Popular science article published on coastal wind and marine spatial planning
As part of the project “Life-cycle of an offshore wind farm in the legal framework: the case of Latvia” a popular science article entitled “Offshore wind projects and maritime spatial planning: the voice of the public in the early stages” was published, providing the public with an easily understandable overview of the achievements on the platform pretvejs.lv, which is intended for a wide audience.
The article states that crucial decisions regarding the location of offshore wind farms are made during maritime spatial planning; The “wind farm study areas” outlined in Cabinet Order No. 232 of May 21, 2019, basically set the framework for future discussions, and in later stages, including environmental impact assessments, the choice of location is usually not reevaluated. At the same time, the article specifies that on February 18, 2025, the ELWIND area was set at 200 km² in the sea, which has been moved more than 7 km further out to sea. The study is being organized by the Latvian Investment and Development Agency, the developer has not yet been selected, and the environmental impact assessment is ongoing.
The article also points out that the first cycle of maritime spatial planning in Latvia was characterized by low visibility of the process to the wider public and mostly formal participation solutions. Accordingly, the article recommends strengthening early and structured involvement , including the use of interim assessments and targeted mechanisms provided for in Cabinet Regulation No. 232 (consultations prior to zoning, digital platforms with understandable information, local forums), so that opportunities for public influence are real and timely.
The article in Latvian is available electronically here.
Research team:
Leila Neimane, University of Latvia, Faculty of Law, Institute of Legal Science
The research is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility project “Internal and External Consolidation of the University of Latvia” (No.5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/007).