This European implementation assessment of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive 2014/89/EU in regard to fisheries in selected fishing areas and sea basins aims to inform the ongoing work of the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries (PECH) on an own-initiative implementation report, ' The impact of the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive 2014/89/EU on fisheries in selected fishing areas and sea basins (2024/2126 (INI)), ahead of the Directive’s planned revision at the end of 2026. The assessment is composed of two parts. The first part, an introduction by the European Parliamentary Research Service provides historical background to the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive and presents the European Parliament’s position, setting the scope of the external evaluation study. The second part is an evaluation study undertaken by a team of external experts that assesses the implementation and effects of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive on the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, based on five evaluation criteria - effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, relevance and EU added value - and drawing on desk research, interviews and six regional case studies (Baltic Sea, Channel, Bay of Biscay, North Coast Portugal, Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea). Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP Read more