Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers 1 December 2017. Approval of the guidelines containing directions and criteria for the preparation of plans for the management of the maritime space.

This Decree approves the guidelines, containing the directions and criteria for the preparation of the management plans of maritime space, for the identification of maritime reference areas and relevant areas for the interactions land - sea.
The guidelines are attached to this decree of which they form an integral part. They identify the methodology to be followed for drawing up maritime space management plans; to identify strategic and operational objectives; the general principle on the basis of which the identification of strategic objectives must take into account the environmental sustainability objectives relevant to the territorial areas.
The Guidelines comprehend a series of principles guiding the National governance of the maritime space: among those the optimization of efforts and non-duplication of costs is particularly important. Another fundamental principle is that of coherence of plans with international agreements signed by Italy.
The planning seeks to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives by promoting the sustainable growth of maritime economies, the sustainable development of marine areas and the sustainable use of marine resources, ensuring the protection of the marine and coastal environment through the application of the ecosystem approach, taking into account land-sea interactions and the strengthening of cross-border cooperation, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The legislative decree n. 201/2016 identifies various subjects having specific functions in the planning implementation process.