Maritime Spatial Planning and Integrated Coastal Management: Initial Appraisal of the Commission's Impact Assessment

Briefing 16-09-2013

This note seeks to provide an initial analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the European Commission's Impact Assessment (IA) accompanying the Commission proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning and integrated coastal management (COM (2013) 133), submitted on 12 March 2013. It analyses whether the principal criteria laid down in the Commission’s own Impact Assessment Guidelines, as well as additional factors identified by the Parliament in its Impact Assessment Handbook, appear to be met by the IA. It does not attempt to deal with the substance of the proposal.