BLACK SEA - Western Black Sea – Romania and Bulgaria

PILOT LEAD PARTNER:

CONTACT PERSONS:

Margarita Stancheva

stancheva.ccms.bg

Alicia Spinu

aspinu@alpha.rmri.ro

KEY FACTS

A cross-border area, expanding from Cape Tuzla in Romania to Cape Kaliakra in Bulgaria.

Includes diverse coastal, onshore, and offshore domains, MPAs (nationally designated and Natura 2000), wetlands that support huge biodiversity, as well as ecosystem services.

The MSP plan in Bulgaria is in the final stage of approval while under elaboration in Romania.

Key sectors covered: Renewables and mineral extraction.

THE OPPORTUNITIES

– MSP processes are ongoing in both countries covering the site.

– Bulgarian site is not so developed, containing both coastal and marine protected areas with pressures being mainly human activities.

THE CHALLENGES

– Lack of operational management plans for MPAs;

– MSP in Bulgaria does not envisage the establishment of new or enlargement of already existing MPAs (currently cover only 8% of BG maritime space);

– Romanian site is characterized by marine uses such as fisheries and aquaculture, maritime and coastal transport activities, hydrocarbon extraction, etc.

– Fragmentation of MPAs coastal-offshore and at the cross-border level – there is a need to integrate ecological corridors through the enlargement of the existing or establishment of new MPAs.

– Given the current status of MSP plans and MPAs enlargement and networking, the current TRL is considered to be TRL2.

MSP4BIO OBJECTIVES AND IMPACTS

– Improved local and cross-border ecological and socio-economic criteria for MPAs identification and prioritization;

– Direct support to inform the establishment of new or extension of already existing MPAs and to MSP plans and cross-border harmonization of biodiversity criteria.

– Improved science-based and consolidated cross-border MSP process and better biodiversity integration in national and cross-border MSP.

– Strengthening the existing MPAs network, with a focus on the 10% strictly protected.

– TRL expected to rise to 4 in the context of the project by validating the MSP4BIO.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

In Bulgaria – the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (Competent MSP Authority); Ministry of Environment and Water (Competent MPAs Authority); Regional administration Dobrich; Municipalities of Shabla and Kavarna; Environmental organizations, NGOs, etc.; in Romania – the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests (MSFD, Habitats Directive), Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration (Competent MSP Authority), National Agency for Protected Areas, Municipality of Mangalia, NGOs.