Policies beyond borders: Co-Designing Communication Tools for Harmonized Maritime Spatial Planning in the Mediterranean

This study explores how purposefully designed communication tools can enhance shared understanding and alignment on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) and blue economy concepts across European and Arabic-speaking Mediterranean contexts to overcome holdbacks (or barriers) that may prevent policy harmonization and implementation. Building on previous initiatives such as MSP-MED and MSP-GREEN projects, the research responds to the persistent linguistic and cultural barriers that often limit cross-basin policy dialogue. A mixed-methods approach combined expert consultation, participatory co-design, and interactive validation. An initial focus group of Italian, Algerian, Spanish, French and Tunisian MSP experts identified key communication needs for translating MSP principles and sectoral knowledge, fisheries, aquaculture, marine renewable energy, and environmental protection, into accessible and locally resonant formats. Based on these input, three communication formats were co-developed and tested: multilingual factsheets, short social-media animations, and flashcards in Arabic, French, and English. The materials were evaluated by Mediterranean stakeholders during a dedicated workshop, through a Mentimeter survey with ranking, Likert-scale, and open-ended questions. Results highlighted the importance of Arabic terminology consistency, contextual examples, and hybrid dissemination strategies bridging expert and policy audiences. The findings shows that tailored, multilingual communication tools can significatively improve inclusiveness, comprehension, and engagement in transboundary MSP processes. By addressing both linguistic and visual dimensions, the study contributes to the development of an evidence-based framework for communicating marine policies and sustainability transitions across the Mediterranean region.