Communication from the Commission - Report to the European Parliament and the Council: an evaluation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Europe
Date: 2007-06-07
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: coastal region, environmental policy, environmental protection, integrated development programme, sustainable development, town and country planning

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 7.6.2007 
COM(2007) 308 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

Report to the European Parliament and the Council: An evaluation of Integrated 
Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Europe 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

Report to the European Parliament and the Council: An evaluation of Integrated 
Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Europe 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The  Recommendation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  concerning 
Integrated  Coastal  Zone  Management  of  30  May  20021 
ICZM 
Recommendation)  called  on  the  Commission  to  review  the  implementation  of  the 
Recommendation and to provide an evaluation report to the European Parliament and 
to the Council2.  

(EU 

This  Communication  constitutes  the  Commission's  report  further  to  the  EU  ICZM 
Recommendation. The main sources used for this report are: 

•  An  external  evaluation  report3,  assessing  principally  the  coastal  Member  States' 

implementation of the EU ICZM Recommendation; 

•  A  report  by  the  European  Environment  Agency4  with  an  integrated  spatial 

assessment of Europe's coastal zones; 

•  A  report  from  the  Working  Group  on  Indicators  and  Data  examining  the  use  of 
indicators in the national reports further to the EU ICZM Recommendation5.  

In  October  2005,  the  Commission  adopted  its  Thematic  Strategy  on  the  Protection 
and  the  Conservation  of  the  Marine  Environment,  including  a  proposed  Marine 
Strategy  Directive6.  By  proposing  a  legislative  framework  to  achieve  a  good 
environmental status of the marine environment, the Thematic Strategy enhances the 
existing  body  of  EU  policies  and  legislation  available  for  the  terrestrial  part  of  the 
coastal  zone,  supporting 
Integrated  Coastal  Zone 
Management. 

implementation  on 

the 

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5 

6 

integrated  coastal  zone  management 

2002/413/EC, OJ L148, 6.6.2002, p.24. 
Idem. 1, Chapter VI.3. 
An  evaluation  of 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/iczm/home.htm.  
The  changing  faces  of  Europe's  coastal  areas,  EEA  Report  No.  6/2006,  ISSN  1725-9177, 
http://reports.eea.europa.eu/eea_report_2006_6/en/. 
Report  on 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/iczm/pdf/report_wgid.pdf. 
COM(2005) 504 and 505, 14.10.2005. 

the  WG-ID,  September  2006, 

in  Europe,  1/12/2006, 

the  use  of 

indicators 

(ICZM) 

ICZM 

from 

the 

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The Marine Strategy and the EU Integrated Coastal Zone Management policy are to 
be  also  considered  in  the  broader  framework  of  the  future  EU  Maritime  Policy 
launched  in  June  2006  with  the  adoption  of  the  Commission's  Green  Paper: 
"Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union: A European vision for the oceans 
and seas"7. As the geographical scope of the maritime policy proposed in this Green 
Paper includes the coastal zones, Integrated Coastal Zone Management has a role to 
play in the policy framework proposed. Moreover, given the particular exposure of 
coastal  zones  to  the  possible  impacts  of  climate  change,  the  second  European 
Climate Change Programme8, in particular its part on impacts and adaptation, and the 
proposed Green Paper on Adaptation to Climate Change9, are also of key importance 
to Europe's coastal zones.  

The  on-going  inter-institutional  discussions  on  the  proposed  Marine  Strategy 
Directive, the results from the public consultation launched with the Green Paper on 
Maritime  Policy,  which  will  last  until  June  2007,  and  the  emerging  EU  policy  on 
adaptation to climate change will need to be taken into account when devising policy 
options  following 
the  EU  ICZM  Recommendation.  The 
development of a sustainable, secure and competitive energy policy for the European 
Union will also have to be considered given its overarching role. 

the  evaluation  of 

2. 

THE  BACKGROUND  TO  ICZM  POLICY  IN  EUROPE  AND  THE  MEMBER  STATE 
REPORTS ON ICZM 

2.1. 

The EU ICZM Recommendation 

Coastal zones are of strategic importance to the European Union. They are home to a 
large  percentage  of  European  citizens,  a major  source  of  food  and  raw  materials,  a 
vital link for transport and trade, the location of some of our most valuable habitats, 
and the favoured destination for leisure time.10 However, the attractiveness of coastal 
zones  is  under  increasing  pressure:  coastal  resources  are  depleted  beyond  their 
carrying  capacity,  scarcity  of  space  leads  to  conflicts  between  uses,  there  are  large 
seasonal  variations  in  population  and  employment,  and  the  natural  ecosystems  that 
support  the  coastal  zones  suffer  degradation.  The  coastal  areas  are  particularly 
exposed  to  risks,  aggravated  by  the  possible  impacts  of  climate  change.  Possible 
rising sea levels increase the likelihood of storm surges, augment the risk of coastal 
erosion and flooding, enforce landward intrusion of salt water and further endanger 
natural  buffers  such  as  wetlands.  Important  sectors  for  the  coasts  such  as  tourism, 
fisheries and agriculture are among the sectors most vulnerable to possible changes 
in  climate11.  The  vulnerability  of  human  and  natural  systems  on  the  coasts  has 
increased due to the continuing development and built-up in the immediate vicinity 

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8 

9 

10 

11 

COM(2006) 275 final, 7.6.2006. 
COM(2005) 35, 9.2.2005; http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/eccp_impacts.htm. 
2006/ENV/012,  Commission  Legislative  and  Work  Programme  2006,  COM(2005)  531  final, 
25.10.2005. 
COM(2000) 547 final, 27.9.2000. 
COM(2005) 35, 9.2.2005. 

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of the shoreline, the lack of space to accommodate for sea level rise and the chronic 
deficit of sediment balance12. 

Against  this  background,  the  EU  ICZM  Recommendation  calls  for  a  strategic 
approach  to  coastal  zone  planning  and  management  in  order  to  achieve  sustainable 
development. Policies and legislation on coastal management and their implementing 
mechanisms have, by and large, been developed separately from each other and on a 
purely  sectoral  basis.  This  can  lead  to  conflicting  priorities,  a  lack  of  clarity  and 
overall a fragmented approach when it comes to implementing the relevant policies 
and  legislation.  A  more  coherent  and  integrated  approach  to  coastal  planning  and 
management  should  provide  a  better  context to  benefit  from  synergies,  to  level  out 
inconsistencies,  and  ultimately  to  better  and  more  effectively  achieve  sustainable 
development.  This  is  what  integrated  coastal  zone  management  is  about  and  is  the 
aim of the EU ICZM Recommendation. 

The  EU  ICZM  Recommendation  lists  eight  principles  defining  the  essential 
characteristics of ICZM. Integration across sectors and levels of governance, as well 
as a participatory and knowledge-based approach, are hallmarks of ICZM. Based on 
these  principles,  the  EU  ICZM  Recommendation  invites  coastal  Member  States  to 
develop  national  strategies  to  implement  ICZM.  Given  the  cross-border  nature  of 
many  coastal  processes,  coordination  and  cooperation  with  neighbouring  countries 
and in a regional sea context are also needed.  

2.2.  Member State reports on the implementation of the ICZM Recommendation 

The  EU  ICZM  Recommendation  invited  coastal  Member  States  to  report  to  the 
Commission  on  the  progress  made  in  implementing  the  Recommendation  and,  in 
particular,  in  relation  to  the  development  of  a  national  strategy  to  promote  ICZM. 
Reports  had  to  be  submitted  by  end  February  2006.  Of  the  20  coastal  EU  Member 
States,  14  submitted  official  reports  to  the  Commission13.  This  represents  65%  of 
coastal EU Member States and over 70%14 of the European coastline.  

The reports cover often very different situations: newly developed national strategies, 
a new phase in a longer on-going national process of implementing ICZM, the results 
of  stocktaking  exercises  and  initial  proposals  for  a  coastal  strategy.  Research 
indicates that all coastal EU Member States regulate coastal use and development in 
some form. Steps were taken during 2000-2005 towards a more integrated planning 
and  management  approach,  but  a  mature  and  well-functioning  ICZM  involving  all 
relevant levels of governance is still rarely observed15. The picture does not change 

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Idem. 4. 
By 31.12.2006 reports had been received from: Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, 
Greece,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  Malta,  Netherlands,  Portugal,  Spain  and  the  UK.  Draft  material  and  other 
contributions  were  received  from  Poland,  Slovenia  and  Sweden.  No  national  contributions  were 
received from Estonia, Ireland and Italy. 
Length of coastline as defined by the EUrosion project (2004). 
Idem. 4. 

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significantly  when  taking  into  account  the  2  coastal  Member  States  that  joined  the 
EU on 1 January 200716. 

3. 

RESULTS  FROM  THE  EVALUATION  AND  DIRECTIONS  FOR  FURTHER  PROMOTION  OF 
ICZM IN EUROPE 

For  the  future  direction  of  Integrated  Coastal  Zone  Management,  the  Commission 
draws the following conclusions from the available reports. 

3.1. 

Results from the evaluation of the EU ICZM Recommendation 

the  EU 

following 

strategies  developed 

The implementation of integrated coastal zone management is a slow and long-term 
process.  Most  national 
ICZM 
Recommendation were adopted in 2006 and their implementation is only starting. In 
the  majority  of  Member  States,  the  response  to  the  EU  ICZM  Recommendation  is 
part  of  a  slow,  but  on-going  process  towards  more  integrated  coastal  planning  and 
management. The EU ICZM Recommendation supports these processes and has had 
a  clear  effect  in  stimulating  awareness  and  increased  action  towards  sustainable 
coastal planning and management. While the prevailing approach is still sectoral, the 
national  strategies  should  provide  a  more  strategic  and  integrated  framework.  The 
EU  ICZM  Recommendation  remains  valid  as  a  basis  to  continue  to  support  these 
integration  processes.  Given  that  the  majority  of  coastal  Member  States  have 
responded  to  the  EU  ICZM  Recommendation,  that  most  national  strategies  were 
launched  only  in  2006  and  that  further  developments  are  expected  through  the 
Marine Strategy Directive and the Green Paper on a future EU Maritime Policy and 
their  follow-ups,  the  Commission  considers  that  at  this  stage  a  new  specific  legal 
instrument to promote ICZM is not foreseen. This assessment will be reviewed in the 
context of the follow-up of the future EU Maritime Policy and after the conclusion of 
the  inter-institutional  discussions  over  the  Marine  Strategy  Directive,  expected  in 
2008. 

However, the Commission notes that the national ICZM reports provide only limited 
indications  of  effective  implementation  mechanisms.  Turning  the  strategies  into 
reality  and  significantly  advancing  ICZM  in  Europe  will  require  continued  and 
effective implementation efforts. Securing sufficient funding to support the strategies 
is  one  part  of  the  challenge.  A  more  fundamental  problem  remains  achieving 
effective  long-term  support  and  commitment  for  integration  in  a  context  of 
predominantly  sectorally  organised  administrations.  ICZM  also  tends  to  involve 
more environmental constituencies, whereas sustainable economic development and 
social considerations need to be taken on board as well in the strategies. 

A key achievement of the EU ICZM Recommendation has been to codify a common 
set of principles that should underlie sound coastal planning and management. While 
the evaluation confirms the relevance of these ICZM principles, the implementation 
of  the  EU  ICZM  Recommendation  also  reveals  varying  interpretations  and 
understanding  of  ICZM  across  Europe.  To  foster  a  more  coherent  and  effective 

16 

While  the  EU  ICZM  Recommendation  did  not  ask  Romania  and  Bulgaria  to  submit  reports,  draft 
material and contributions had been received from Romania by 31.12.2006 (no formal contributions had 
been received from Bulgaria). 

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implementation of ICZM, the principles need to be made more operational and better 
communicated.  The  diversity  of  coasts,  along  with  the  different  administrative 
systems between and within Member States, implies though that there are no readily 
available,  one-size-fits-all  solutions.  Rather  there  is  a  need  for  a  more  systematic 
comparative analysis and increased exchange of experiences in Europe. 

Although progress has been achieved towards a common assessment framework for 
ICZM17, only a few countries and regions have effectively engaged in the collection 
and  analysis  of  specific  indicators  to  the  coastal  zone.  A  methodology  to  link  the 
efforts in ICZM to trends in sustainability is still lacking. While the methodology to 
assess the spatial impacts of EU policies has progressed18, the gaps in data and the 
lack  of  effective  information-sharing  systems  are  still  a  barrier  to  its  more 
widespread and pro-active use in decision-making processes.  

To  support  the  implementation  of  ICZM,  more  investment  will  be  needed  in  the 
capacity  to  gather  information,  analyse  it  and  inform  the  relevant  decision-makers 
and the public at large. The recently adopted INSPIRE Directive19 provides the legal 
framework for a more effective infrastructure for the use and dissemination of spatial 
information.  The  Shared  Environmental  Information  System  which  is  being 
developed by the Commission, the European Environment Agency and the Member 
States  in  the  context  of  INSPIRE  should  assist  in  making  coastal  zone  information 
more readily available.  

3.2. 

Priority  themes  for  the  further  promotion  of  ICZM:  adaptation  to  climate 
change and risks and management of the land-sea interface and marine areas  

While  the  diversity  of  coasts  in  Europe  implies  that  the  issues  at  stake  and  their 
importance  may  diverge,  a  challenge  common  to  all  coastal  zones  in  Europe  is  the 
increasing exposure to the risks and possible impacts of climate change. At the same 
time, coastal areas can contribute significantly to the development of some forms of 
renewable  energy  and  thus  contributing  to  a  sustainable,  secure  and  competitive 
energy policy for the European Union. This implies, however, additional claims for 
space  and  a  further  potential  source  for  conflict  between  uses  and  values  in  the 
coastal and off-shore areas. The changes in climatic conditions are expected to more 
generally  affect  the  opportunities  and  threats  for  key  economic  activities  in  the 
coastal zone.  

To tackle these and other challenges properly, and to better prepare for and respond 
to possible disasters, a coherent, cross-sectoral territorial approach is required. Given 
that today's plans and programmes set the frame for years to come, there is an urgent 
need  for  current  planning  and  investment  decisions  to  incorporate  risks  related  to 
possible  effects  of  climate  change.  ICZM  contributes  to  the  creation  of  an 
appropriate  framework  to  promote  comprehensive  risk  reduction  and  adaptation 
strategies in the coastal zones, building on existing instruments and the results of EU 

17 

18 

19 

Working Group on Indicators and Data WG-ID http://ec.europa.eu/environment/iczm/home.htm#zone6, 
DEDUCE project (Interreg) http://www.gencat.net/mediamb/sosten/deduce/deduce.htm. 
The  changing  faces  of  Europe's  coastal  areas,  EEA  Report  No.  6/2006,  ISSN  1725-9177;  European 
Spatial Planning Observatory Network http://www.espon.eu/. 
Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, OJ L 108 of 25.04.2007. 

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research20.  The  Commission  Green  Paper  on  Adaptation  to  Climate  Change21 
scheduled for 2007 and the Integrated Strategy on Disaster Prevention announced for 
200822 will contribute to further promoting adaptation to possible risks related, inter 
alia, to climate change in Europe's coastal zones. 

When  launching  its  strategy  to  implement  the  EU  ICZM  Recommendation23,  the 
Commission  indicated  that  coastal  areas  are  particularly  in  need  of  an  integrated 
territorial approach, but that, in essence, such good territorial governance is relevant 
for  other  areas  facing  multiple  pressures  and  conflicting  interests.  This  is 
increasingly the case for the seas and oceans24. Notwithstanding the continued need 
for ICZM on-shore, further emphasis will need to be placed on the implementation of 
ICZM across the land-sea boundary and in a regional seas context. The foundations 
for such better cooperation in a regional sea context have been laid, for instance in 
the form of the maritime cross-border and trans-national cooperation spaces as part 
of  the  Cooperation  objective  under  the  Cohesion  Policy25.  Most  importantly,  the 
proposed  Marine  Strategy  Directive  introduces  marine  planning  and  management 
units  in  the  form  of  Marine  Regions  and  Sub-regions26.  Finally,  for  the 
Mediterranean Sea, a legal framework for ICZM is being developed in the form of a 
protocol to the Barcelona Convention, to which the EU is a Contracting Party27. 

The  proposed  Marine  Strategy  Directive  will  set  the  environmental  standards 
necessary  to  safeguard  the  marine  environment  and  the  marine  resource  basis  it 
represents.  It  also  identifies  spatial  and  temporal  controls  as  part  of  a  spectrum  of 
measures  needed  to  attain  the  overall  objective  of  good  environmental  status28.  In 
other  words,  maritime  spatial  planning  measures  will  be  part  of  the  policy  mix 
required  to  successfully  implement  the  proposed  Directive.  This  aspect  is  already 
being factored in by certain regional seas conventions which will have a key role to 
play  in  coordinating  implementation  of  the  Directive  at  regional  sea  level.  The 
Helsinki  Commission  on  the  Protection  on  the  Baltic  Sea,  the  Oslo  and  Paris 
Conventions  on  the  protection  of  the  Northeast  Atlantic  and  the  Barcelona 
Convention  for  the  Protection  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea  have  recently  taken 
important  steps  to  integrate  maritime  spatial  planning  considerations  into  their 
existing or planned activities. This will constitute an essential building block for the 
further  work  on  maritime  spatial  planning  in  the  context  of  the  proposed  Marine 
Strategy Directive. 

20 

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24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

applied  multi-risk  mapping 

E.g.  proposed  Directive  on  the  assessment  and  management  of  floods,  COM(2006)  15  of  18.1.2006; 
proposed  Framework  Directive  for  the  protection  of  soils,  COM(2006)  232  of  22.9.2006;  Council 
Decision establishing a Civil Protection Financial Instrument, 2007/162/EC, Euratom, of 5.3.2007; the 
Maritime safety packages: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/maritime/safety/index_en.htm; EUrosion study: 
www.eurosion.org;  ARMONIA 
assessment: 
www.armoniaproject.net. 
Idem. 9. 
Annual Policy Strategy 2008, COM(2007) 65 final, 21.2.2007. 
COM(2000) 547 final, 27.09.2000. 
Green Paper "Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union", COM(2006) 275 final, 7.6.2006. 
Council regulation (EC) No 1083/2006, OJ L210 of 31.7.2006, p.25. 
Idem. 6, article 3. 
Convention for the protection of the Marine environment and the Coastal region of the Mediterranean, 
Barcelona, 1976 and amended 1995: http://www.pap-thecoastcentre.org/. 
Idem. 6, annex V. 

impact 

for 

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Building  on  the  above  measures  and  on  other  existing  initiatives  at  Community, 
regional  seas  and  national  levels,  the  future  EU  Maritime  policy  will  consider,  as 
indicated  in  the  Green  Paper  adopted  in  June  2006,  the  introduction  of  a  maritime 
spatial planning system. The sustainable development of the seas and oceans of the 
European  Union may  indeed require a broader  planning  and  management  approach 
to  address  the  conflicting  and  competing  uses  of  ocean  resources  and  space.  Key 
aspects  are  finding  optimum  locations  for  economic  activities  whilst  avoiding 
conflict between the various uses, the most efficient use of space, and the effective 
management of marine development and its associated development on-shore.  

To  achieve  this,  the  comprehensive,  goal-orientated  and  problem-led  character  of 
ICZM,  within  the  context  of  a  comprehensive  maritime  policy  for  the  European 
Union, offers a distinct added-value compared to some of the traditional, more rigid 
planning  and  management  systems.  Moreover,  ICZM  would  contribute  to  ensure 
coherence  between  policies,  plans  and  programmes,  and  the  effective  nesting  and 
implementation of plans and programmes at different scales of intervention. Working 
at  different  scales  and  across  administrative  and  sectoral  boundaries  remains  a 
formidable  challenge,  but  is  central  to  achieving  integration.  The  overall  result 
should be greater clarity, certainty and predictability of policy and decision-making. 
This will facilitate the sustainable development of maritime economies and enhance 
the livelihoods of coastal communities. 

3.3. 

The evolving context of EU policies and legislation affecting the coastal zones 

The  Commission  Communication  "On  Integrated  Coastal  Zone  Management:  A 
Strategy for Europe"29 recognised that most, if not all, EU policies and instruments 
have some impact on the coastal zones. The Commission will continue to endeavour 
that  these  policies  and  instruments  are  coherent,  so  that  the  implementation  at  the 
lower  levels  of  governance  is  facilitated.  Since  2001  and  the  launch  of  the  White 
Paper  on  European  Governance30,  the  Commission  has  implemented  a  range  of 
structural measures to improve openness, participation, accountability, effectiveness 
and coherence in decision making and implementation of EU policies (e.g. publicly 
available work programmes, policy impact assessments, more systematic stakeholder 
consultations).  The  future  EU  Maritime  Policy  –  of  which  the  Marine  Strategy 
Directive constitutes the environmental pillar – offers a platform to further strengthen 
the coherence and synergies among the many EU policies and instruments that affect 
the coastal zones.  

In  addition  to  the  strategically  important  initiatives  in  the  marine  environment, 
referred  to  above,  also  the  built-up  of  other  specific  instruments  addressing 
significant  coastal  problems  has  continued  since  2000.  Given  the  continuing  trends 
of  depletion  of  coastal  resources  and  loss  of  natural  spaces,  such  instruments  are 
essential components of a holistic approach to achieve the sustainable development 
of  Europe's  coastal  zones.  Among  the  most  relevant  instruments  are  the  Water 
Framework Directive31, adopted in 2000, the Habitats and Bird Directives32 as well 

29 

30 

31 

32 

Idem. 10. 
COM(2001) 428 final, 25.7.2001; http://ec.europa.eu/governance/governance/index_en.htm.  
Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council, 2000/60/EC, OJ L327 of 22.12.2000. 
Council Directive 92/43/EEC, OJ L 206 of 22.07.1992 and Council Directive 79/409/EEC, OJ L 103 of 
25.04.1979. 

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as  the  Action  Plan  "Halting  Biodiversity  Loss  by  2010  –  and  Beyond"33,  and  the 
Strategic  Environmental  Assessment  Directive34  of  2001  applicable  to  plans  and 
programmes.  Concerning  specific  coastal  risks,  coastal  flooding  is  covered  by  the 
proposed  Directive  on  the  assessment  and  management  of  floods35;  landslides  and 
soil-sealing,  such  as  through  urbanisation,  are  covered  by  the  proposed  Directive 
establishing a framework for the protection of soils36. On the issues of water scarcity 
and  droughts  some  exchanges  have  already  taken  place  in  the  Council  and,  as  a 
follow up, they will be addressed in a Commission Communication in 200737. Given 
the importance of tourism in coastal zones, the Commission initiatives to enhance the 
sustainability of European tourism also need to be highlighted38.  

3.4. 

Directions for the further promotion of ICZM in Europe 

Based on the conclusions outlined above, the Commission considers that continued 
efforts to support ICZM are needed at EU level, as follows:  

•  coastal  Member  States  are  encouraged  to  implement  their  national  ICZM 
strategies  or  to  develop  ones  where  the  EU  ICZM  Recommendation  has  not  yet 
been  implemented,  directed  at  a  balanced  environmental,  social,  economic  and 
cultural development, and in partnership with the relevant stakeholders; 

•  to  achieve  a  more  coherent  understanding  and  implementation  of  ICZM  across 
Member  States,  guidance  needs  to  be  developed  to  clarify  the  principles 
to 
underlying  sound  coastal  zone  planning  and  management  and  ways 
operationalise them;  

•  as the proposed Marine Strategy Directive and the related  work  of regional seas 
conventions are key for the development of a holistic approach to the sustainable 
development of the EU oceans and seas, it is essential to develop ICZM strategies 
in  close  co-ordination  and  co-operation  with  these  instruments.  By  doing  so, 
ICZM will become an important component also of the future Maritime Policy of 
the European Union;  

•  while further support for the implementation of ICZM on-shore is necessary, more 
emphasis  needs  to  be  placed  on  cooperation  at  regional  sea  level,  including 
coherence  between  plans,  programmes  and  management  covering  the  terrestrial 
and  the  sea  parts  of  the  coastal  zones.  The  proposed  Marine  Strategy  Directive 
and  the  related  work  of  regional  seas  conventions  will  provide  important 
instruments to take this forward; 

•  given the high vulnerability of coastal zones to risks and possible impacts related 
to  climate  change,  strategies  to  adapt  to  these  risks  should  be  developed  and 
implemented in full coherence with ICZM strategies and instruments dealing with 
specific natural or technological hazards; 

33 

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35 

36 

37 
38 

COM(2006) 216 final, 22.5.2006 
Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, OJ L 197 of 21.07.2001. 
COM(2006) 15 final, 18.1.2006. 
COM(2006) 232 final, 22.9.2006. 
Commission Legislative and Work programme 2007, COM(2006) 629 final, 24.10.2006. 
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/services/tourism/tourism_sustainability_group.htm. 

EN 

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•  more  efforts  are  needed  for  comparative  analyses  and  the  communication  and 
promotion of good practices regarding ICZM, including between coastal regions. 
The gathering of relevant data and effective information sharing and -use in policy 
and  decision-making  also  needs  to  be  furthered.  The  development  of  common 
indicators  and  a  framework  to  assess  the  effectiveness  and  efficiency  of  ICZM 
will need to be continued.  

The integrated approach to policy-making of the future EU Maritime Policy and its 
environmental  pillar  the  EU  Marine  Strategy,  allows  us  to  take  important  steps 
towards implementing the above agenda.  

As regards direct support for the further implementation of ICZM and as of 2007, the 
European  Cohesion  Policy  will  be  a  major  contributor,  mainly  through  the 
Cooperation  objective  and  the  Regions  for  Economic  Change  Initiative39,  which 
includes  coastal  management  among  its  themes.  Moreover,  the  European  Fisheries 
Fund40  includes  an  axis  dedicated  to  the  integrated  and  sustainable  development  of 
fisheries  dependant  areas.  The  EU-supported  coordination  action  ENCORA41 
launched  in  2006  will  aim  to  structure  the  fragmented  approach  to  coastal  zone 
research and education in Europe42. 

4. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The  evaluation  of  the  EU  ICZM  Recommendation  has  shown  that  the  EU  ICZM 
Recommendation has had a positive impact in stimulating progress towards a more 
integrated  planning  and  management  of  coastal  zones  in  Europe.  The  future  EU 
Maritime Policy and its environmental pillar, the EU Marine Strategy, will give new 
impetus to our ICZM policy and further improve its implementation in the years to 
come.  

To  address  the  continuing  problems  of  environmental  degradation  in  the  coastal 
zones,  a  number  of  specific  instruments  have  been  proposed  or  adopted  since  the 
launch of the EU ICZM Recommendation. The Commission will continue to ensure 
coherence and synergies among the many EU policies and instruments that affect the 
coastal zones.  

To support the implementation of ICZM, opportunities are offered especially through 
the  Cohesion  Policy,  the  European  Fisheries  Fund  and  as  part  of  the  Research 
Framework Programme. 

In this context, the current EU ICZM Recommendation remains valid to support the 
implementation of the national strategies and to further ICZM along Europe's coast. 

39 

40 

41 

42 

Regions for Economic Change, COM(2006) 675 and SEC(2006) 1432, 8.11.2006. 
European Fisheries Fund, Council Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006, L223, 15.08.2006, p.1. 
http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/structural_measures/arrangements_2007_2013_en.htm. 
ENCORA http://www.encora.eu/. 
The  adoption  of  the  financial  instrument  for  the  environment  "LIFE+"  is  pending  (Commission 
proposal COM(2004) 621 of 29.9.2004). 

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