EEA Report No 12/2013 Balancing the future of Europe's coasts — knowledge base for integrated management ISSN 1725-9177 EEA Report No 12/2013 Balancing the future of Europe's coasts — knowledge base for integrated management Cover design: EEA Cover photo © Andrus Meiner Left photo © Peter Kristensen Right photo © Andrus Meiner Layout: EEA/Pia Schmidt Legal notice The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the official opinions of the European Commission or other institutions of the European Union. Neither the European Environment Agency nor any person or company acting on behalf of the Agency is responsible for the use that may be made of the information contained in this report. Copyright notice © European Environment Agency, 2013 Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged, save where otherwise stated. Information about the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server (www.europa.eu). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2013 ISBN 978-92-9213-414-3 ISSN 1725-9177 doi:10.2800/99116 Environmental production This publication is printed according to high environmental standards. Printed by Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk — Environmental Management Certificate: DS/EN ISO 14001: 2004 — Quality Certificate: DS/EN ISO 9001: 2008 — EMAS Registration. Licence no. DK – 000235 — Ecolabelling with the Nordic Swan, licence no. 541-457 — FSC Certificate – licence code FSC C0688122 Paper RePrint — 90 gsm. CyclusOffset — 250 gsm. Both paper qualities are recycled paper and have obtained the ecolabel Nordic Swan. Printed in Denmark REG.NO. DK-000244 European Environment Agency Kongens Nytorv 6 1050 Copenhagen K Denmark Tel.: +45 33 36 71 00 Fax: +45 33 36 71 99 Web: eea.europa.eu Enquiries: eea.europa.eu/enquiries Contents Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... 4 Executive summary .................................................................................................... 5 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Purpose and scope of this report ......................................................................... 7 1.2 Europe's coastal areas: a diverse and important asset ������������������������������������������� 8 2 Marine and maritime sustainable growth ............................................................. 12 2.1 Economic drivers of coastal development ........................................................... 12 2.2 Maritime activities and sustainability challenges at the coast ��������������������������������� 15 2.3 Maritime spatial planning (MSP) ........................................................................ 24 3 Ecosystem-based management and adaptation: priority for the coasts ............... 27 3.1 Assessing the state of coastal ecosystems .......................................................... 27 3.2 Working with nature — reducing the risks .......................................................... 30 3.3 Adapting to climate change .............................................................................. 35 3.4 Integrated coastal planning and management approach ��������������������������������������� 37 4 Formation of a new integrated policy framework ................................................ 39 4.1 From conceptual framework to integrated plans and strategies ����������������������������� 39 4.2 Outlook and uncertainties ................................................................................ 43 5 Knowledge base for integrated management ....................................................... 44 5.1 Call for innovative assessment methods ............................................................. 44 5.2 Improved data integration and sharing .............................................................. 50 Abbreviations and acronyms .................................................................................... 53 References ............................................................................................................... 55 Balancing the future of Europe's coasts — knowledge base for integrated management 3 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements This report was written by EEA project managers The following experts from European countries and Andrus Meiner and Johnny Reker, with essential organisations also contributed: Carlos Pena Martinez contributions from Mikael Hildén (SYKE). It was (General Directorate for Sustainability of the Coast, edited by John James O’Doherty and produced by Spain); Sebastien Colas (IFEN, l'Observatoire du Pia Schmidt and Carsten Iversen (all of the EEA). littoral, France); Jan Olavi Ekebom (Metsähallitus, The report was coordinated by Andrus Meiner Finland); Jeremy Gault (Coastal and Marine under the guidance and support of Ronan Uhel Research Centre/UCC, Ireland); Hristo Stanchev (EEA). (Oceanographic Data Centre, Bulgaria); Fernando Veloso Gomes (Porto University, Portugal); Samuli The report is based mainly on the work of four EEA Korpinen (HELCOM); Damien Perisse (Conference European Topic Centres: ETC/ICM (Inland, Coastal of Peripheral Maritime Regions); Rhoda Barringer and Marine Waters); ETC/SIA (Spatial Information (Cardiff University, United Kingdom); Lucy and Analysis); ETC/BD (Biological Diversity); Greenhill (Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and ETC/CCA (Climate Change and Adaptation). United Kingdom); Floris Groenendijk (IMARES The main contributors in the project teams from — Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem the European Topic Centres were: Marita Arvela, Studies, the Netherlands); and Luke Bateson (British Benjamin Boteler, Kieran Bowen, Sophie Condé, Geological Survey). Filipe Duarte Santos, Miroslav Fiala, Ana Gomes, Mikael Hildén, Alejandro Iglesias‑Campos, Maria In addition to these contributors, many other José Ramon Jordan, Manuel Lago, Pasi Laihonen, experts were consulted in the drafting of this Francisco Santiago Nieto, Søren Anker Pedersen, report. The consultation process comprised an Emiliano Ramieri, and Andy Stock. Work on the expert meeting for developing the outline of the report also benefited from the support of ETC report (held on 15 November 2011 in Copenhagen); managers Sergio Castellari, Jaume Forns, Anita Eionet consultation on the final draft of the report Künitzer, and Dominique Richard. (January 2013); and input from the members of the EU Expert Group on Integrated Coastal Zone Additional input came from Constança de Management. Carvalho Belchior, Trine Christiansen, Eszter Fay, Hans‑Martin Füssel, Birgit Georgi, Eva Gelabert, Finally, special thanks should go to Birgit Oscar Gomez Prieto, Stéphane Isoard, André Jol, Snoeren (European Commission — DG Health Peter Kristensen, Ivone Pereira Martins, Josiane and Consumers) and Jeroen Casaer (European Riviere, Beate Werner (all of the EEA); Iain Shepherd Commission — DG Environment) for their advice (DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries); and Albert on the implementation and development of coastal Salman (European Union for Coastal Conservation). policies. 4 Balancing the future of Europe's coasts — knowledge base for integrated management Executive summary Executive summary This report has three elements. Firstly, it gives a to power our economies, shelter a rich biodiversity, snapshot of the current state of Europe's coastal and remain home to millions of Europeans, we must regions. Secondly, it assesses the policies used manage them more carefully. This management to manage coastal regions, and discusses the must also be conducted in an integrated fashion, proposal for a new European directive to improve balancing the competing interests of human the management of coastal regions. Thirdly, it development with the need to ensure healthy and highlights the need for better information and better resilient coastal ecosystems. monitoring tools to help inform this management process. The three sections below deal with each of Public policy has already begun to implement these elements in more detail. this principle of integrated management of coastal zones. In 2002, the European Union adopted a Recommendation on Integrated Coastal The state of Europe's coastal regions Zone Management (ICZM), setting out basic principles. These principles are still valid and Coastal regions are tremendously important for include: stakeholder involvement; sensitivity of Europe's economy. Approximately 40 % of the EU's policy to local needs; the adoption of a long‑term population lives within 50 km of the sea. Almost perspective; and the creation of links between all 40 % of the EU's GDP is generated in these maritime levels of governance, from local to European. regions, and a staggering 75 % of the volume of the EU's foreign trade is conducted by sea. Although ICZM principles are increasingly being adopted in the management of coastal areas, But this important role played by our coasts has progress has not been uniform. The European come at a cost to the environment. Activities such Commission estimated in 2012 that implementation as shipping, resource extraction, renewable energy of ICZM was only about 50 % across the EU as and fishing are all putting pressure on marine and a whole. It identified two shortcomings that coastal areas. These pressures have been felt across are especially important. The first is a lack most of Europe's coastal regions. This has resulted in of clear