marineplan: Development of the EB-MSP Assessment Tool

Produced in the framework of the MarinePlan project, a tool has been developed to assess the alignment of planning processes with ecosystem-based management principles: the EB-MSP Assessment tool. The tool aims to promote the capacity building of competent authorities, scientists and consultants, and consists of 130 statements related to actions that should be adopted during the planning process.

The EB-MSP Assessment tool is designed to be applicable to any spatial plan, regardless of its stage of development, providing valuable lessons for the development of the plans, their future revisions and adaptive management.

Ecosystem-based Marine Spatial Planning Assessment Tool

A tool to assess if a spatial plan is aligned with ecosystem-based management criteria

The Ecosystem-Based Management Assessment Tool is designed to help evaluate the alignment of spatial plans with essential ecosystem-based management criteria. This tool provides valuable insights for both implemented plans and those in the early stages of development.

Key Features

Standardized Evaluation: assess the strengths and weaknesses of spatial plans, identifying specific actions for improvement during review and adaptation phases
Pre-Planning Guidance: ensure that the spatial plans fulfil ecosystem-based management criteria from the beginning, enhancing the effectiveness of the planning process
Cost-Effective Strategy Development: utilize best practice guidance to define the plan development strategy, making the planning process more efficient and resource-conscious

EB-MSP Assessment Checklist

The EB-MSP assessment checklist can be responded to in different ways or with different perspectives depending on the scope of the assessment:

If the aim is to assess if a certain national MSP is fulfilling EBA, then it should be filled according to the legislative documents (as well as considering the whole MSP process before reaching the final document, e.g., assessing phase).
In case a planning site represents an area in which an MSP is not in place, the user can assess the work already done towards EB-MSP development. This includes assessment of cumulative impact, the implementation of Systematic Conservation Planning approaches, or any previous research (e.g., research projects) that is producing or has produced information and knowledge useful for informing the future development of a spatial plan.
In case a planning site covers a transboundary region, the user can assess the individual national MSPs to evaluate commonalities or differences in terms of EB-MSP criteria.

Video Tutorial of the Tool

This tool serves as a practical resource for planners and decision-makers, promoting a balanced approach to spatial planning that priortizes ecological integrity and sustainable resource management.

It has been developed by AZTI within the framework of the MarinePlan project, and it is available for free through this link.

Scroll to top

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-12 under grant agreement No 101059407 and by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee grant numbers 10038951 & 10050537. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or UK Research and Innovation. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.