ITALY

Italy, as a Member State is required to comply with Directive 2014/89/EU regarding MSP. This means having to send the Management Plan for the Italian maritime space to the European Commission by June 30, 2021.

To achieve this goal, Italy, has identified the Competent Authority, in the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility (MIMS). and has established a Technical Committee to draft the Plan. 

The Technical Committee is composed of representatives of MIMS, representatives of MiC, MiPAAF, MiSE, MiTE, representatives of the State-Regions Conference and of the interested Regions.

The Committee avails itself of a qualified technical-scientific collaboration from CORILA, IUAV and CNR-ISMAR (Scientific Pole) by virtue of an agreement between these research bodies and MIMS. 

The Plans are realized in 6 Phases, which correspond to as many Sections of the Plans themselves:

  • Phase 1 – Initial status and current and expected trends
  • Phase 2 – Analysis of interaction between uses and impacts on environmental components environmental components
  • Phase 3 – Vision and strategic objectives
  • Phase 4 – Strategic level planning
  • Phase 5 – Methodology and indicators for monitoring and adapting the and adaptation of the Plan 
  • Phase 6 – Activities to consolidate, implement and update the Plan and updating the Plan

Relevant Technical Information

  • Three Italian Partners, with CORILA as Project Coordinator
  • Support in planning 548.666,639 km² of Sea
  • Support to the Italian Competent Authority: The Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility and Regional institutions
  • Support to the Italian data Portal and data harmonization for MSP
  • Dissemination and formation on MSP and Ocean Literacy at national level

The Plan has the nature of a superordinate instrument with respect to pre-existing planning and programming acts, but the scope of the Plan does not cover the urban plans of coastal municipalities. In fact, the Plan covers all waters and/or seabed beyond the coastline over which Italy has jurisdiction.

The Italian Plan intends to respond not only to a formal requirement, but above all to the need to promote a sustainable use of marine resources, and in this sense, to collaborate in the Ecological Transition of the sea economy.

With more than 8000 km of coastline, and a territory almost entirely surrounded by sea, Italy has a very large marine space to plan, because of this, the drafting of the Plans, to have greater effectiveness, is divided into three processes, parallel and coordinated, in the three Maritime Areas:

Maritime Area “Tyrrhenian – Western Mediterranean”.

The “Tyrrhenian – Western Mediterranean” area (in purple) is divided into 11 sub-areas and covers the following regions: Liguria, Sardinia, Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily.

Adriatic” Maritime Area

The “Adriatic” area (in blue) is divided into 9 sub-areas and involves the following regions: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Abruzzo, Molise and Puglia.

Ionian – Central Mediterranean” Maritime Area

The area “Ionian – Central Mediterranean” (in blue) is divided into 7 sub-areas and affects the following regions: Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily.

In each sub-area, a medium-long term vision is defined and specific planning objectives are defined that are consistent with national and international strategic objectives.

The MSP process not only minimizes conflicts between existing activities, but also helps to anticipate and avoid the emergence of future problems, in order to promote a harmonious development of maritime activities in the areas under planning. 

In the framework of MSPMED the Italian partners have the opportunity of sharing knowledge and build datasets that will benefit the national planning process, in particular with regard to two tasks, they are:

Task 2.1 Italy: Vision, strategic objectives and vocation analysis for the Italian maritime areas

Task 3.2:  Data use and sharing in Italy

The results of this effort will be offered to the National Technical Committee and will feed the Italian Plans.

English synthesis of the Italian plans
 
Synthesis of the Italian plans, now in the process of public consultation for stakeholders engagement, are available in English language, below. the MSP-MED Italian partners, supporting as scientific advisory board the plans’ writing have provided their help in the translation of the documents to ease transboundary cooperation:
 
Thyrrenian – Western Mediterranean Maritime Area
Adriatic Maritime Area
Ionian – Center Mediterranean Maritime Area
 
 
The full deck of presentations provided for the opening of the public consultation can also be accessed: