POLICY BRIEF Key Findings for multi-use pilots in terms of legal, governance, and insurance.

The concept of multi-use (MU) presents a radical change from the concept of exclusive resource rights to an inclusive sharing of resources by multiple users. Maritime policy and regulation have traditionally developed on a sector-by-sector basis. However, ocean MU is crosssectoral by nature. Therefore, the existing regulatory framework may pose some challenges to the deployment of ocean MU projects. Nevertheless, the European Union (EU)’s overarching Integrated Maritime Policy seeks to provide for increased coordination between different policy areas since 2007. The Maritime Spatial Planning Directive requires all EU member states to develop maritime spatial plans (MSPs) and strategically consider the best location for maritime uses. One sector that clearly increased the need for spatial management is renewable energy production, especially offshore wind farms. Energy transition ambitions have increased the use of European seas for energy production dramatically. These long-lasting fixed installations have caused tensions and even conflicts with other -often traditional and mobile- use, such as shipping and fisheries. As the wind sector became more and more established, new uses such as sustainable food production have been claiming space, also inside wind farm zones. The need for MU of space at sea is apparent in most European seas, which is often reflected in the objectives of the national MSPs. However, according to previous European projects, multiple barriers related to regulatory, policy, and insurance issues are still stalling the transfer of MU from concept to implementation.