THE INFLUENCE OF EU POLICIES ON THE EVOLUTION OF COASTAL ZONES (Thematic Study ‘E’) FINAL REPORT Study Contract ERDF No. 98.00.27.049 ICZM Demonstration Programme Submitted by the Institute for European Environmental Policy, London Dean Bradley House 52 Horseferry Road London SW1P 2AG +44 171 799 2244 + 44 171 799 2600 fax 12 November 1999 1 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Page SECTION I - INTRODUCTION 1.1 Terms of Reference for the Study 4 1.2 The Questions to be Addressed 4 1.3 The approach of the Study 6 SECTION 2 - METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES 2.1 The Nature of ‘EU Policies’ 9 2.2 Identifying Influence 9 2.3 The Direction of Influence 10 2.4 Policies in the Pipeline 11 2.5 Approach to the Research 11 SECTION 3 - THE INFLUENCE OF CURRENT EU POLICIES - EVIDENCE FROM THE DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS 3.1 The Common Agricultural Policy 15 3.2 The Common Fisheries Policy 20 3.3 Structural and Cohesion Policy 24 3.4 Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) 28 3.5 Short Sea Shipping 31 3.6 The Habitats Directive 36 3.7 Renewable Energy 39 3.8 EU Enlargement 41 SECTION 4 - THE IMPACT OF FUTURE EU POLICY DEVELOPMENTS 4.1 Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy 50 4.2 Reform of the EU Structural Funds 54 4.3 Structural Funds Guidelines 2000-2006 58 4.4 Draft Water Framework Directive 60 4.5 Strategic Environmental Assessment 64 SECTION 5 – THE FUTURE CONTRIBUTION OF EU POLICIES TO ADVANCING ICZM 5.1 Introduction 68 5.2 Contribution of sectoral EU policies to ICZM 68 5.3 Policies explicitly targeted at encouraging ICZM 73 2 SECTION 6 – CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 6.1 General 78 6.2 A Future EU strategy for Coastal Zones – Recommendations 80 6.3 Recommendations in relation to specific EU policies. 82 ANNEXES I Questionnaire to Demonstration Projects 87 2. List of Projects visited 90 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. This report is focused on evaluating the influence of EU policies on the evolution of coastal zones. It seeks to assess how far such EU policies contribute to, or detract from, the sustainable management of coastal areas, and to consider their implications for the advancement of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). It is the Final Report of Thematic Study ‘E’ of the EU’s ICZM Demonstration Programme. 2. Integrated Coastal Zone Management is a process which aims to secure the sustainable use of the resources of coastal areas, through seeking to integrate policy objectives and instruments applied at all levels of administration, across all policy sectors that have an impact on coastal development. EU policies are of key importance in relation to ICZM, both in terms of the direct impact that they can have on the physical environment of the coast, both maritime and terrestrial; and in respect of their influence on the scope for integrating separate sectoral policy measures. 3. The task of ensuring that the design and implementation of EU policies contributes fully to ICZM presents a formidable, multi-dimensional challenge. It requires that • the overall objectives of sectoral policies as they are developed at EU level – and their subsequent implementation by the Member states in coastal zones - should take full account of requirements of each of the three ‘legs’ of sustainable development - ie protection and enhancement of the environment; economic development and social equity. Progress at EU level has been more rapid in establishing initiatives to integrate the environment into sectoral policies in comparison with economic, employment and social equity considerations; • the design of EU policies should reflect a greater sensitivity to territorial differences; • the maximum possible decentralisation to regional and local levels in the administration of EU policies should be introduced to enable horizontal integration to take place at a local level; • policies affecting land- and sea-based activities should take greater account of their mutual interactions; • greater opportunities should be incorporated into the design of EU policies for public consultation and participation in their local implementation. 4. Currently, there are a wide range of EU policies that to varying degrees influence coastal developments and their management. The report includes evidence from many of the ICZM Demonstration Programme projects in relation to the varying impacts of the following: • the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP); • the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP); • the Structural Funds, both ‘mainstream’ and Community Initiatives; • trans-European transport networks (TEN-T); • the Habitats Directive • renewable energy policy; • policy towards the accession of the applicant countries of central and eastern Europe. 5. Of these, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has had the most damaging impact on the physical environment in the demonstration project areas. Serious impacts have occurred 4 in respect of biodiversity, fishing and tourism, and the damaging effects of the CAP have run counter to the intentions of other EU polices. The Common Fisheries Policy, trans-European transport networks and the Structural Funds have also in some cases stood in the way of the sustainable management of coastal areas. In the administration of some EU policies, different degrees of centralisation of decision making have prevented the local integration of those policies. 6. However, the period of this thematic study has seen several EU policy reforms which should address some of the shortcomings of current EU policies. They include the Agenda 2000 package covering the reform of the CAP, rural development and the Structural Fund Regulations; the proposed Water Framework Directive; and the draft Directive on Strategic Environmental Assessment. Elements in the 1999-2003 Action Plan to take forward the principles of the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) could make an important contribution to advancing ICZM. 7. There is a need for the EU to develop a more explicit strategy to advance ICZM. This might follow one of two fundamentally different approaches: • The development of further policy instruments explicitly designed to require or encourage Member States to establish systems of ICZM. These might include the development of a legal instrument requiring Member States to establish systems of ICZM. • A ‘bottom-up’ approach of ensuring that all existing and new EU policies with indirect effects on coastal zones and/or their management take greater account of the requirements of ICZM. In practice, these approaches are not mutually exclusive, and an EU ICZM strategy should incorporate elements of both. 8. Securing agreement to a legally-binding Directive requiring Member States to establish national systems of ICZM would face considerable practical, legal and political difficulties. Therefore, the time and resources that would need to be devoted to securing a legal instrument on ICZM could be better used through alternative avenues. 9. The major contribution to advancing ICZM at EU level should come from explicit steps to ensure that the EU’s sectoral and other spatially-significant policies fully respect the environmental and economic needs of coastal areas, and the importance of more integrated approaches to their management. The Commission should develop a strategy based upon • identifying the implications of integrating the needs of sustainable development (as opposed to environmental considerations only) into the development and local implementation of EU policies; • integrating a greater regional dimension into EU policies, and ensuring the maximum possible level of regional decentralisation in their administration; • better screening, monitoring and evaluation by the Commission of the implementation of decentralised EU policies; • ensuring that the mutual implications EU policies focused on terrestrial and marine areas are fully co-ordinated; • extending opportunities for public participation in the implementation of EU policies; • improving information and awareness in coastal zones of EU policies and administrative structures for implementing them. 5 10. At the same time, a strong political steer from the top in the form of a Council Recommendation encouraging Member States to develop systems of ICZM - possibly agreed by a joint formation of the Council – would represent an important statement of commitment. 11. Other EU measures explicitly targeted at advancing ICZM should be developed: • INTERREG III will become the principal source of EU finance supporting cross-border, cross-national and inter-regional co-operation in the field of ICZM. Greater representation of projects focused on coastal management could be secured through the establishment by the Commission of indicative allocations between priority areas within the three ‘strands’ of the programme, to encourage more project submissions in this field. • An EU-wide ICZM Observatory should be established to act as a focal point for the collection and dissemination of good practice and advice in relation to ICZM, and to maintain the momentum of the ICZM Demonstration Programme. • The proposed Water Framework Directive will form the most important legal stimulus at EU level for integrated planning, both coastal and inland. To exploit the full potential of this measure for ICZM, the Commission should produce detailed guidance for Member states indicating how policies relating to coastal zones and their management should be incorporated into river basin management plans. 6 SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Terms of Reference for the Study Following its 1995 Communication on Integrated Management of Coastal Zones (ICZM)(COM