COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS An EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change
Date: 2013-04-16
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, adaptation to climate change, common strategy, joint implementation, natural disaster, public awareness campaign

EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION 

Brussels, 16.4.2013  
COM(2013) 216 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

An EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change 

{SWD(2013) 131 final} 
{SWD(2013) 132 final} 
{SWD(2013) 133 final} 
{SWD(2013) 134 final} 
{SWD(2013) 135 final} 
{SWD(2013) 136 final} 
{SWD(2013) 137 final} 
{SWD(2013) 138 final} 
{SWD(2013) 139 final} 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

An EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change 

1. 

INTRODUCTION: DEALING WITH A CHANGING CLIMATE  

The consequences of climate change are increasingly being felt in Europe and worldwide. The 
average global  temperature, currently around 0.8°C above pre-industrial levels, continues to 
rise1.  Some  natural  processes  are  being  altered,  precipitation  patterns  are  changing,  glaciers 
are melting, sea levels are rising.  

To  avoid  the  most  serious  risks  of  climate  change  and  in  particular  large-scale  irreversible 
impacts,  global  warming  must  be  limited  to  below  2ºC  above  pre-industrial  level.  Climate 
change mitigation must therefore remain a priority for the global community.  

Whatever the warming scenarios, and however successful mitigation efforts prove to be, the 
impact of climate change will increase in the coming decades because of the delayed impacts 
of  past  and  current  greenhouse  gas  emissions.  We  therefore  have  no  choice  but  to  take 
adaptation  measures  to  deal  with  the  unavoidable  climate  impacts  and  their  economic, 
environmental  and  social  costs.  By  prioritising  coherent,  flexible  and  participatory 
approaches, it is cheaper to take early, planned adaptation action than to pay the price of not 
adapting.  

In view of the specific and wide ranging nature of climate change impacts on the EU territory, 
adaptation measures need to be taken at all levels, from local to regional and national levels. 
There  is  also  a  role  for  the  European  Union  to  fill  both  knowledge  and  action  gaps  and 
complement these efforts through the following EU Strategy. 

2. 

CURRENT AND PROJECTED IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE EU  

The  temperature  of  the  European  land  area  over  the  last  decade  (2002-2011)  has  been  on 
average 1.3°C above preindustrial level2, meaning that the increase in Europe has been faster 
than  the  global  average.  Some  extreme  weather  events  have  increased,  with  more  frequent 
heat  waves,  forest  fires  and  droughts  in  southern  and  central  Europe.  Heavier  precipitation 
and  flooding  is  projected  in  northern  and  north-eastern  Europe,  with  an  increased  risk  of 
coastal  flooding  and  erosion.  A  rise  in  such  events  is  likely  to  increase  the  magnitude  of 
disasters, leading to significant economic losses, public health problems and deaths.  

Impacts vary across the EU depending on climate, geographic and socioeconomic conditions. 
All  the  countries  in  the  EU  are  exposed  to  climate  change  (see  Figure  1  below).  However, 
some regions are more at risk than others. The Mediterranean basin, mountain areas, densely 
populated  floodplains,  coastal  zones,  outermost  regions  and  the  Arctic  are  particularly 
vulnerable. Additionally, three quarters of the population of Europe live in urban areas, which 
are  often  ill-equipped  for  adaptation  and  are  exposed  to  heatwaves,  flooding  or  rising  sea 
levels. 

Many economic sectors are directly dependent on climatic conditions and are already facing 
the impact of climate change in areas such as agriculture, forestry, beach and snow tourism, 

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EEA report N°12/2012. Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2012 
ibid. 

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health  and  fisheries.  Major  utilities,  such  as  energy  and  water  providers,  are  also  affected. 
Ecosystems and the services they provide are suffering from the adverse impacts of climate 
change, which is accelerating the decline of biodiversity and reducing their ability to buffer 
natural extremes. Climatic changes will have consequences for the availability of basic natural 
resources  (water,  soil)  leading  to  significant  changes  in  conditions  for  agriculture  and 
industrial production in some areas.  

Global  warming  may  provide  opportunities  for  specific  sectors  in  certain  areas,  such  as 
increased crop yields and forest growth, more hydropower or less energy needed for heating 
in northern Europe.3 However, the potential regional net benefits are highly uncertain. 

Figure 1: Projected impacts of climate change and associated threats4. Based on EEA report 
Climate Change Impacts and Vulnerability in Europe (2012)5 

Failing to act or delaying action may put pressure on EU cohesion. Climate change impacts 
are also expected to widen social differences across the EU. We need to give special attention 
to social groups and regions which are most exposed and already disadvantaged (e.g. through 
poor health, low income, inadequate housing, lack of mobility). 

The minimum cost of not adapting to climate change is estimated to range from €
year in 2020 to €

 100 billion a 
 250 billion in 2050 for the EU as a whole6. Between 1980 and 2011, direct 

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EEA Adaptation in Europe report (forthcoming 2013) 
Number  of  tropical  nights  and  hot  days;  change  in  annual  and  summer  precipitation  (2071-2100 
compared to 1961-1990); change in fire danger; and number of people and gross value added affected 
by floods (2050) 
Detailed  explanations  on  each  element  included  in  this  figure  are  provided  in  the  Impact  Assessment 
(SWD(2013)132, part 2, section 1.1.3.)  
EEA  report  No  12/2012.  Such  estimates  include  impacts  of  climate  change  on  river  floods,  coastal 
zones, energy for cooling and heat mortality. All figures presented in this section are based on the same 
medium to high greenhouse gas emissions scenario (A1B), leading to temperature increases above 2°C  

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economic losses in the EU due to flooding amounted to more than €
is  expected  to  increase,  as  the  annual  cost  of  damage  from  river  floods  is  estimated  at  €
billion by the 2020s and €

 46 billion by the 2050s8.  

 90 billion7. This amount 
 20 

The social cost of climate change can also be significant. Floods in the EU resulted in more 
than  2500  fatalities  and  affected  more  than  5.5  million  people  over  the  period  1980-2011. 
Taking no further adaptation measures could mean an additional 26 000 deaths/year from heat 
by the 2020s, rising to 89 000 deaths/year by the 2050s9. 

Though  there  is  no  real  comprehensive  overview  of  adaptation  costs  in  the  EU,  additional 
 3.4 billion a 
flood protection measures are estimated at €
year  by  the  2050s10.  Such  measures  can  be  very  effective,  as  for  each  euro  spent  on  flood 
protection, we could avoid six euros of damage costs11.  

 1.7 billion a year by the 2020s and €

3. 

THE RESPONSE: AN ADAPTATION STRATEGY FOR THE EU  

The  2009  White  Paper  ‘Adapting  to  climate  change:  Towards  a  European  framework  for 
action’ set out a number of measures that have largely been implemented12. A key deliverable 
was the web-based European Climate Adaptation Platform (Climate-ADAPT13), launched in 
March  2012.  It  incorporates  the  latest  data  on  adaptation  action  in  the  EU,  together  with 
several useful policy support tools. The EU has started to integrate adaptation into several of 
its own policies and financial programmes.  
To  date,  15  EU  Member  States  have  adopted  an  adaptation  strategy14.  Others  are  under 
preparation. Some of the adopted strategies have been followed up by action plans, and there 
has  been  some  progress  in  integrating  adaptation  measures  into  sectoral  policies.  However, 
adaptation is in most cases still at an early stage, with relatively few concrete measures on the 
ground. Some Member States have developed sector-specific plans, such as plans to cope with 
heat  waves  and  droughts,  but  only  a  third  carried  out  a  comprehensive  vulnerability 
assessment  to  underpin  policy.  Monitoring  and  evaluation  is  proving  to  be  particularly 
difficult, as indicators and monitoring methodologies have hardly been developed. 

There are several examples of joint adaptation projects between European countries or cities, 
some  of  them  co-financed  by  the  EU,  such  as  by  LIFE.  In  particular,  Cohesion  policy  co-
finances  many  cross-border,  transnational  and  interregional  programmes  and  projects  on 
adaptation,  including  in  the  framework  of  the  EU  macro-regional  strategies  in  the  Danube 
area and in the Baltic Sea. Some cities have adopted comprehensive adaptation strategies or 
specific  action  plans  (e.g.  on  risk  prevention,  flood  or  water  management),  or  are  in  the 
process of doing so15. 

Building  on  those  initiatives,  it  would  be  useful  to  deepen  our  experience  and  to  have  a 
systematic  exchange  of  best  practice  on  how  to  adapt  to  climate  change.  It  is  therefore 
opportune to launch an adaptation strategy, covering the whole of the EU and respecting the 

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EEA report No 12/2012 
Rojas, R., Feyen, L., and Watkiss, P. (2013) 
Kovats et al. (2011). ClimateCost, as referred to in EEA report N°12/2012  
Feyen, L. and Watkiss, P (2011) 
Ibid. 
COM(2009) 147 Final. See the impact assessment for a full review of implementation 
http://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/  focuses  on  EU-level  information,  with  links  to  national  action. 
Several Member States have developed national information platforms 
See http://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/web/guest/adaptation-strategies 
City-level adaptation has been addressed in detail in the EEA 2012 report ‘Urban adaptation to climate 
change  in  Europe’  (EEA  2012):  http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/urban-adaptation-to-climate-
change 

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principles  of  subsidiarity  and  proportionality  and  the  rights  enshrined  by  the  Charter  of 
Fundamental Rights of the European Union.  

The  strategy  takes  account  of  global  climate  change  impacts,  such  as  disruptions  to  supply 
chains or impaired access to raw materials, energy and food supplies, and their repercussions 
on the EU. The EU’s dialogue and cooperation with neighbouring countries and developing 
countries  on  adaptation  issues  is  channelled  through  the  Enlargement  and  European 
Neighbourhood policies and EU development cooperation policy.  

Uncertainty  regarding  the  trajectory  of  greenhouse-gas  emissions,  future  impacts  of  climate 
change and related adaptation needs remains a challenge for policy making in this area. Yet, 
uncertainty cannot be seen as a reason for inaction. It notably calls for a strong emphasis on 
incorporating win-win, low-cost and no-regret  adaptation options.  These include sustainable 
water management and early warning systems. Ecosystem-based approaches are usually cost-
effective under different scenarios. They are easily accessible and provide multiple benefits, 
such as reduced flood risk, less soil erosion, improved water and air quality and reduced heat-
island effect.  

Adaptation  action  is  closely  related  and  should  be  implemented  in  synergy  and  full 
coordination with the disaster risk management policies that the EU and the Member States 
are developing.  

Adaptation action will bring new market opportunities and jobs, in such sectors as agricultural 
technologies,  ecosystem  management,  construction,  water  management  and  insurance. 
European  companies,  including  SMEs,  can  be  early  first  movers  in  developing  climate-
resilient  products  and  services  and  grasp  business  opportunities  worldwide.  In  line  with  the 
Europe 2020 Strategy, the Adaptation Strategy will help the EU move towards a low-carbon 
and  climate-resilient  economy,  and  will  promote  sustainable  growth,  stimulate  climate-
resilient investment and create new jobs. 

4. 

OBJECTIVES OF THE STRATEGY 

The  overall  aim  of  the  EU  Adaptation  Strategy  is  to  contribute  to  a  more  climate-resilient 
Europe.  This  means  enhancing  the  preparedness  and  capacity  to  respond  to  the  impacts  of 
climate change at local, regional, national and EU levels, developing a coherent approach and 
improving coordination.  

4.1. 

Promoting action by Member States  

One  of  the  greatest  challenges  for  cost-effective  adaptation  measures  is  to  achieve 
coordination  and  coherence  at  the  various  levels  of  planning  and  management.  The 
recommended  instrument  at  global  level,  under  the  UN  Framework  Convention  on  Climate 
Change,  is  national  adaptation  strategies.  These  are  key  analytical  instruments  designed  to 
inform and prioritise action and investment.  

It is of particular importance to ensure joint approaches and full coherence between national 
adaptation  strategies  and  national  risk  management  plans.  Many  Member  States  are 
developing such plans as cross sectoral planning instruments to better prevent and prepare for 
disasters on the basis of comprehensive national risk assessments. 

The EU will provide financial support for adaptation through the proposed LIFE instrument, 
which includes a climate action sub-programme. The Commission will use multi-annual work 
programmes  to  define  strategic  goals  and  thematic  priorities.  Priority  will  be  given  to 
adaptation flagship projects that address key cross-sectoral, trans-regional and/or cross-border 
issues.  Projects  with  demonstration  and  transferability  potential  will  be  encouraged,  as  will 

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green  infrastructure  and  ecosystem-based  approaches  to  adaptation,  and  projects  aiming  to 
promote innovative adaptation technologies. This comprises both hard and soft technologies, 
such as more resilient construction materials or early warning systems. 

Seeking EU-wide cooperation and coherence, the Commission will support the exchange of 
good practice between Member States, regions, cities and other stakeholders. For instance, the 
Commission is preparing  together with Member States guidance based on good practices in 
disaster  prevention.  Active  engagement  on  the  part  of  local  and  regional  authorities  will  be 
essential.  
Building upon the success of its pilot project ‘Adaptation strategies for European cities’16, the 
Commission will continue to promote urban adaptation strategies. Adaptation action by cities 
will, in particular, be developed in coordination with other EU policies following the model of 
the  Covenant  of  Mayors,  an  initiative  of  more  than  4000  local  authorities  voluntarily 
committed  to  improving  the  quality  of  urban  life  by  pursuing  EU  climate  and  energy 
objectives. 

Action 1: Encourage all Member States to adopt comprehensive adaptation strategies  

The  Commission  is  providing  guidelines  for  formulating  adaptation  strategies.  They  are 
designed  to  help  EU  countries  to  develop,  implement  and  review  their  adaptation  policies. 
They cover aspects which are missing from existing adaptation strategies, such as cross-border 
issues, and the need to ensure coherence with national disaster risk management plans.  

By 2014 the Commission will develop an adaptation preparedness scoreboard, identifying key 
indicators for measuring Member States' level of readiness. 

In  2017,  basing  itself  on  the  reports  it  receives  as  set  out  in  the  Monitoring  Mechanism 
Regulation  and  on  the  adaptation  preparedness  scoreboard,  the  Commission  will  assess 
whether  action  being  taken  in  the  Member  States  is  sufficient.  If  it  deems  progress  to  be 
insufficient,  by  reference  to  the  coverage  and  quality  of  the  national  strategies,  the 
Commission will consider without delay proposing a legally binding instrument. 

Action  2:  Provide  LIFE  funding  to  support  capacity  building  and  step  up  adaptation 
action in Europe. (2013-2020).  

The Commission will promote adaptation particularly in the following vulnerable areas: 

-  cross-border  management  of  floods,  fostering  collaborative  agreements  based  on  the 

EU Floods Directive; 

- 

trans-boundary  coastal  management,  with  emphasis  on  densely  populated  deltas  and 
coastal cities; 

-  mainstreaming  adaptation  into  urban  land  use  planning,  building  layouts  and  natural 

resources management;  

-  mountain  and  island  areas,  with  emphasis  on  sustainable  and  resilient  agricultural, 

forestry and tourism sectors;  

- 

sustainable  management  of  water;  combating  desertification  and  forest  fires  in 
drought-prone areas. 

The  Commission  will  support  the  establishment  of  vulnerability  assessments  and  adaptation 
strategies, including those with a cross-border nature. 

The  Commission  will  promote  awareness-raising  on  adaptation,  including  indicators,  risk 

16 

See http://eucities-adapt.eu/cms/ 

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communication and management. 

Action 3: Introduce adaptation in the Covenant of Mayors framework (2013/2014).  

The Commission, on the basis of the model of the Covenant of Mayors initiative, will support 
adaptation  in  cities,  notably  by  launching  a  voluntary  commitment  to  adopt  local  adaptation 
strategies and awareness-raising activities. 

4.2. 

Better informed decision-making 

Adaptation  knowledge  for  decision-making  is  improving:  there  are  a  growing  number  of 
research  programmes,  national  and  regional  adaptation  strategies  and  vulnerability 
assessments.  More  climate  data,  climate  services  and  web  portals  have  become  available17. 
The 5th Assessment Report of the IPCC will be adopted in 2014. Still, substantial knowledge 
gaps need to be filled. 

A solid knowledge base is also essential to drive innovation forward and support the market 
deployment  of  innovative  climate  adaptation  technologies.  The  future  EU  programme  for 
research and innovation – Horizon 2020 – will address climate change adaptation through its 
"societal challenges" priority, and by investing in excellent science and promoting innovation. 

Action 4: Bridge the knowledge gap.  

The key knowledge gaps are:  

- 

- 

- 

information on damage and adaptation costs and benefits;  

regional and local-level analyses and risk assessments;  

frameworks, models and tools to support decision-making and to assess how effective 
the various adaptation measures are;   

-  means of monitoring and evaluating past adaptation efforts.  

As part of the implementation of the Strategy, the Commission will further work with Member 
States and stakeholders in refining these knowledge gaps and identifying the relevant tools and 
methodologies  to  address  them.  The  findings  will  be  fed  into  the  programming  of  Horizon 
2020  (2014-2020)  and  will  address  the  need  for  better  interfaces  between  science,  policy 
making and business. They will also be used to improve the information available on Climate-
ADAPT.  

The  Commission  will  promote  EU-wide  vulnerability  assessments,  taking  into  account,  inter 
alia,  the  cross-sectoral  EU  overview  of  natural  and  man-made  risks  that  it  will  produce  in 
2013.  It  will  notably  support  the  Joint  Research  Centre  in  its  work  on  estimating  the 
implications of climate change, and undertake a comprehensive review of what global climate 
change  will  mean  for  the  EU.  This  will  feed  into  the  upcoming  'Integrated  threat  and  risk 
assessment reports' to be adopted by the Commission and the High Representative (2015). 

Action  5:  Further  develop  Climate-ADAPT  as  the  ‘one-stop  shop’  for  adaptation 
information in Europe.  

The  Commission  and  the  EEA  will  improve  access  to  information  and  develop  interaction 
between Climate-ADAPT and other relevant platforms, including national and local adaptation 
portals (2013/2014).  

Special attention will be given to cost-benefit assessments of different policy experiences and 
to  innovative  funding,  via  closer  interaction  with  regional  and  local  authorities  and  financial 

17 

As reported to Climate-ADAPT. Source: EEA Adaptation in Europe report (forthcoming, 2013) 

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institutions. 
The inclusion of the future Copernicus18 climate services will be prepared in 2014.  

4.3. 

Climate-proofing EU action: promoting adaptation in key vulnerable sectors 

One priority and responsibility for the Commission is to mainstream adaptation measures into 
EU policies and programmes, as the way to ‘climate-proof’ EU action. 
Adaptation has already been mainstreamed in legislation in such sectors as marine waters19, 
forestry20,  and  transport21;  and  in  important  policy  instruments  such  as  inland  water22, 
biodiversity23  and  migration  and  mobility24.  The  Commission  staff  working  document  on 
climate change, environmental degradation and migration accompanying this Communication 
provides further insight on the latter. 

In  addition,  the  Commission  has  tabled  legislative  proposals  on  integrating  adaptation  in 
agriculture  and  forestry25,  maritime  spatial  planning  and  integrated  coastal  management26, 
energy27,  disaster  risk  prevention  and  management28,  transport29,  research,  health30,  and  the 
environment31.  

These  moves  to  mainstream  climate  change  adaptation  into  EU  policies  will  be  pursued  in 
priority fields such as energy and transport. In health policy, most human, animal and plant 
health  measures  and  systems  are  already  in  place,  but  they  need  to  be  adjusted  to  whatever 
new challenges climate change will bring. The three Commission staff working documents on 
health,  marine  and  coastal  areas,  and  infrastructure,  accompanying  this  Communication  set 
out what the Commission is currently doing in this area.  

Forthcoming  policy  initiatives,  in  areas  such  as  invasive  alien  species  (2013),  green 
infrastructure (2013), land as a resource (2014-15), and a new Forest Strategy (2013) are also 
expected to consider adaptation. Guidelines on adaptation and coastal zone management are 
being  formulated  (2014),  and  guidelines  on  adaptation  and  the  Natura  2000  network  are 
shortly to be issued (2013). 

Infrastructure  projects,  which  are  characterised  by  a  long  life  span  and  high  costs,  need  to 
withstand the current and future impacts of climate change. Building on the recent mandate to 
assess  the  climate  change  implications  for  Eurocodes32,  our  work  with  standardisation 
organisations,  financial  institutions  and  project  managers  needs  to  analyse  to  what  extent 
standards,  technical  specifications,  codes  and  safety  provisions  for  physical  infrastructure 
should be strengthened to cope with extreme events and other climate impacts.  

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28 
29 
30 
31 
32 

Previously known as GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) 
Council Directive 2008/56/EC and EU Regulation No 1255/2011  
Regulation (EC) 2152/2003  
Decision 661/2010/EC  
COM(2012)673 final 
COM(2011)244 final 
COM(2011) 743 final 
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/cap-post-2013/legal-proposals/index_en.htm 
COM(2013) 133 final 
COM(2011) 665/3  
COM(2011)934 final 
COM(2011) 650/2 final 
http://ec.europa.eu/governance/impact/planned_ia/docs/2013_sanco_002_eu_plant_health_law_en.pdf  
COM(2012) 628 final  
Eurocodes are a set of harmonised technical rules for the structural design of construction works in the 
EU developed by the European Committee for Standardisation 

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Disaster  insurance  has  a  generally  low  market  penetration  rate  at  the  moment  in  Member 
States33. Discussions should take place with stakeholders on the basis of the Green Paper on 
the insurance against natural and man-made disasters. 

Action  6:  Facilitate  the  climate-proofing  of  the  Common  Agricultural  Policy  (CAP), 
the Cohesion Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).  

Guidance  is  being  provided  as  part  of  the  Strategy  on  how  to  further  integrate  adaptation 
under  the  CAP  and  the  Cohesion  Policy.  Similar  guidance  will  be  issued  in  2013  for  the 
CFP.  It  is  aimed  at  managing  authorities  and  other  stakeholders  involved  in  2014-2020 
programme design, development and implementation.  

Member  States  and  regions  can  also  draw  on  the  2014-2020  Cohesion  Policy  and  CAP  to 
address  the  knowledge  gaps  and  invest  in  the  needed  analyses,  risk  assessments,  tools  and 
build up capacities for adaptation.  

Action 7: Ensuring more resilient infrastructure 

In 2013 the Commission will launch a mandate for European standardisation organisations to 
start  mapping  industry-relevant  standards  in  the  area  of  energy,  transport  and  buildings, 
identifying standards to be revised for better inclusion of adaptation considerations.  

It  will  also  provide  with  the  Strategy  guidelines  for  project  developers  working  on 
infrastructure and physical assets, with a view to climate-proofing vulnerable investments. 

Drawing on the results of its Communication on Green Infrastructure, the Commission will 
in  2013  explore  the  need  for  additional  guidance  for  authorities  and  decision  makers,  civil 
society,  private  business  and  conservation  practitioners  to  ensure  the  full  mobilisation  of 
ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation.  

Action 8: Promote insurance and other financial products for resilient investment and 
business decisions. 

The Green Paper on the insurance of natural and man-made disasters, adopted together with 
this Strategy, is a first step in encouraging insurers to improve the way they help to manage 
climate change risks. 

The Commission's aim is to improve the market penetration of natural disaster insurance and 
to  unleash  the  full  potential  of  insurance  pricing  and  other  financial  products  for  risk-
awareness prevention and mitigation and for long-term resilience in investment and business 
decisions (2014-2015). 

5. 

GOVERNANCE, FINANCING AND REVIEW 

5.1. 

A framework for coordination 

The Commission will facilitate policy coordination and will seek to cooperate with Member 
States  through  the  existing  Climate  Change  Committee.  Member  States  should  also  appoint 
national  contact  points  by  the  end  of  2013,  to  coordinate  communication  between  their 
countries and the Commission and contribute to awareness-raising and reporting activities. 

The  Commission  will  continue  to  consult  and  cooperate  with  stakeholders  to  ensure  proper 
and timely implementation of the Strategy. 

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Joint  Research  Centre,  European  Commission  (2012),  Natural  catastrophes:  Risk  relevance  and 
insurance coverage in the EU 

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5.2. 

Financing adaptation 

Improved access to funding will be a critical factor in building a climate-resilient Europe. The 
draft 2014-2020 Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) includes a proposal for increasing 
climate-related expenditure34 to at least 20 % of the EU budget. It is strategically important for 
such  investment  to  be  climate-resilient.  Specifically,  the  Commission  has  included  climate 
change adaptation in its proposals for all relevant EU finance programmes for 2014-2020. The 
European  Structural  and  Investment  funds35  as  well  as  Horizon  2020  and  the  LIFE 
programme will provide significant support to Member States, regions and cities to invest in 
programmes  and  projects  on  adaptation,  especially  in  the  framework  of  the  dedicated 
Investment Priorities on adaptation in the ERDF and Cohesion Fund.  

Moreover,  several  EU  funds  and  international  financing  institutions,  such  as  the  European 
Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, also support 
adaptation  measures.  The  Commission  will  explore  further  ways  of  accommodating  some 
adaptation  investment  expenditure,  such  as  expenditure  co-financed  by  the  EU  in  the 
assessment of Stability and Convergence Programmes36. 

In  addition,  there  are  specific  funds  –  including  at  national  level  –  and  public  financial 
institutions  that  support  adaptation  action,  e.g.  on  flood  control  and  drought  management. 
Climate-ADAPT  will  be  providing  more  information  on  potential  sources  of  funding. 
Member  States  can  also  use  EU  ETS  auction  revenues  as  a  source  of  financial  support  for 
adaptation37.  

To  ensure  successful  implementation,  authorities  in  the  Member  States  are  encouraged  to 
develop  synergies  between  the  various  funding  streams,  especially  EU  funding  and  support 
programmes  in  order  to  strengthen  the  impact  of  investments  and  avoid,  where  possible, 
funding gaps. 

5.3.  Monitoring, evaluation and review 

Monitoring  and  evaluating  climate  change  adaptation  policies  are  crucial.  The  emphasis  is 
still  on  monitoring  impacts  rather  than  adaptation  action  and  its  effectiveness.  The 
Commission  will  develop  indicators  to  help  evaluate  adaptation  efforts  and  vulnerabilities 
across the EU, using LIFE funding and other sources. 

In 2017 the Commission will report to the European Parliament and the Council on the state 
of implementation of the Strategy and propose its review if needed. The report will be based 
on information provided by Member States under the Monitoring Mechanism Regulation38 on 
national  adaptation  planning  and  strategies, 
implementation  reports  for 
programmes funded by the European Structural and Investment funds in the period 2014-2020 
and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 5th Assessment Report to be issued in 
2014.  

the  annual 

34 
35 

36 

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38 

referring to both climate change mitigation and adaptation 
The  Cohesion  Fund,  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF),  the  European  Social  Fund 
(ESF)  the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development  (EAFRD)  and  the  European  Maritime 
and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)  
As  set  out  in  the  recent  Blueprint  for  a  deeper  and  genuine  economic  and  monetary  union, 
COM(2012) 777 final 
Article 10(3)(a) of Directive 2003/87/EC as amended by Directive 2009/29/EC 
http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/g-gas/monitoring/ 

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6. 

CONCLUSION 

This  Strategy  sets  out  a  framework  and  mechanisms  for  bringing  the  EU's  preparedness  for 
the current and future impacts of climate change up to a new level. It is proposed to do this by 
encouraging  and  supporting  action  by  the  EU  Member  States  on  adaptation,  by  creating  a 
basis for better informed decision-making on adaptation in the years to come, and by making 
key economic and policy sectors more resilient to the effects of climate change.  

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