Although spatial planning has not been an historical EU competence, its importance has been recognised through documents such as the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) and the roadmap on Marine Spatial Planning. It has also been at the core of EU initiatives such as the Ten-T European transport network, Baltic and Danube strategies. It is likely to rise up the EU’s agenda further following the inclusion of ‘territorial cohesion’ as a key pillar of cohesion policy in the Lisbon treaty. It will have an important part to play in the role of the next round of European Regional Development funds, Cohesion funds and Structural funds post 2013.

Key principles for Spatial Planning:

Overall Policy Principle

Spatial planning must take a landscape-scale approach in order to maintain biodiversity and ecosystems in the face of climate change. EU-level spatial planning is important to manage the effects of climate change and EU-level policy decisions on land use patterns. Principles of good spatial planning which enshrine environmental limits, should be embedded in the legal frameworks of national planning systems and a second version of the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP).

Content Principles

• Planning should be positive, setting out a clear vision for land-use in the long-term.
• Spatial plans should integrate all the issues which affect the development and use of land within a specific territorial area: social, economic and environmental.
• Plans should contribute to sustainable development, by enhancing the natural environment and ensuring that social and economic development takes place within environmental limits.

full BirdLife Europe position on spatial planning

Contacts

RSPB

Daniel Pullan, Daniel.pullan(at)rspb.org.uk

Process Principles

• Plans should follow a hierarchical approach – at each appropriate spatial scale.
• Plans should be based on up-to-date and scientifically robust evidence, including a clear indication of the baseline, value of and enhancement opportunities for, the natural environment.
• Alternative options should be considered, particularly alternatives which are less damaging to the environment, and the reasons for rejecting any options should be made public.
• Public participation is essential. It should be both timely and inclusive of civil society, whether community groups or environmental stakeholders.
• Plans should be rigorously appraised for their environmental impacts, and the results used to improve the plan.
• Decision-making must be transparent and made by a democratically accountable body or person.
• Those who are adversely affected by planning decisions should be able to appeal to an independent body.
• Public authorities should be given the legal powers and resources to enforce planning laws, especially where illegal development is resulting in environmental damage.
• Plans should be monitored and regularly reviewed.