This report summarizes the key results of mapping the best practices in the sustainable spatial planning of the marine and coastal areas in the Eastern Gulf of Finland. The report was produced as part of the GET READY project, which aimed to increase the readiness of the cross-border region to respond to the existing and expected challenges in the sustainable environmental management of the Eastern Gulf of Finland.

The principles of the ecosystem approach constitute the basis of sustainable spatial planning in the coastal and marine areas. The literature review emphasized the principles, practices, and regulation regarding the ecosystem approach, marine/maritime spatial planning (MSP), and integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). The HELCOM-VASAB MSP Working Group has outlined nine key elements for the development of MSP in the Baltic Sea. These elements were used as frames for the analyses of the MSP and ICZM practices regarding the conditions of the Eastern Gulf of Finland.

Both Finnish and Russian legislative frameworks and planning systems were examined. The development and current situation of the national planning systems were also discussed in the GET READY workshops. The workshops focused on the following themes: bringing the ecosystem approach from theory to practice, land-sea interactions, and best practices for participatory planning. The implementation of the ecosystem approach in local planning was considered through four cases, which focused on the planning of the sea area and ports. The Kymenlaakso Regional Plan 2013 and Kotka-Hamina Strategic General Plan 2040 were examined by interviewing the key persons. The Port of Ust-Luga and the Port Bronka were analysed using long-term monitoring data and in a round table discussion.

The following practices to further develop sustainable marine and coastal planning at the Eastern Gulf of Finland were identified:
• Ecosystem approach may be built onto the existing national planning cultures
• Drafting of the future scenarios is an efficient tool for stakeholder involvement in planning
• Developing the identification of land-sea interactions advances ecosystem-based planning
• Identifying and valuing ecosystem services is useful to illustrate the links between ecosystems and human well-being
• Transboundary MSP fosters sustainable planning in the Baltic Sea region

Keywords: Ecosystem approach, marine/maritime spatial planning, (integrated) coastal zone management, Gulf of Finland