EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 45/1

Impact of tourism on coastal regions

P6_TA(2008)0597

European Parliament resolution of 16 December 2008 on the regional development aspects of the impact of tourism on coastal regions (2008/2132(INI))

(2010/C 45 E/01)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the European Regional Development Fund (1),

— having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) (2),

— having regard to Regulation (EC) No 294/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2008 establishing the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (3),

— having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund (4),

— having regard to Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) (5),

— having regard to Decision No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013) (6),

— having regard to its position of 23 October 2008 on the Council common position for adopting a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on airport charges (7),

— having regard to the Commission communication of 27 September 2000‘Integrated coastal zone management: a strategy for Europe’ (COM(2000)0547),

— having regard to the Commission communication of 19 October 2007‘Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism’ (COM(2007)0621),

— having regard to the Commission communication of 17 March 2006‘A renewed EU Tourism Policy: Towards a stronger partnership for European tourism’ (COM(2006)0134), and to Parliament's resolution thereon of 29 November 2007 (8),

— having regard to the Commission communication of 10 October 2007‘An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union’ (COM(2007)0575), and to Parliament's resolution thereon of 20 May 2008 (9),

— having regard to the Commission communication of 23 January 2008‘20 20 by 2020 — Europe's climate change opportunity’ (COM(2008)0030),

— having regard to Commission Green Paper of 7 June 2006‘Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union: A European vision for the oceans and seas’ (COM(2006)0275),

— having regard to the Presidency Conclusions of the Brussels European Council of 14 December 2007,

— having regard to the Joint Tripartite Declaration of 20 May 2008 between Parliament, the Council and the Commission Establishing a ‘European Maritime Day’, to be celebrated on 20 May each year,

— having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Development and the opinion of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A6-0442/2008),

A. whereas the EU has six coastal macrozones, namely those corresponding to the Atlantic, the Baltic, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the North Sea and the outermost regions, each with its particular territorial resources and its specific concept of tourism,

B. whereas a significant part of the European population lives on the 89 000 km stretch of mainland European coast,

C. accepting the definition of ‘coastal zones’ employed in the context of the EU's maritime policy, i.e. zones or areas located on the coast or within 50 km from the coast in a straight line,

D. whereas coastal regions are extremely important for the EU, since a significant percentage of economic activity is concentrated in them,

E. having regard to the definition of integrated coastal zone management and the role played by tourism in achieving that objective,

F. whereas the positive development of coastal regions benefits not only the people residing in coastal areas, but all people living in the EU,

G. whereas tourism, while typically the main activity in these regions, positively contributing to social and economic development in terms of increasing GDP and employment levels, can also have adverse territorial effects arising from the seasonal nature of activity, employment of unskilled labour, lack of integration between coast and hinterland, lack of economic diversification, or the degradation of the natural and cultural heritage,

H. whereas there is practically no specific reference to the coastal zones in the various operational programmes for 2007-2013, and as a result there is a lack of comparable and reliable socio-economic and financial data for coastal tourism,

I. whereas, in the absence of reliable comparative data on coastal tourism, it is possible that this sector's economic strength is being underestimated, leading to undervaluation of the economic value of preserving the marine environment and overvaluation of the role of investment in achieving that goal,

J. whereas, because of a lack of information on the EU funds invested in the coastal zones it is difficult to make a quantitative assessment of the real impact of the Structural Funds on coastal tourism,

K. whereas tourism is located at the intersection of various EU policies which substantially affect its capacity to contribute to social and territorial cohesion,

L. whereas, from a qualitative point of view, the Structural Funds can have a positive impact on the development of coastal regions, revitalising the local economies, stimulating private investment and promoting sustainable tourism,

M. whereas there is a more visible impact in locations such as small islands in the outermost regions or coastal zones where coastal tourism is the main economic activity,

N. whereas coastal areas are strongly influenced by their geographical location, and require a structured strategy taking account of their specific characteristics and of the principle of subsidiarity and the need for a decision-making process that applies consistency between sectors,

O. whereas, in addition, coastal regions are often also outlying regions such as small islands, outermost regions or tourism-dependent coastal areas whose accessibility is limited outside the high season, where territorial cohesion requires the creation of better infrastructures and more regular transport links between coast and interior, as well as the encouragement, via investment-generating strategies for territorial marketing and integrated economic development, of continued economic activity outside the tourist season,

P. whereas the coastal zones, despite having similar problems, do not possess specific instruments which would enable a structured approach and better communication among the main actors, who frequently work independently and in isolation from each other,

Q. whereas integrated solutions to real problems can be found and implemented at local and regional level by the public authorities working in cooperation with the private sector and keeping in view both environmental and community interests,

R. whereas the creation of policy instruments will help contribute to more integrated and sustainable development strategies, improving economic competitiveness by preserving natural and cultural resources, meeting social needs and promoting models of ethical tourism,

S. whereas this could help create better jobs in the coastal zones, reducing the seasonal element and combining different forms of tourism and other maritime or coastal activities, thus adjusting the supply to the demanding expectations and requirements of modern-day tourists and permitting the generation of skilled employment,

T. whereas the European territorial cooperation objective laid down in Article 6 of the Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 can make an effective contribution to the above priorities, via the funding of cooperation projects and the development of partnership networks between sectoral players and the coastal areas, stressing in this context the importance of utilising the European grouping of territorial cooperation provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 as an instrument for creating ongoing cooperation in the field of the sustainable development of coastal regions, with the participation of local and social partners;

1. Stresses that tourism is a key factor for the social and economic development of the EU's coastal regions and is closely linked to the objectives of the Lisbon strategy; also emphasises that the objectives of the Gothenburg Strategy should be more rigourously taken into account for coastal tourism activities;

2. Encourages coastal Member States to design specific strategies and integrated plans at national and regional level in order to counteract the seasonal nature of tourism in costal regions and ensure more stable employment and a better quality of life for local communities; emphasises, in this context, the importance of extending the traditional seasonal business to a year-round activity through product diversification and alternative forms of tourism (e.g. business, cultural, medical, sport, agricultural and sea-related tourism); notes that diversification of products and services will help create growth and employment and reduce environmental, economic and social effects;

3. Stresses the need to safeguard workers' rights in the sector, promoting quality jobs and the acquisition of skills, this entailing, inter alia, suitable training, more extensive use of long-term contracts, equitable and decent wages and better working conditions;

4. Calls for an integrated approach to coastal tourism in the context of the EU's cohesion, maritime, fisheries, environmental, transport, energy, social and health policies, in order to create synergies and avoid inconsistent actions; recommends that the Commission takes into account such an integrated approach to the sustainable growth of coastal tourism, especially in connection with the EU's maritime policy, as a strategic objective of its work programme for 2010-2015, and also in the context of the mid-term review of the financial framework for 2007-2013;

5. Calls on the Member States to ensure the full participation of the regional and local authorities responsible for tourism and regional development in coastal zones as well as of economic, social and environmental partners in all permanent structures set up under these policies, and in the cross-border cooperation programmes involving coastal regions;

6. Highlights the fundamental link between a well-functioning infrastructure and a successful tourist region, and thus calls on the competent authorities to draw up plans for optimising local infrastructure, for the benefit of both tourists and local residents; in this light, strongly recommends that coastal Member States take all measures necessary to ensure that new projects improving infrastructure, including oil plants and other facilities, are always built using the latest available technologies, in order to ensure the reduction of energy use and carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency through the use of renewable energy sources;

7. Urges the Commission, the Member States and the regions to promote sustainable mobility chains involving local public transport, cycle tracks and footpaths, in particular along cross-border stretches of coastline, and to support the exchange of good practices;

8. Recommends that the Commission adopt a holistic approach to coastal tourism in the context of both territorial cohesion and its strategy for an integrated maritime policy, in particular for the islands, the island Member States, the outermost regions and the other coastal zones, notably in view of the high dependence of these areas on tourism;

9. Strongly encourages the Commission and the Member States to include coastal tourism in the list of priorities within the strategic guidelines for the next programming period of the Structural Funds as well as among the policies of the EU's coastal regions and to define an innovative strategy able to integrate the coastal tourism offer;

10. Welcomes therefore the participation of coastal regions in Interreg IV B and C programmes and projects covering both transnational and interregional cooperation in the field of tourism and invites them to make effective use of EU initiatives and instruments for coastal regions (such as the Mediterranean and Baltic Sea Strategies and the Black Sea Synergy); strongly recommends that the Commission place greater emphasis on coastal regions in the new Interreg programmes for the next programming period;

11. Takes note of the Committee of the Regions' view concerning the creation of a European coastal fund, and calls on the Commission, in the context of the next financial framework, to examine ways of better coordinating all future financial instruments that cover action in coastal regions;

12. Recommends building up a knowledge pillar as part of the integrated development of the coastal zones, by creating a European sectoral network under the umbrella of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology provided for in Regulation (EC) No 294/2008 and the Seventh Framework Programme provided for in Decision No 1982/2006/EC;

13. Recommends that the coastal Member States apply the integrated approach at programme level when selecting and executing projects related to the coasts, adopting an intersectoral method and prioritising the creation of public-private partnerships, in order to reduce pressure on the local authorities concerned;

14. Welcomes the priorities identified by the Commission for coastal and maritime tourism in the abovementioned Agenda for a Sustainable and Competitive European Tourism; suggests that the recently-created European Tourist Destinations Portal could include specific information on coastal destinations and networks, especially those which are less well-known and less publicised, with a view to their promotion beyond the EU's borders, including at regional and local level;

15. Calls on the Commission, in this connection, to recognise coastal and water tourism as an area of excellence for 2010 in the context of its pilot project European Destinations of Excellence;

16. Laments the fact that the current lack of transparency as regards EU expenditure in the coastal zones makes it impossible to quantify the level of investment or to analyse the impact of the supported initiatives in those regions; in this context welcomes the abovementioned Green Paper on future maritime policy's provision to create a database for maritime regions that will include information on the beneficiaries of all Community funds (including the Structural Funds) and calls on the Commission to accomplish this important task without delay; stresses the importance of such an initiative for ensuring transparency in this field; calls on the Commission to activate suitable instruments for making these data available for analytic and statistical purposes and calls on the Member States to fulfil their obligations concerning the publication of the final beneficiaries, thus providing a comprehensive picture of existing projects;

17. Calls on the Commission, the Member States and the regions to draw up jointly an exhaustive catalogue, to be made available on the Internet, of projects funded in the coastal zones, thus enabling the regions to learn from others' experience and permitting academia, the coastal communities and other interested parties to identify, publicise and maximise the transfer of best practices to the local communities; in this light recommends the setting up of a forum where interested parties can contact each other and share good practices and of a working group of representatives of Members States to develop action plans on coastal tourism and foster the exchange of experiences at institutional level;

18. Invites the Commission also to use this Internet catalogue to make the public aware of the benefits brought by the EU to the coastal regions, thus contributing to a more positive view of EU funding and enhancing the EU's image;

19. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the ongoing compilation by Eurostat of a socio-economic database for the EU's coastal regions includes data on tourism that is reliable, uniform and up-to-date, since this is essential in order to facilitate decision-making in the public sector and enable comparison between regions and sectors; recommends that the coastal Member States, as a matter of urgency, act to implement the Tourism Satellite Account in their territory;

20. Stresses that there is a close link between the environment and coastal tourism; and that policies to develop tourism should include practical measures in line with a general policy of environmental protection and management; welcomes, therefore, the fact that sustainable development is enshrined in Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (on Structural Funds 2007-2013) as one of the key principles applying to the implementation of all structural interventions whose application has to be duly verified through appropriate monitoring activities; strongly recommends that a similar provision be introduced in the Regulations for the next programming period; emphasises the important contribution this would make to fostering eco-tourism;

21. Points out that coastal regions are particularly affected by the impact of climate change and the attendant rise in sea level and sand erosion, plus the increasing incidence and strength of storms; insists therefore that coastal regions devise climate change risk and prevention plans;

22. Points to the impact of climate change on coastal tourism; therefore calls on the Commission on the one hand consistently to integrate the EU targets for reducing CO2 emissions into transport and tourism policy and, on the other hand, to promote measures to protect sustainable coastal tourism from the impact of climate change;

23. Emphasises, in this context, the importance of assessing the potential of tourism to contribute to environmental protection and conservation; notes that tourism might offer an easy way to raise awareness of environmental values through the concerted action of national and regional authorities on the one hand and tourism operators and hotels and restaurants managers on the other; considers therefore, that costal regions should be targeted by such efforts, due to their pre-eminently touristic profile;

24. Stresses the need, in developing tourism, of always ensuring the protection of historical features and archaeological treasures and the preservation of traditions and of cultural heritage in general, fostering the active involvement of local communities;

25. Calls for incentives to be provided for sustainable development, so as to safeguard the cultural and natural heritage and the social fabric in coastal regions;

26. Calls on the Commission to ensure that active execution in line with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive is a condition for receiving EU funding for coastal projects having an impact on the sea;

27. Calls on the Commission to use all suitable evaluation instruments to ensure the implementation of this principle in the coastal zones during the present programming period, as well as the sharing of responsibilities between the different decision-making levels;

28. Emphasises that pressure on coastal zones due to excessive physical infrastructure interventions is to the detriment of coastal tourism development and attractiveness, whereas those aspects could be fostered through high quality tourism services, essential for coastal regional competitiveness and the promotion of quality jobs and qualifications; invites, therefore, coastal regions instead to encourage alternative investments such as investments in ITC-based services, new potentials of local traditional products and high-quality training for workers of the tourism sector; calls, also, for the design of training programmes to create a pool of skilled workers, to deal with the increased complexity and variety of the tourism sector;

29. Calls on the Member States to devise appropriate urban development and planning policies that are compatible with the coastal landscape;

30. Stresses that high quality represents the basic comparative advantage of the EU tourism product; calls on the Member States and the regional and local authorities to highlight and strengthen the quality of tourism services in terms of the provision of security, ample and modern infrastructure, the corporate social responsibility of the enterprises involved, and environmentally friendly economic activities;

31. Calls on the Commission to ensure that its policy for maritime clusters includes productive services and sectors of relevance to coastal tourism, thus enabling fruitful interaction among those who use the sea as a resource to increase their competitiveness, sustainability and contribution to coastal economic development; considers, furthermore, that medical, welfare, educational, technological and sporting facilities should be included as coastal services under the maritime clusters, as key elements for the development of the coastal zones;

32. Highlights the importance of accessibility for the development of coastal regions; calls, therefore, on the Commission and national and regional coastal authorities to develop ways to ensure optimal connectivity via land, air and waterway transportation; reiterates its call on the same actors, in view of the high incidence of marine pollution in numerous regions and port cities, to boost incentives for the supply of vessels in port from the land network; invites Member States to analyse the possibility of adopting measures such as reducing airport charges, always in accordance with the procedure laid down in its abovementioned position of 23 October 2008, in order to increase the attractiveness of and foster the competitiveness of coastal areas; for the same purpose, stresses the necessity of enhancing the respect of airport and aviation safety standards, including removal of fuel depots near airports, where necessary;

33. Calls on the Member States and regional authorities to promote the upgrading of ports and airports in coastal and island regions in order to meet the needs of tourism, taking due account of the existing environmental possibilities and respect for aesthetic considerations and the natural surroundings;

34. Stresses that territorial cohesion is a horizontal concept covering the EU as a whole, which can enhance the links between coast and hinterland by virtue of the existing complementarities of and mutual influence between coastal and inner areas (e.g. connection of coastal activities to rural and urban tourism, improvement of out-of-season accessibility for tourism, increasing the profile of local products while encouraging their diversification); notes that the abovementioned Green Paper on future maritime policy makes special reference to island regions, acknowledging that they face particular developmental challenges due to their permanent natural handicaps; emphasises that similar problems are faced by coastal regions in general and calls on the Commission to take account of the need to link coastal tourism to the integrated management of coastal zones and spatial planning for the seas in the future implementation of territorial cohesion;

35. Urges the coastal regional and local authorities, similarly, to encourage integrated territorial marketing schemes alongside their partners in the context of sea-and-land based neighbourhood relations and to promote equity in tourism development and travel with a view to boosting competitiveness in the tourist sector without prejudice to overall competitiveness;

36. Encourages the coastal regions to take part in projects for interregional cooperation, e.g. under Theme IV of the initiative Regions for Economic Change, with the objective of creating new thematic coastal tourism networks and building on those already in place, as well as ensuring the exchange of know-how and best practice;

37. Recommends that the public authorities concerned at national, regional and local level act to promote strategic projects for coastal tourism under their cooperation programmes, providing technical assistance for the preparation of projects, making available suitable levels of funding for such actions and prioritising the use of Structural Funds for developing sustainable, environmentally-friendly tourism in coastal regions, for both Convergence and Competitiveness and Employment areas; in this connection, believes that special attention should be paid to operations aimed at developing communications and IT;

38. Calls on the Commission to organise at least one special event within the next year, preferably on 20 May, European Maritime Day, focusing on coastal tourism, with a view to facilitating communication and fostering contacts between partners and sharing best practice, e.g. in the implementation of the EU's integrated quality management model; in this context encourages all actors to present their Community-funded projects directly or indirectly relating to coastal tourism;

39. Considers that fostering nautical tourism, also through the promotion of sector-related economical activities can help citizens of the Union to develop more sustainable habits and higher ecological awareness; invites, therefore, Member States to encourage investments for this purpose in their coastal areas;

40. Calls on the Commission, in addition, to draw up a practical guide to EU financing in the area of coastal tourism, so as to orient interested parties in the phase of seeking funds;

41. Recognises the major potential contribution of increased cruise tourism to the development of coastal communities, provided a balance is struck between risks and responsibilities and between fixed costs for on-shore investments and flexibility for cruise operators, with environmental concerns being correctly met at the same time;

42. Calls on the Commission to support coastal communities in acquiring best practices and in learning to maximise the return to the local communities of the value added generated by cruise tourism in particular and coastal tourism in general;

43. Calls on the coastal regions to set up and support regional or local development agencies, which would help network professionals, institutions, experts and administrations within the same area and between Member States and would offer consultation and information to potential beneficiaries from both public and private sectors;

44. Recommends that the coastal Member States take account of sustainability in the context of post-financing cooperation projects, not only in financial terms but also in relation to the continuity of cooperation between partners and interconnection with the relevant local services;

45. Recommends that the coastal Member States ensure high visibility for the projects selected and simplify the procedures for access to funding, with a view to attracting private financing for coastal tourism and facilitating the creation of partnerships between public authorities and private-sector players, especially SMEs; recommends the promotion of the recreational benefits of marine and costal tourism in the context of ensuring healthy flora and fauna (fostering ecotourism, fish tourism, whale watching, etc); believes that these objectives could be embodied in the European Maritime Day, 20 May;

46. Calls on environmental groups, economic sectors linked to the sea, cultural organisations, the scientific community, civic entities and local residents to participate in all stages of projects, including their monitoring, with a view to their long-term sustainability;

47. Calls on the Commission, finally, to undertake a regular assessment of the extent to which Community funding in the coastal zones is impacting on their regional development, with a view to disseminating best practice and supporting partnership networks linking the different players by means of a monitoring centre for sustainable coastal tourism;

48. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the Committee of the Regions.

(1) OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 19.

(3) OJ L 97, 9.4.2008, p. 1.

(4) OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 25.

(5) OJ L 164, 25.6.2008, p. 19.

(6) OJ L 412, 30.12.2006, p. 1.

(7) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2008)0517.

(8) OJ C 297 E, 20.11.2008, p. 184.

(9) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2008)0213.