Greece's Marine Spatial Planning (MSP)

Greece, as of 2025, has concrete its planning process by publishing its first official National Marine Spatial Plan. This plan is a binding document demonstrating compliance with the obligations set forth under the European Union’s Marine Spatial Planning Directive. The published map clearly defines the spatial allocation of activities within the country’s maritime jurisdiction areas and provides a visual representation of the national marine strategy.

Greece is located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, within a complex maritime geography characterized by a large number of islands. Consequently, the country has long needed comprehensive marine planning to regulate its maritime jurisdiction areas, protect natural resources, and coordinate maritime sectors. The European Union’s Directive 2014/89/EU on Marine Spatial Planning has obligated member states including Greece to establish a national MSP system.

^{Greece’s Marine Spatial Plan (}Protothema^).

The core principles adopted by Greece in its MSP process are as follows:

• Sustainability: Conservation of marine resources for future generations
• Multi-sectoral approach: Balancing diverse economic and environmental interests
• Ecosystem-based approach: Placing natural habitats at the center of planning processes
• Scientific basis: Grounding decisions in scientific data and modeling
• Implementation and monitoring linkage: Supporting map-based decisions with concrete monitoring tools

Under this framework, the strategic objectives identified include increasing investments in marine energy, promoting sustainable fishing practices, planned expansion of tourism infrastructure, enhancing the effectiveness of marine protected areas, and ensuring the safety of maritime transport routes.

Greece’s official map covers three main marine regions: the Aegean Sea, the Ionian Sea and the Sea of Crete. Within these regions, areas allocated to different types of activities are distinguished by color codes and supported by technical data. The map has been made accessible through digital platforms and publicly shared.

^{Zoned areas within the Marine Spatial Plan. (}Protothema⁾

The main categories highlighted in the above map are as follows:

• Renewable Energy Zones: Areas suitable for wind and wave energy projects, particularly located in the northeastern Aegean.
• Fishing Areas: Zones designated for traditional and industrial fishing, balanced with protected areas.
• Marine Protected Areas: Conservation zones aligned with the Natura 2000 network, concentrated around biodiversity hotspots.
• Marine Transport Corridors: Routes regulating international and national maritime traffic, planned according to safe passage principles.
• Tourism and Recreation Areas: Areas allocated for yachting, diving and swimming activities, concentrated around islands.

Greece’s MSP process has not been limited to environmental sustainability and economic development goals; it has also acquired a geopolitical dimension. Disputes with Türkiye over maritime jurisdiction in the Aegean Sea have directly linked MSP to foreign and security policy. In this context, Greece has presented its official Marine Spatial Plans not merely as reflections of environmental or economic objectives but as instruments mapping its sovereignty claims.

The official MSP map published in 2025 was strongly rejected by Türkiye and triggered international political debates. The map treats the maritime jurisdiction of islands as fully sovereign and includes planning zones in areas very close to Türkiye’s coastlines.

Türkiye considers this map contrary to its continental shelf rights and the principles of international maritime law. In diplomatic notes, Türkiye has stated that it does not recognize these arrangements due to its non-participation in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

When developing its MSP map, Greece assumed that all its islands are entitled to a continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. This understanding is consistent with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which Greece is a party. However, Türkiye is not a party to the convention and does not recognize the relevant provisions.

Türkiye’s position holds that islands cannot generate maritime jurisdiction areas equivalent to those of mainland territory. In particular, the proximity of islands to each other and to Türkiye’s coasts in the Aegean Sea complicates the delimitation issue both technically and legally. This situation has led Türkiye to perceive Greece’s MSP map as an attempt to de facto define maritime jurisdiction areas.