MPA coverage map

This online map provides insights into Nationally Designated Areas, which are designated within individual EU countries through their specific national legislative instruments. The analysis encompasses Marine Protected Areas (MPA) established under the framework of EU nature directives, National designations, and Regional Sea Conventions, as documented in the respective official spatial and tabular databases. The MPA data used in this analysis includes information from the years 2012, 2016, and 2019, sourced from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine Water (ETC/ICM) reports. These datasets have been complemented with newly compiled data sets from 2022, incorporating the most up-to-date information available. The map visually represents the percentage coverage of MPAs across EEA assessment areas, with each marine subregion shaded according to its MPA coverage. Regions with a higher MPA presence are depicted in deeper shades of blue, while areas with lower MPA representation are indicated in lighter shades.