Law no. 144 of 2017 concerning Marine Spatial Planning and Other Related Matters.

This Law, consisting of 27 articles, implements the Directive 2014/89/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning maritime spatial planning, establishes a framework for marine spatial planning, with the aim of promoting the sustainable growth of the maritime economy of the Republic, the sustainable development of its marine waters and the sustainable use of its marine resources and provides for the adaptation of the integrated maritime policy of the European Union, taking into account land-sea interactions and enhanced cross-border cooperation, in accordance with the provisions of the UNCLOS Convention. The Law defines the following relevant terms: competent authority; competent institutional bodies; certificate; due assessment; policy statement for national marine spatial planning; National Integrated Maritime Policy Strategy; special conservation area; special protection zone; maritime area; marine waters; marine Spatial Plan; marine spatial planning, as the process of analysing and organising human activities in the marine waters of the Republic in order to achieve ecological, economic and social goals; good environmental condition; Environmental Impact Assessment; ecosystem approach; coastal waters; Barcelona Convention; UNCLOS; development plan; place of community importance.
This Law applies to the maritime waters of the Republic, the marine spatial planning with regard to uses or activities that take place in the territorial sea of the Republic, in the bordering zone of the Republic, in the EEZ or on the the continental shelf of the Republic, except for activities aimed exclusively at the defence or national security of the Republic. The Law concerns the designation of Deputy Minister of Shipping as the competent authority responsible for the coordination of the necessary actions for maritime spatial planning and for providing the Marine Spatial Planning Committee with the necessary means and sufficient resources to effectively exercise its powers. The Law establishes the Marine Spatial Planning Commission and defines its duties; provides for the adoption of Policy Statement, that identifies the main priorities, objectives and strategic directions for marine waters, aimed at sustainable development; defines the Marine Spatial Plan and its revision and suspension.
Concerning general marine spatial planning rules, the Law establishes and implements marine spatial planning and defines its objectives: enhancing economic, social, environmental and cultural aspects to support and promote sustainable development at sea by applying an ecosystem approach, ensuring the good environmental status of the marine environment, strengthening the energy sectors at sea, maritime transport and the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. In order to achieve these objectives, the competent authority takes into account the following activities and uses: a) improvement of land-sea interactions; b) coherence between marine spatial planning and other processes such as integrated coastal zone management; c) ensuring the cross-border cooperation of member states; d) promoting cooperation with third countries; e) aquaculture areas; f) fishing areas; g) facilities and infrastructure for the exploration, exploitation and extraction of oil and natural gas; h) shipping lanes, traffic flows and port areas.