Brochure on ICZM 2000

8/6/2019 Brochure on ICZM 2000

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EU focus

on coastal zones

European Commission


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EU focuson coastal zones

Turning the tide for Europes coastal zones

European Commission

Directorate-GeneralEnvironment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection


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A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet.It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int).

Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2001

ISBN 92-894-1151-1

European Communities, 2001Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Printed in Belgium

PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER


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(1) European Commission communication to the Council and the

European Parliament on integrated coastal zone management:A strategy for Europe (COM (2000) 547).

Introduction

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The European Unions coastal regions are under constant

pressure. Almost half of the Unions population now liveswithin 50 kilometres of the sea (1) and coastal zone resourcesproduce much of the Unions economic wealth. The fishing,shipping and tourism industries all compete for vital spacealong Europes estimated 89 000 kilometres of coastline,and coastal zones contain some of Europes most fragile andvaluable natural habitats.

However, the increasing demand for coastal resourcesis leading to their degradation reduced water qualityand quantity, accelerated erosion, accumulation of pollution,loss of fisheries resources, etc. Moreover, this degradation hasnegative social and economic consequences.

Many of the problems faced by Europes coastal regionsinvolve more than one country. If an oil tanker were to sink in

the English Channel, for example, the resulting slick would belikely to affect both the United Kingdom and France.Similarly, industrial or agricultural pollution that might findits way into the Danube River in Austria would cross severalnational borders before finally flowing into the Black Seathousands of miles away in Romania.

The EUs coastal zones can also find themselves influenced

by policies that at first glance seem to have nothing at all todo with them. The EUs common agricultural policy (CAP),for example, can influence how much excrement fromintensive pig and cattle farms is regularly washed into


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streams and rivers. Nitrates found in manure and chemical

fertilisers promote the growth of blue-green algae, whichreproduce at a phenomenal rate choking many other formsof aquatic life. When it reaches the sea, this algae-rich watercan cause severe problems for coastal regions, particularly inthe form of polluted bathing beaches. Evolution of the CAPwill hopefully help to reduce the problem of nitrate pollution.

Similarly, EU policies intended to influence the economic

viability of rural and mountainous areas can have a stronginfluence on the number of people migrating to the coast.

All of these factors suggest that Europes coastal regions areentitled to special attention from the Unions policy-makers.This is why the European Union is working to introduce acoordinated policy for the Unions coastal regions ( 1). As wellas taking steps to improve the EU policies that influence

coastal zones, the European Commission is calling on MemberStates to put in place national strategies for what is known asintegrated coastal zone management (ICZM).

The Commissions aim in promoting ICZM is to bring togetherall the different local, regional, national and Europe-widepolicies and actors who have an impact on the day-to-daylife of the Unions coastal regions.

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(1) COM(2000) 547, 27 September 2000.


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ICZM is designed to join up all the different policies which

have an effect on the Unions coastal regions. It is about bothplanning and management of coastal resources and coastalspace. It is not a one off solution but an ongoing dynamicprocess that will evolve over time.

The need to bring together all the local, regional, nationaland European policy-makers and other stakeholders whoseactivities affect coastal regions is central to ICZM. Without

coordination at all levels, efforts to protect the Unionscoastlines will only have limited success. These stakeholdersshould include not only government officials andpolicy-makers but also other interested parties such as localresidents, non-governmental organisations and businesses.

ICZM is not just an environmental policy. While the needto protect the functioning of natural ecosystems is a core aim

of the strategy, ICZM also seeks to improve the economic andsocial well-being of coastal zones and help them developtheir full potential as modern, vibrant communities. In thecoastal zone, these environmental and socioeconomic goalsare intrinsically interconnected.

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ICZM at a glance


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The EUs coastline is 89 000 kilometres long, and about half

of the population of those Member States with a coastlinelives within 50 kilometres of the sea. Coastal zones alreadyinclude the Unions most valuable habitats; a recentCommission study (1) indicates that the total ecosystembenefits generated by the EU coastal zones are worth more ineconomic terms than the national GDP of any of the smallerEU countries. The European Commission believes that a morecoordinated approach is necessary to ensure that this

economic resource is not destroyed.

If EU governments put in place national strategies for ICZM,they could improve both the economic and environmentalwell-being of their coastal zones. According to studies of thepotential socioeconomic value of ICZM, the estimated grossannual benefits of ICZM (including habitat protection, localbusiness and tourism) could be worth up to EUR 4.2 billion

for the European Union as a whole. Apart from the neteconomic gains, the qualitative benefits which will varyaccording to individual ICZM initiatives will include morecohesive coastal communities.

In short, national ICZM strategies would cost a relatively smallamount of money to implement, but could generatesignificant sustained economic returns.

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Europes coastline

(1) An assessment of the socioeconomic costs and benefits of integrated

coastal zone management, Firn Crichton Roberts, November 2000. Seehttp://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/iczm/socec_en.pdf


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Europes coastal zones probably face a larger number of

economic, social and environmental problems than anyother areas of the European Union. From Lapland to Crete,

coastal zones are facing serious planning and management

challenges, with the EUs ultra-peripheral zones often

representing the synthesis of the many problems that can

face the coastal zones. The following are just a few of the

better known examples of these problems.

Badly planned tourist developments

When properly managed, tourism can prove a vital source

of economic regeneration for coastal zones. However, along

many parts of the Unions coastline, tourism has developed in

a haphazard and unplanned fashion and causes major social

and environmental problems.

Coastal tourist developments tend to put a huge strain on

local supplies of fresh water, for example, and in some areas

of southern Europe this has caused real problems. In many

parts of the Mediterranean, including the Greek islands,overuse of scarce groundwater supplies has caused seawater

to seep into the local water table, making it undrinkable.

Many of these islands also suffer from inadequate facilities fordisposal of solid waste, resulting in widespread unauthorised

dumps.

Poorly managed coastal resorts can also cause serious air and

sea pollution. Tourist developments tend to consume large

amounts of fossil fuels and this reduces local air quality.

Aside from being used for cooking and heating in hotels,

cafs and restaurants, fossil fuels also power the huge

Europes coastlines the issues


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numbers of motorcycles, cars and pleasure craft found

in coastal tourist resorts.

Poorly planned seaside tourist developments can also havea detrimental effect on existing local industries and on thesocial fabric of local communities. In the Greek CycladesIslands, for example, there are conflicts between tourism andthe mining industry. Tourism has also led to a decline intraditional labour-intensive farming methods as local people

have abandoned their former agricultural work to take upjobs in bars, cafs and nightclubs.

In the Gironde estuary in France, pleasure boats with hullscoated in a toxic anti-barnacle paint are causing seriousproblems for local fish farms.

But experts insist that tourism can play a positive role incoastal regions if it is properly controlled. In StorstrmCounty in Denmark, tourism particularly in the low season is helping to compensate for declining employment infishing, agriculture, heavy industry and shipping.

The decline of the fishing industry

For many of Europes coastal towns and villages, fishing hasbeen a way of life for centuries. However, the Unions fishingindustry as a whole is currently facing serious difficulties. Inmany areas, over-fishing has brought dramatic reductions infish stocks and this in turn has led to job cuts and economichardship. In a bid to reduce over-fishing, the EUs commonfisheries policy attempts to control the volume of fish caughtin Union waters and to cut the number of boats, through themulti-annual guidance programmes for the fishing fleets(MAGPs).


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But this reduction in fleet capacity has also increased

unemployment in many coastal areas. As traditional fishingports have closed or reduced their activities, people havemoved elsewhere, and this process has changed thefundamental character of many coastal regions. Many townsthat relied on their image as fishing communities to attracttourists have seen visitor numbers fall dramatically as thelocal seafarers have hung up their nets for good.

Some areas have tried to develop alternatives to the fishingindustry and give a new boost to local economies. But thisprocess has not been easy and, in many regions, opportunitiesfor employment outside the fishing industry remain rare.

In regions where the fishing industry still plays an importanteconomic role, it is frequently forced to compete for spacewith other shoreline users. For example, sea-front planning,

marinas and mooring sites, and leisure navigation may havea negative impact on coastal fishery and fishing stocks.Increased use of the shoreline can lead to a reduction in sitesaccessible to fishing communities and loss of marine habitats

(feeding, spawning andrearing grounds),

as well as a declinein water quality

and damage tothe coastal

environment.


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Aquaculture, which is mainly practised in coastal waters and

is linked to other aspects of policy such as urbanisation,tourism and agriculture, is a good example of how ICZM canensure that coastal activities are mutually compatible. Fishfarming can have a positive impact on coastal zones, as itdemands good water quality and a clean environment.

Well-managed fish farms are a tourist attraction and supplyfresh seafood for local restaurateurs. However, this activity

can also be perceived to have a more negative side, incompeting for limited water space and onshore developmentland or creating waste disposal and pollution problems.

Poorly conceived transport networks

The issue of transport poses some particularly complex

problems for the EUs coastal regions. Without adequateconnections they cannot reap the economic benefits of athriving tourism industry or develop their local economies.Furthermore, inappropriate transport geared only to tourist

fluxes may make access difficult for year-round residents. However, too many orinappropriately designed transport linkscan lead to problems of pollution and over-

crowding, as well as habitat destruction.

The challenge for the Unions transportplanners is to find a happy balance. Sadly,this balance between accessibility and theneed to protect the local environment isstruck all too rarely and transport plannershave traditionally paid little heed to the very

specific needs of coastal zones.


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In recent decades, the problem of poor transport links has led

people to move away from some of the Unions most remotecoastal regions. This depopulation has been particularlymarked on some of the Greek islands in southern Europe andin the archipelagos off the coast of Denmark and Sweden, forexample.

At the other end of the scale, the Gulf of Naples in Italy hassuffered partly from having many uncoordinated transport

links. Local planners are now working to overcome Naplesproblems of congestion, intensive tourism, pollution and poormanagement of its natural and cultural heritage.

Achieving what experts call sustainable accessibility inother words building effective transport systems that work inharmony with the local environment will be a vital step inensuring an overall improvement in the state of Europes

coastal zones. In order for this to happen, the various nationalbodies responsible for building transport infrastructure mustwork more closely with local stakeholders in coastal regions.

Increasing urbanisation

In recent decades more and more of theUnions coastline has become urbanised.While well-planned property developmentcan play a role in ensuring coastal regionsdo not sink into economic decline, all toooften the building bonanza along theUnions seaboard has happened in ahaphazard manner.

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One of the driving motors behind this urban sprawl has been

a huge increase in the number of second homes built inEU coastal regions. Many of these houses remain empty formuch of the year and are only used at weekends or during theholiday season. Yet they often destroy fragile natural habitatsand prevent the general public from accessing local beaches.In addition, their waste disposal systems and septic tanks canoverload the natural environments ability to absorbpollutants.

The problem of coastal over-development is particularly acutein southern Europe where many second homes are illegal orsemi-legal and contravene local planning laws.

Erosion

In many of the EUs coastal zones, erosion by the sea is a

natural process that has been going on for millions of years.In itself, the phenomenon poses few environmental dangers,but it has come to be regarded as a problem in zones whereit threatens coastal towns and villages.

Trying to prevent erosion is an extremely complex task and itis not always easy to calculate what the long-term effects ofhuman interventions in this natural process might be.

Traditional hard engineering works to prevent coastalerosion, such as concrete sea-breaks or dykes, are veryexpensive to maintain and do not always succeed in stoppingland being washed away. In some areas, they have evenaccelerated the process. Major building work of any sort inareas susceptible to erosion can also make the problem worse.

On some parts of the Baltic Sea coast in Latvia for example,

natural coastal erosion had been going on for several


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thousand years at a rate of around 1.2 metres a year until a

major harbour for oil tankers was built at Ventspil. Now thelocal coastline recedes by between 2.5 and 3.5 metres a year.

In many areas of the Union, national and regional authoritiesare beginning to realise that trying to stop natural erosiontaking place by building walls is often a futile exercise.Instead some managers have opted for a policy known asmanaged retreat. This involves gradually scaling down

human activity in coastal areas that will one day end upbeing reclaimed by the sea. On the south-west coast of theUKs Isle of Wight for example, where the cliffs have recededby over 400 metres in the last 400 years, local businesses haveadopted precisely this sort of pragmatic approach.

In regions where managed retreat is not a viable solution (forexample, areas with a very high economic or historical value),

many authorities have opted for soft coastal defences ratherthan traditional sea walls or barriers. In areas that have notbeen overly developed, for example, replanting sand duneswith sea grasses and other indigenous vegetation can slowthe erosion process quite effectively. The huge challenge overthe coming years for policy-makers in these areas will be toformulate durable solutions that have as few unforeseenconsequences as possible.


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Pollution

Coastal zones face a double threat from pollution. Not onlyare they regularly victims of major maritime disasters, such asoil slicks or chemical spills, but they also suffer as a result ofpollution generated inland that washes into the sea viastreams and rivers.

Pollution from marine accidents is a particular problem incoastal zones that are near major international shippingroutes. In general, marine transport is considered to berelatively environmentally friendly. But the problem withshipping is that when accidents do happen, the results areoften catastrophic.

When the Maltese-registered oil tanker Erika sank off of theFrench coast in 1999 for example, the resulting oil slick caused

a huge amount of environmental and economic damage.Oyster farms had to be closed, the number of tourists visitingFrench seaside resorts in affected areas fell dramatically,and thousands of kilometres of coastline were covered infoul-smelling crude oil.

In addition, it is often very difficult to establish who is toblame for maritime accidents. The companies that own oil

tankers are frequently based in countries outside the EUsjurisdiction, and this makes bringing them to justice adrawn-out and complicated process. However, the EuropeanCommission has recently put forward a number of proposalsto introduce preventive measures in this field.

Pollution from inland sources especially farms and factories is also a major problem for many coastal zones. Full-blownecological disasters on the scale of the Romanian cyanide spill


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that polluted much of the River Danube and Black Sea coast in

2000 are thankfully comparatively rare. But every day, largequantities of pollutants are washed onto Europes beaches.

One of the biggest worries is nitrate contamination fromagricultural fertilisers and animal excrement. Nitrates are avital ingredient of all fertilisers and pose no particularproblems for the environment when used sparingly. But whenlarge concentrations of nitrates are washed into streams and

rivers they feed algae, which multiply at an astonishing rate,choking other aquatic life. Increased quantities of algae in thesea are also unpleasant for swimmers in bathing areas. Bettercooperation is needed between coastal stakeholders and theinland authorities responsible for industry, farming and othersources of pollution, in order to avoid these green tides.

The EUs newly adopted directive on water quality (the water

framework directive) addresses these problems of coastalpollution by taking a common sense but innovative approachbased on individual river basins as the starting point forprotecting the Unions water.


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River basin management, or RBM, links up all the

different national, regional and local stakeholderswho have an impact on water supplies as theyflow from mountain springs into lakes andrivers and into the sea.

The water framework directive aims to ensurethat EU governments put in place coordinatedmeasures for managing water use and tackling

pollution, instead of the piecemeal policiesoften applied at the moment. This approach alsoincludes the development of harmonised data

collection and information supply using geographicinformation systems.

As far as coastal zones are concerned, the water frameworkdirective will ensure that Member States take coherent steps

to tackle all sources of pollution, whether from the land or thesea. The legislation gives governments a 15-year deadline forachieving good quality coastal waters, through coherentwater quality policies based on RBM.

Habitat destruction

Coastal zones contain some of the Unions richest and most

fragile natural habitats. These areas are often of particularecological interest and include salt marshes, sand dunes andcliff sides that are home to numerous species of rare birds. Butin many parts of the Union, coastal habitats are under threat.

Population increases and changes in economic activities areleading to alterations of the sea floor, beaches and shorelines.Urban expansion can also result in the destruction of

important coastal habitats particularly wetlands. This


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urbanisation has caused certain animal species to die out

completely in a number of coastal zones, and this permanentloss means the erosion of what environmental experts refer toas biodiversity. They point out that it is often impossible torebuild a coastal habitat once it is destroyed, and that evenwhen restoration is possible, it is always an extremelycomplex and expensive procedure. Habitat loss can have anegative impact on water resource availability and on coastalerosion.

But unfortunately, some local and regional planners in theEU do not seem to think coastal habitat destruction is aproblem. Demands to protect natural coastal habitats aresometimes viewed with suspicion by regional authoritieseager to boost local trade by building more houses, roads,tourist developments and business premises. But habitat losscan also damage the economies of coastal zones. In areas that

still have a strong fishing industry, for example, habitatdestruction can damage fish stocks. The loss of areas ofnatural beauty also prevents coastal regions from developingbusinesses like eco-tourism and many outdoor leisureactivities.


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Because the EUs coastal regions face such a wide variety of

overlapping challenges from such a large number of differentsources, the European Commission believes the Union needs acoordinated coastal policy.

In 2000, the Commission published an in-depth report inwhich it outlined plans for an integrated coastal zonemanagement (ICZM) strategy for the Union. The report saysthat Europes coastal zones could benefit from a number of

EU-wide measures. But the Commission also argues that eachof the EUs 15 Member States should develop its own nationalICZM strategy.

Such national ICZM strategies would allow all the differentpolicy-makers who have a say in the management of coastalregions within a country to coordinate their actions far moreeffectively. These national strategies would also aim to

improve the compatibility of the many national sectoral lawsand policies that affect the coastal zone, and would facilitateactions by local and regional authorities.

Local authorities are key actors in Europes coastal regions.Only they along with other on-the-ground stakeholderslike businesses, local residents and non-governmentalorganisations know the real problems facing their

particular area. Regional bodies can provide the focusfor coordinating local grass-roots initiatives, while nationalpolicies and programmes should provide the legal andinstitutional framework to facilitate the actions at the regionaland local level.

The ICZM approach encourages decisions affecting coastalregions to be taken at the most appropriate level, but stresses

that the different levels of administration need to act in

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The solution

an EU-wide policyfor coastal zones


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harmony. In many cases, it also calls for

cross-border cooperation. For example, it wouldmake more sense for countries sharing acoastline on the same sea to try to coordinatetheir activities, rather than putting in place aseries of possibly conflicting national policies.The EU ICZM strategy encourages this sort ofregional seas approach to coastal policy incountries bordering the Mediterranean and

Baltic, for example.

The ICZM strategy also aims to prevent policiesthat apparently have no bearing on coastal

regions from damaging the seaboard unintentionally. In thecase of agricultural pollution, for example, policy-makers incharge of the Unions common agricultural policy will becomemore aware of the impact of inland fertiliser use on coastal

waters.

The Commission is already working to implement the EU-wideICZM strategy through existing Union legislation andprogrammes. Meanwhile, EU governments and the EuropeanParliament are currently considering the Commissions call fornational strategies and it is hoped the new coastal policy willsoon be fully in place.

This EU strategy for the coastal zones will be complementedby the Commissions sixth environment programmesemphasis on the importance of an effective territorialapproach to environmental problems.

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Main principles of ICZM

Take a wide-ranging view of inter-related problems

Base decisions on good data and information

Try to work with natural forces

Allow for unforeseen future developments

Involve all stakeholders and all relevant parts of theadministration

Make use of a range of instruments (laws, plans, economicinstruments, information campaigns, Local Agenda 21s,voluntary agreements, promotion of good practices, etc.)

Try to see the big picture

One of the key principles of an effective ICZM policy is tolook at the problems faced by coastal zones in the widestpossible context.

In the past, many well-intentioned efforts to improve thestate of the Unions coastal regions have failed because they

have looked at issues in isolation. For example, the questionof tourism in coastal zones cannot be addressed effectivelywithout also considering a whole range of other issues. Theseinclude water supplies, land-use, employment and theimpact of tourism on existing natural habitats.

Furthermore, in many parts of the Union, a single coastal zonecan be criss-crossed by several administrative borders. This

means coastal improvement policies are often very disjointed,

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Main principles

of ICZM

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with different districts putting in place different anduncoordinated measures. In areas where a coastal zonestraddles the frontier between two countries, these problemsof coordination are even more acute. In addition, many of theproblems facing coastal zones can have their origins manyhundreds of kilometres away from the seashore.

In Strymonikos in Greece, for example, river-borne pollutionfrom Bulgaria is affecting the quality of coastal waters.

All of these factors mean that an effective ICZM strategy musttry to join up the many different actors who affect coastalregions and address the many different but interconnectedproblems that affect these areas.

Consider local conditions

The fact that the European Union has such a hugely variedcoastline means that any effective ICZM strategy must bebased on local solutions that suit local conditions. A policydesigned to stop seawater seeping into the water table inGreece would be ill-suited to a coastal region on Swedens

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Baltic coast for example. The EU ICZM strategy isfirmly based on the principle of subsidiarity,which states that important policy decisionsshould always be taken as close to the citizen aspossible. This means that local stakeholders inthe EUs coastal regions must be at the heart ofICZM, as only the people who live and work incoastal zones know the real challenges theirparticular regions face. It would not make

sense, and nor would it be right, for nationalgovernments or the European institutions to tryto impose uniform solutions on these regionsfrom above.

What the higher levels of government can do, however,is to provide support and guidance to these local initiativesand ensure that the many national and EU policies that need

to be implemented in the coastal zone are not contradictory.The national and EU administrations also need to ensure thatsectoral policies are suited to the conditions of the coastalzones. Coordination between the polices at national andEU levels dealing with issues like water quality, habitatprotection, transport, fishing and tourism should help toimprove the lot of the Unions coastal zones. However, thiscan only happen if these policies are also implemented

coherently at the local level.

In order to ensure that problems are solved on the basis oflocal needs, good planning and management in coastal zonesalso depends on accurate and sufficiently detailed information,collected in the Member States.

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Work with nature

As the legend of King Canute (1) shows only tooclearly, efforts to tame the sea almost alwaysfail. This is why modern coastal managementtechniques try to work with nature rather thanbattle against it.

In the past, battles against the sea have sometimesended up aggravating problems facing coastal

zones rather than resolving them. For example,engineering works to improve port facilities inAveiro in Portugal led to an increase in erosion

of the adjacent shoreline because they disrupted local tidalflows, which had not been adequately considered in theplanning phase. Subsequent moves to protect the coast usinghard defences built of concrete and steel failed to improvethe situation.

If the authorities in Aveiro had had more information aboutthe natural processes at work in the regions coastal zonesbefore they started building at the port, they could perhapshave prevented the extra erosion problems. This might alsohave cut the overall cost of the building works in the region.If more integrated thinking had been applied to the portproject from the outset, it would probably not have been

necessary to build the extra sea defences.

In Belgium, the authorities responsible for the heavilybuilt-up Flanders coast are now trying to work more closely

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(1) King Canutes followers said he was so powerful that the tides wouldturn back at his command. Not wishing to encourage unrealisticexpectations of his capacities, the king had his throne placed amongthe waves and ordered the waves to stop but of course they didnt.

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with the natural dynamics of the coastal zone. Where possiblethe Belgian authorities are trying to adopt a less confrontationalapproach to managing the problem of erosion by removinghard sea defences and replacing them with more alternativessuch as replanted sand dunes which naturally absorb theenergy of the sea.

Think ahead, be adaptable

It is often extremely difficult to predict the precise problems aparticular coastal region will face in the future. This is whyICZM is designed to be an evolving process, which not onlydeals with todays problems but also is flexible enough toadapt to as yet unforeseen issues that may arise in the future.Once a decision has been taken to build a new marina, forexample, it will be very difficult to unbuild, even if later

generations discover that the development is causing seriousenvironmental damage.

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Good coastal zone management should explicitly acknowledgethe uncertainty of future conditions and promote flexible andadaptable policies. Good coastal zone planning andmanagement should also be based on what is known as theprecautionary principle. This states that policy-makersshould try to anticipate potential damage to coastal regionsrather than waiting for things to go wrong before trying toput them right. The precautionary principle also states thatpolicy-makers should err on the side of caution if they are notentirely sure whether a planned move would damage acoastal zone. This approach is particularly important in areasthat face a potential threat from urban sprawl or major touristdevelopments.

As the risk of climate change mounts, it is likely that coastalzones will be facing new problems and challenges in thecoming decades. We need to ensure that our planning and

management systems are flexible enough to meet these newchallenges as they arise.

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Get everyone involved

ICZM is designed to increase contacts between sectors ofgovernment and between local, regional and nationalgovernments so that policy-makers can have a clear pictureof the needs of Europes coastal regions. But good coastalzone planning and management must also involvenon-governmental organisations and other stakeholders if itis to be a success. ICZM simply will not work without regularinput from the businesses, local people and non-governmental

organisations that live and work in the Unions coastal zones.

Without the full participation of local stakeholders, coastalmanagement strategies will never succeed. If people do notfeel involved in decisions that affect their region, they cancome to resent policy-makers and reject plans to improvecoastal zones. In 1993, for example, local residents rejected amanagement plan for the Exe Estuary in the United Kingdom

drawn up by a firm of consultants. The residents complainedthat the consultants had not asked them for their views oncertain questions, particularly on issues related to chargingestuary users for the provision of harbour services. This ledpolicy-makers to rethink their whole strategy for the estuary

and a series of local topic groups made up of local residentswas set up. Following a broad consultation process,

which included numerous local meetings, a new

strategy for the region has been drawn up thateverybody seems happy with.The residents still meetregularly to discuss local problems and have set upthe Exe Estuary Forum to coordinate efforts toimprove life in their coastal region.

Similar experiences across the Union show that it isvitally important for local stakeholders to be

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involved in discussions about coastal zone policyfrom the outset. While local stakeholders mustalways be at the heart of any ICZM strategy, it isalso important to ensure that all other actorswho have an impact on a particular region areinvolved in efforts to improve the lot of coastalzones.

Often this means coordinating local initiativeswith wider national policies in order to ensurethat unintended conflicts between differentlevels of government do not arise. Local movesto reduce river-borne pollution in an estuary

region would never be very successful unless the nationalauthorities that regulate industrial and agricultural policywere involved, for example.

In some instances, it would also be necessary to coordinatelocal ICZM activities with European policies. This would be thecase if a coastal zone were in an area designated as a protectedregion under EU habitat protection rules, for example. It alsomakes sense to ensure that European legislation on issueslike agriculture, water quality and transport are properlyintegrated into local ICZM strategies.

Local actors, on their own, cannot solve the problems of thecoastal zone. The challenges facing coastal zones do not arisein isolation, and without cooperation between all levels ofgovernment, ICZM simply will not work.

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A coordinated EU-wide approach to coastal policy is neededto make sure that the problems currently facing our coastalregions do not get worse. Most projections show that thenumber of people using these areas is set to go on increasingfor the foreseeable future.

If no steps are taken to manage these increased strains beingimposed on coastal regions, problems like habitat loss,pollution and erosion will end up destroying some of the mostbeautiful, biologically rich and fragile areas in the EU, whilecoastal communities are torn apart by unemployment andsocial disintegration. The net result would be a major loss inthe value of coastal zones and the destruction of economicallyvaluable resources.

On the other hand, properly coordinated ICZM strategies atboth the EU and national levels will allow the Union to reap

the full benefits of its coastal regions and ensure they developmodern, vibrant economies while still protecting their uniquenatural beauty.

Conclusion

a pressing needfor the

EU coastal strategy

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For ICZM to work it must be based on local solutions to localproblems. Local stakeholders will always be at the centre ofmoves to improve the lot of coastal regions, but in order toensure the best possible deal for coastal zones, there is a needto coordinate the activities of these grass-roots actors withregional, national and European policy-makers. ICZM willhave short-term costs, but much greater medium and long-term benefits.

For centuries, Europes coastal zones have suffered frompoorly coordinated planning and inappropriate policy-making. But with a concerted effort to introduce ICZM acrossEurope, the tide could be about to turn.


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European Commission

EU focus on coastal zones

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities

2001 29 pp. 21 x 21 cm

ISBN 92-894-1151-1


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B-1190 Bruxelles/BrusselTl. (32-2) 538 43 08Fax (32-2) 538 08 41E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.jean-de-lannoy.be

La librairie europenne/De Europese BoekhandelRue de la Loi 244/Wetstraat 244B-1040 Bruxelles/BrusselTl. (32-2) 295 26 39Fax (32-2) 735 08 60E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.libeurop.be

Moniteur belge/Belgisch StaatsbladRue de Louvain 40-42/Leuvenseweg 40-42B-1000 Bruxelles/BrusselTl. (32-2) 552 22 11Fax (32-2) 511 01 84E-mail: [email protected]

DANMARK

J. H. Schultz Information A/SHerstedvang 12DK-2620 AlbertslundTlf. (45) 43 63 23 00Fax (45) 43 63 19 69E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.schultz.dk

DEUTSCHLAND

Bundesanzeiger Verlag GmbHVertriebsabteilungAmsterdamer Strae 192D-50735 KlnTel. (49-221) 97 66 80Fax (49-221) 97 66 82 78E-Mail: [email protected]: http://www.bundesanzeiger.de

ELLADA/GREECE

G. C. Eleftheroudakis SAInternational BookstorePanepistimiou 17GR-10564 AthinaTel. (30-1) 331 41 80/1/2/3/4/5Fax (30-1) 323 98 21E-mail: [email protected]: [email protected]

ESPAA

Boletn Oficial del EstadoTrafalgar, 27E-28071 MadridTel. (34) 915 38 21 11 (libros)Tel. (34) 913 84 17 15 (suscripcin)Fax (34) 915 38 21 21 (libros),Fax (34) 913 84 17 14 (suscripcin)E-mail: [email protected]

URL: http://www.boe.esMundi Prensa Libros, SACastell, 37E-28001 MadridTel. (34) 914 36 37 00Fax (34) 915 75 39 98E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.mundiprensa.com

FRANCE

Journal officielService des publications des CE26, rue DesaixF-75727 Paris Cedex 15Tl. (33) 140 58 77 31Fax (33) 140 58 77 00E-mail:[email protected]: http://www.journal-officiel.gouv.fr

IRELAND

Alan Hannas Bookshop270 Lower Rathmines RoadDublin 6Tel. (353-1) 496 73 98Fax (353-1) 496 02 28E-mail: [email protected]

ITALIA

Licosa SpAVia Duca di Calabria, 1/1Casella postale 552I-50125 FirenzeTel. (39) 055 64 83 1Fax (39) 055 64 12 57E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.licosa.com

LUXEMBOURG

Messageries du livre SARL5, rue RaiffeisenL-2411 LuxembourgTl. (352) 40 10 20Fax (352) 49 06 61E-mail: [email protected]

URL: http://www.mdl.luNEDERLAND

SDU Servicecentrum UitgeversChristoffel Plantijnstraat 2Postbus 200142500 EA Den HaagTel. (31-70) 378 98 80Fax (31-70) 378 97 83E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.sdu.nl

Kohlmarkt 16A-1014 WienTel. (43-1) 53 16 11 00Fax (43-1) 53 16 11 67E-Mail: [email protected]: http://www.manz.at

PORTUGAL

Distribuidora de Livros Bertrand Ld.Grupo Bertrand, SARua das Terras dos Vales, 4-AApartado 60037P-2700 Amadora

Tel. (351) 214 95 87 87Fax (351) 214 96 02 55E-mail: [email protected]

Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda, SASector de Publicaes OficiaisRua da Escola Politcnica, 135P-1250-100 Lisboa CodexTel. (351) 213 94 57 00Fax (351) 213 94 57 50E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.incm.pt

SUOMI/FINLAND

Akateeminen Kirjakauppa/Akademiska BokhandelnKeskuskatu 1/Centralgatan 1PL/PB 128FIN-00101 Helsinki/HelsingforsP./tfn (358-9) 121 44 18F./fax (358-9) 121 44 35Shkposti: [email protected]: http://www.akateeminen.com

SVERIGE

BTJ ABTraktorvgen 11-13S-221 82 LundTlf. (46-46) 18 00 00Fax (46-46) 30 79 47E-post: [email protected]: http://www.btj.se

UNITED KINGDOM

The Stationery Office LtdCustomer ServicesPO Box 29Norwich NR3 1GNTel. (44) 870 60 05-522Fax (44) 870 60 05-533E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.itsofficial.net

SLAND

Bokabud Larusar BlndalSklavrdustig, 2IS-101 ReykjavikTel. (354) 552 55 40Fax (354) 552 55 60E-mail: [email protected]

NORGE

Swets Blackwell ASstenjoveien 18Boks 6512 EtterstadN-0606 OsloTel. (47) 22 97 45 00Fax (47) 22 97 45 45E-mail: [email protected]

SCHWEIZ/SUISSE/SVIZZERA

Euro Info Center Schweizc/o OSECStampfenbachstrae 85

PF 492CH-8035 ZrichTel. (41-1) 365 53 15Fax (41-1) 365 54 11E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.osec.ch/eics

B@LGARIJA

Europress Euromedia Ltd59, blvd VitoshaBG-1000 SofiaTel. (359-2) 980 37 66Fax (359-2) 980 42 30E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.europress.bg

|ESK REPUBLIKA

VISodd. PublikaciHavelkova 22CZ-130 00 Praha 3Tel. (420-2) 22 72 07 34Fax (420-2) 22 71 57 38URL: http://www.uvis.cz

CYPRUS

CyprusChamberof Commerceand IndustryPO Box 21455CY-1509 NicosiaTel. (357-2) 88 97 52Fax (357-2) 66 10 44E-mail: [email protected]

Toom-Kooli 17EE-10130 TallinnTel. (372) 646 02 44Fax (372) 646 02 45E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.koda.ee

HRVATSKA

Mediatrade LtdPavla Hatza 1HR-10000 ZagrebTel. (385-1) 481 94 11Fax (385-1) 481 94 11

MAGYARORSZG

Euro Info ServiceSzt. Istvn krt.12II emelet 1/APO Box 1039H-1137 BudapestTel. (36-1) 329 21 70Fax (36-1) 349 20 53E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.euroinfo.hu

MALTA

Miller Distributors LtdMalta International AirportPO Box 25Luqa LQA 05Tel. (356) 66 44 88Fax (356) 67 67 99E-mail: [email protected]

POLSKA

Ars PolonaKrakowskie Przedmiescie 7Skr. pocztowa 1001PL-00-950 WarszawaTel. (48-22) 826 12 01Fax (48-22) 826 62 40E-mail: [email protected]

ROMNIA

EuromediaStr.Dionisie Lupu nr. 65, sector 1RO-70184 BucurestiTel. (40-1) 315 44 03Fax (40-1) 312 96 46E-mail: [email protected]

SLOVAKIA

Centrum VTI SRNm. Slobody, 19SK-81223 BratislavaTel. (421-7) 54 41 83 64Fax (421-7) 54 41 83 64

E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.sltk.stuba.sk

SLOVENIJA

Gospodarski VestnikDunajska cesta 5SLO-1000 LjubljanaTel. (386) 613 09 16 40Fax (386) 613 09 16 45E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.gvestnik.si

TRKIYE

Dnya Infotel AS100, Yil Mahallessi 34440TR-80050 Bagcilar-IstanbulTel. (90-212) 629 46 89Fax (90-212) 629 46 27E-mail: [email protected]

ARGENTINA

World Publications SAAv. Cordoba 1877C1120 AAA Buenos AiresTel. (54-11) 48 15 81 56Fax (54-11) 48 15 81 56E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.wpbooks.com.ar

AUSTRALIA

Hunter PublicationsPO Box 404Abbotsford, Victoria 3067Tel. (61-3) 94 17 53 61Fax (61-3) 94 19 71 54E-mail: [email protected]

BRESIL

Livraria CamesRua Bittencourt da Silva, 12 CCEP20043-900 Rio de JaneiroTel. (55-21) 262 47 76

Fax (55-21) 262 47 76E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.incm.com.br

CANADA

Les ditions La Libert Inc.3020, chemin Sainte-FoySainte-Foy, Qubec G1X 3V6Tel. (1-418) 658 37 63Fax (1-800) 567 54 49E-mail: [email protected]

Fax (1-613) 745 76 60E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.renoufbooks.com

EGYPT

The Middle East Observer41 Sherif StreetCairoTel. (20-2) 392 69 19Fax (20-2) 393 97 32E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.meobserver.com.eg

INDIA

EBIC India3rd Floor, Y. B. Chavan CentreGen. J. Bhosale Marg.Mumbai 400 021Tel. (91-22) 282 60 64Fax (91-22) 285 45 64E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.ebicindia.com

JAPAN

PSI-JapanAsahi Sanbancho Plaza #2067-1 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-kuTokyo 102Tel. (81-3) 32 34 69 21Fax (81-3) 32 34 69 15E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.psi-japan.co.jp

MALAYSIA

EBIC MalaysiaSuite 45.02, Level 45Plaza MBf (Letter Box 45)8 Jalan Yap Kwan Seng50450 Kuala LumpurTel. (60-3) 21 62 92 98Fax (60-3) 21 62 61 98E-mail: [email protected]

MXICO

Mundi Prensa Mxico, SA de CVRo Pnuco, 141Colonia CuauhtmocMX-06500 Mxico, DFTel. (52-5) 533 56 58Fax (52-5) 514 67 99E-mail: [email protected]

PHILIPPINES

EBIC Philippines19th Floor, PS Bank TowerSen. Gil J. Puyat Ave. cor. Tindalo St.Makati CityMetro Manilla

Tel. (63-2) 759 66 80Fax (63-2) 759 66 90E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.eccp.com

SOUTH AFRICA

Eurochamber of Commerce in South AfricaPO Box 7817382146 SandtonTel. (27-11) 884 39 52Fax (27-11) 883 55 73E-mail: [email protected]

SOUTH KOREA

The European Union Chamber ofCommerce in Korea5th FI, The Shilla Hotel202, Jangchung-dong 2 Ga, Chung-kuSeoul 100-392Tel. (82-2) 22 53-5631/4Fax (82-2) 22 53-5635/6E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.eucck.org

SRI LANKA

EBIC Sri LankaTrans Asia Hotel115 Sir ChittampalamA. Gardiner MawathaColombo 2Tel. (94-1) 074 71 50 78Fax (94-1) 44 87 79E-mail: [email protected]

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Bernan Associates4611-F Assembly DriveLanham MD 20706-4391Tel. (1-800) 274 44 47 (toll free telephone)Fax (1-800) 865 34 50 (toll free fax)E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.bernan.com

ANDERE LNDER/OTHER COUNTRIES/AUTRES PAYS

Bitte wenden Sie sich an ein Bro IhrerWahl/Please contact the sales office ofyour choice/Veuillez vous adresser aubureau de vente de votre choixOffice for Official Publications of the EuropeanCommunities2, rue MercierL-2985 LuxembourgTel. (352) 29 29-42455Fax (352) 29 29-42758E-mail: [email protected]: http://eur-op.eu.int

1/2001


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OFFICE FOR OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS

OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

L-2985 Luxembourg

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KH-35-01-974-EN-C

ISBN 92-894-1151-1

,!7IJ2I9-ebbfbg!

Brochure on ICZM 2000

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Transcript of Brochure on ICZM 2000