nature (OCEaN), representing stakeholders in the North and Baltic seas, are urging the incoming European Commission and EU Member States to address unresolved policy issues related to maritime spatial planning.
OCEaN emphasized the urgency for policy alignment, stating, “The new EU mandate will be pivotal for shaping the future of the European Union and its Member States. Indeed, with the current legislative term ending in 2029, the decisions made in the next five years will be catalytic in defining the EU's pathway to achieve climate, energy and biodiversity objectives hand in hand.”
The coalition specifically highlighted the need to enforce the Maritime Strategy Framework Directive and the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, calling for better integration of these directives with the Renewable Energy Directive and existing environmental legislation.
OCEaN's letter further urged the Commission and Member States to prioritize cross-border and sea basin cooperation and to adopt best practices for siting activities like offshore wind and grid developments to minimize cumulative environmental impacts.
Additionally, OCEaN recommended implementing the Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy and the Net Zero Industry Act. They advocated for the inclusion of “ecological and social non-price criteria for the design of offshore wind farm auctions, in line with the recent European Commission's guidance on auction design for renewable energy.”
