Finnish Coastal Strategy

The Finnish Coastal Strategy guides the spatial planning and use of coastal areas.

The Finnish Coastal Strategy aims to promote the sustainable use of the coastal zone and address the threats posed by biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution. The measures address, among other things, the well-being of nature and people, food and energy security, sustainable land use and construction, improved accessibility, preparedness for emergencies, and maintaining an up-to-date situational picture.

The first Coastal Strategy was developed in 2006. Finland’s Coastal Strategy was revised during 2022–2023 and published in February 2024.

The strategy applies a systemic approach to support the sustainable development and growth of the marine and coastal economy, as well as the sustainable use of their natural resources. The strategy identifies the opportunities and operational models for interaction and cooperation among coastal stakeholders. The aim is for stakeholders to recognise their opportunities within the strategy to work together in a way that preserves nature’s regenerative capacity.

The Strategy is based on the EU Recommendation on the Implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management, the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, and Finland’s Maritime Spatial Plan. It takes into account the National Land Use Guidelines, international planning recommendations, as well as current strategies and programmes.

The implementation of the Coastal Strategy will be monitored in connection with the six-year updates of the Maritime Spatial Plan.

Aligned Coastal Strategy and Maritime Spatial Planning

The Maritime Spatial Planning Directive requires that land-sea interactions are considered in the preparation of maritime spatial plans. The directive highlights the interrelationship between maritime and coastal activities, as well as the benefits that maritime spatial planning can bring to coastal economies and ecosystems.

Land-sea interactions include, for example, ecological connections such as nutrient loads and migratory fish routes; infrastructure connections such as cables and the transmission to the national energy grid; functional connections such as maritime and land transport and port operations; as well as tourism and recreational linkages in coastal and marine areas.

Finland’s Coastal Strategy and maritime spatial planning are coordinated, parallel processes that support each other. Together, they form a comprehensive planning framework that considers the needs of both nature and human activities. The planning emphasizes multi-level governance, collaboration, regional cooperation, and maintaining an up-to-date situational overview.

The Ministry of the Environment is responsible for implementing the Forum for Sharing Best Practices action package included in Finland’s Coastal Strategy. The Forum is an open event held twice a year together with maritime spatial planning.

• 1^st Forum for Sharing Best Practices 25 November 2025 with the theme Coastal and Archipelago Resilience
• 2^nd Forum for Sharing Best Practices 16 June 2026 with the theme Integrated Coastal and Maritime Spatial Planning

Find out more:

Finland’s Coastal Strategy

The previous coastal strategy: Hanhijärvi J (2006) Sustainable Coasts. The Finnish Coastal Zone Strategy. The Finnish Environment 15/2006.

Contact person

Mari Pohja-Mykrä, Ministerial Adviser

Ministry of the Environment, Department of Sustainable Construction and Housing, Land Use Planning

firstname.lastname@gov.fi