Analysis of the outcomes of the literature review

AuthorCETMAR, COGEA, Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (European Commission), POSEIDON, Seascape Belgium, Universidade de Vigo
Pages12-37
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In terms of sources, Marine Policy is the journal with most publications on the topic,
then some way behind is Ocean Coastal Management and third i s Ecological Economics
(Figure 6 ). This indicates two things: the publications on MSP are largely addressing
Policy and Management issues, an d the economics or ecological journal s lag behind on
MSP.
Figure 6 - Number of publications by source
Summary fiches of the 91 papers in aggregate N4 are available in Annex I
2 Analysis of the outcomes of the literature review
2.1 Introduction
The objective of this task was to analyse the literature reviewed under Task 1 and to
draw conclusions that inform the methods to be used for the case studies.
The approach adopted was to categorise the papers and reports revi ewed during Task
1 according to a fun ctional (i.e. the type of benefits identified) and sequential (i.e.
what stage of the planning process was analysed) classification.
An important limitation was i dentified. Despite the rich body of literature revi ewed,
very few papers could be consi dered fully relevant to this study. Therefore, it should
be kept i n mind that the figures and the conclusions reported in this report are based
on a limited subset of the reviewed literature.
Nevertheless, some basic statistical information is provid ed on the themes, sectors,
methods, stakeholders, geographical and temporal scopes of the reviewed papers and
reports. The most recurring quantitative and qualitative benefits are also reported.
More importantly, the analysis draws conclusions that seek to answer a number of
questions on the econ omic costs and benefi ts of MSP. One of the main conclusions
that can be drawn from this exercise is that this study will be one of the first attempts
at quantifying all the costs and benefits of MSP.
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2.2 Methodology
Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) can be defi ned as a public process f or analysing and
assigning th e spatial and temporal distributi on of human activities in marine areas in
order to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives that are normally specified
through a political process (Ehler and Douvere, 2009).
The EU Commissi on similarly describes it as “a process by whi ch the relevant Member
State’s authorities analyse and organi se human activities i n marine areas to achieve
ecological, economic and social objectives” (Directive 2014/89/EU).
Both definitions, share some elements:
The aim is to achieve a more rational use of space and of marine resources,
streamlining the interaction between different potential uses of the ocean.
The main focus is on pl anning an d managing human activities in the marine
environment, striking a balance between the protecti on of marine ecosystems
and the development of economic activity.
It requires concerted public i ntervention through bespoke policy instruments
and stakeholder participation.
It is a dynamic and forward-looking process, wh ich calls for setting priorities for
a marine area in a given time horizon.
MSP aims to pre-empt conflicts in marine areas, or at least minimise their negative
effects. Conflicts may arise between users competin g for the same resources or for the
same spa ce (incompatible human activities); they may also ari se between users and
the marine environment itself (human uses with negative effects on the marin e
environment). Moreover, MSP may yield obvious benefits on the ecological and
environmental (e.g. preservation of biodiversity, protection of areas of biological and
ecological i nterest, reduction of the anthropogenic cumulative effects on ecosystems,
etc.), economic (development of income-generating activities, reduction of conflicts
between competing uses, facilitate and transparency for the incorporation of new
agents and uses, etc.) and social dimension (development opportunities for coastal
communities, improved protection of cultural heritage related to the sea , etc.).
The economic literature on MSP can be classified i nto three categories: effects,
impacts and economic benefits
10. The functional classification distinguishes 4 main
groups: Public Action, Transaction Costs, Economy -Environment and Related Topics .
This classification respon ds to the requirements laid out in the Tender specifications
(see section 1.6.2, pp. 8-9) and aims to generate further information to improve the
methodology and assumptions to be used in the case studies (Tas k 4).
Because MSP is a process, its implementation calls for a sequence of phases to be
completed. These phases incorporate the necessary elements for the elaboration and
development of a plan, as well as for its subsequent implementation and review.
However, as of today, European experiences are still scarce an d relatively recent and
so further information on the phase, stage and/or level of development of the plan is
10 Effects, impacts and economic benefits are often interchangeable in common language. In this report they
are defined as:
Effect: a change or result that is caused by direct, indirect effects on the main eco nomic variables (e.g.
sales, value of production, income, or employment) including households’ behaviour and international trade.
Impact: quantification of the ef fects that a project or policy has on the economy of a designated project
area.
Benefit: includes direct use benefits, indirect use benefits, option benefits, bequest benefits and existence
benefits.

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