In 2005, The Netherlands developed an overarching spatial planning framework for the Dutch area of the North Sea. The sovereignty of The Netherlands over the North Sea covers an area of more than 57,000 km2, approximately 1.5 times the surface area of its total land mass.

 

As in other parts of the North Sea, the waters under Dutch jurisdiction are intensely used.

 

As in other North Sea coastal states, the need for integrated spatial planning became particularly urgent because of new uses requiring ocean space, primarily offshore wind farms and marine protected areas.

 

While some ocean uses will remain at their current level, considerable growth is forecast for mineral extraction, water sport recreation, offshore wind farms, nature protection and possibly also mariculture.

 

Recently, the concern of sea level rise in the Netherlands related to climate change has further stimulated the discussion on marine spatial management.

 

Implementation of the spatial policy is described in the Integrated Management Plan for the North Sea 2015 (pdf, 11.59 MB) (IMPNS 2015) in which the overall objective for spatial planning is translated into the need for a healthy, safe and profitable sea.

 

The Dutch marine spatial policy provides the private sector flexibility to develop offshore initiatives and projects. To limit the risks involved in complete market freedom, the spatial policy provides a guiding spatial management framework in which location-based uses (usage zones), a zoning scheme for growth options, and several exclusion policies, are defined.

 

Central to the Dutch marine spatial management framework is a system of permits for the regulation of offshore activities. Additionally, a set of other tools has been developed to provide insight into spatial developments and potential problems and facilitate managing the use of space. These new tools include (a) opportunity maps that show where a use is permitted in the current framework and is most likely to develop in the future; (b) a spatial monitoring and permit tracking system; (c) an integrated (spatial) assessment framework for issuing permits; (d) exploratory spatial studies for specific functions; (e) a compensation possibility for users harmed by another legal ocean use; and (f) a system to support joint initiatives in which parties combine the use of ocean space.

 

Currently, a new "National Water Plan (pdf, 43 KB)" is being developed for the Dutch part of the North Sea. Recently, a North Sea pre-policy (pdf, 641 KB) document has been released that provides the background for the National Water Plan. The policy document will be open for public debate. A revision of the Dutch spatial planning policy was necessary because of the problems that the currently used “first-come-first-serve”-principle poses to the development of offshore wind farms. A new spatial planning framework was also necessary to provide the Netherlands with a safe ocean that can provides its ecosystem services to next generations. The new National Waterplan has a time horizon for actions for the next 12 years, until 2020. Estimates of environmental change and the prospects of traditional and new uses are included in the plan up to the year 2025.

 

 

 

For further information go the official website of the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management.

 

Additional reading is also available on the references page of this website.