environmental policy.marine & coastal waters

7/27/2019 Environmental Policy.marine & Coastal Waters

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The 13 EU Member States withaccess to the sea share a totalcoastline of around 89,000 km.Some 68 million of Europes 360million people live on this nar-

row strip of land, in concentra-tions varying from 3% in Bel-gi um to 70% in De nm ar k.These figures are subject to ex-treme seasonal variations, whichis one of the factors that makethe coastal zone so sensitive.

Urbanisation, manufacturing,harbour activities, fishing, navalbases, tourism and leisure arethe primary culprits behind theaccelerating deterioration ofour coastal ecosystems the

disappearance of undevelopedareas, declining biodiversity,water pollution, spoiled land-scapes and the infiltration ofsaltwater into overexploitedfreshwater layers.

And as if these problems werentenough, we also have to con-tend with the threat of a risingsea level and the marine disrup-tion caused by climate change.

More people than ever are at-tracted to the coasts for recre-ation and holidays. But coastsalso have another role as thefinal outlet for pollution, much

of it generated far inland.

Virtually all the materials car-ried in suspension by our riversand ejected into the sea are de-posited at the coast, urban andindustrial pollution or nitratesand pesticides that haveleached into the soil or the de-posit of atmospheric pollution.

The repercussions for the envi-ronment and for human healthare numerous, complex and very

difficult to evaluate in the longterm. Pollutants, for instance, of-ten re-emerge from coastal sed-iment several years later.

A precious habit beingnibbled away

The coastal zone forms an ir-replaceable breeding ground

and habitat for plants andwildl ife. Eight out of every 40habitats rated as essential tosurvival and a third of all wet-lands are located on the coast.The same strip also containsbreeding and growing areasfor most of the fish and shell-fish species that end up on ourplates.

These facts illustrate the scaleof the problems sparked byhuman activ i t ies in thesecoastal regions, where entirechunks of these precious habi-tats have been sacrificed in re-cent years in the name of ur-banisation, industry, tourism

and fishing.

Suffocating the sea

The most dangerous pollu-tants threatening our coasts -often worse even than heavymetals, chemicals or hydrocar-bons are nutrients, whichcome mainly from fertilisersand urban refuse. These nutri-ents can cause excess ivegrowth of plants , e.g. algae.

Such masses of a lgae mayphysically leave no space forother forms of life in the wa-ter, as wel l as, -on their de-composition, -deplete the wa-ter of oxygen, suffocating thesurrounding ecosystem. At thesame time, they gradually de-stroy the coasts attraction totourists.

he coastal zone is the interface between land and

sea, between freshwater and saltwater. It is here,

without any doubt, that human beings and their

activities have left their most visible imprint on

our planet. These effects are all the more difficult

to address, because they are the end-result of ev-

ery imaginable type of pollution, flowing from a

countless range of outlets.T

Facts and Trends

Europes coast : 89,000 km of frontline

1. Overexploitationof local resources

2. Pollutant discharges

3. Heat discharges

4. Disturbance of theseabed

5. Disappearanceof natural habitats

6. Sediment accumulation

7. Organic pollution

8. Unlicensed gas dis-charges

9. Solid waste dumping10. Overexploitationof certain species

Assailed from all sides

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MARINE AND COASTAL WATERS


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Careful coordination

requiredThe greatest obstacle to protect-ing the coastal and marine envi-ronment is the huge variety ofusers and other interested par-ties at regional, national and inter-national level. Industry, property-developers, fishermen, hoteliers,tourists, local authorities, envi-ronmental groups, researchers,transport firms and sports enthu-siasts are all keen to defend theirposition on the coast. Each inter-

est group is busily lobbying politi-cal decision-makers.

The result has been a multitudeof decisions and initiatives which,though sometimes highly benefi-cial in local terms, often do littlemore than shift the problem tosome other region. In some cas-es, they even create brand newproblems at the same spot.

A raft of initiatives

The EU has drawn up and ap-plied an impressive series ofmeasures since 1973.

Highlights include several in-ternat ional conventions suchas the Helsinki Convention on

the protection of the Ba lt icmarine environment (1974),the Oslo (1974) and Pa risConventions (1978) on theprotection of the NortheastAtlantic, the Barcelona Con-vention on the protection of

the Mediterranean and a seriesof conferences on protectingthe North Sea. Among piecesof EU legislation related to thecoastal zones are directives onthe quality of fish and shellf ish

wa ter, the con se rvation ofwi ld birds, the qual i ty ofbathing water, environmentalimpact studies, the cleaning upof waste urban waters, con-servation of flora and fauna

and nitrates. If we add in all thecharters, joint declarationsand recommendations, weend up with almost thirty ma-jor European initiatives thathave attempted to halt the

damage to the coastal and ma-rine environment. A greatmany f inancial instrumentshave also been created to sup-port these efforts.

Although the progress achievedhas fai led to l ive up to theamount of energy expended,these efforts have borne fruit inseveral fields. The quality of

bathing water has improved atmany locations and the NorthSea states have cut their phos-phorus and heavy metal dis-charges by half.

At the same time, many nation-al and local programmes havesignif icantly improved thecoastal and marine environ-ment and helped recreate a nat-ural habitat.

Getting the measureof the problem

It is incredibly difficult to comeup with a precise evaluation ofany improvements or setbacksin the overall health of ourcoastal and marine environ-ment. And it is just as hard toidentify the real heroes and vil-lains when it comes to local, re-gional and national manage-ment. We dont have reliableindicators for the state of our

Europe in action

For a long time the sea has been consid-

ered to be a huge dumping ground.

(Europe is surrounded by nine sea basins)



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coastal waters, making it riskyto attempt a diagnosis. One ofEuropes main priorities is togive itself the proper tools tomeasure and evaluate its coastal

and marine ecosystems.

Many instrumentswithout an orchestra

Over the past 20 years, publicand private bodies all over Eu-rope have devoted themselvesto restoring marine and coastalecosystems. They have done soby launching specif ic pro-grammes and actions with con-

crete, often local objectives protecting plants and wildlife,reducing the discharge of spe-cific pollutants, raising publicawareness and drafting clearlytargeted plans.

A well-known example is the BlueFlag for the best environmentallymanaged beaches. This campaignhas ensured public awareness forenvironmental issues, and in par-ticular on the delicate ecological

balance of the coastal strip.

Although some good has beenachieved, we lack the necessarycoordination between thisplethora of individual initiatives.

The problem does not lie in theinstruments themselves, but inthe way they are orchestrated.To address this problem, Europeset up a demonstration pro-gramme in 1996, based on 35projects that are testing innova-

tive best practice in IntegratedCoastal Zone Management se-lected to represent the diversityof conditions in the EU coastalzones, these projects aredemonstrating how economical-ly and environmentally sustain-able development can be pro-moted through: improvedinformation flows; better coop-eration between sectors and lev-els of administration; and greaterpublic participation in the plan-

ning process. As well as provid-ing specific examples of success-ful approaches to coastal zonemanagement, the experiences of

the Demonstration Programmeare being used to aliment a de-bate about a future common Eu-ropean Strategy on I.C.Z.M.

Bathing water quality has become a key issue for

tourists.

Successfully restored dunes and the rescue of

threatened animal species demonstrate the poten-

tial effectiveness of what are often isolated and lo-

calised rehabilitation initiatives.

Vital investment is taking place in industrial and ur-

ban waste processing.

Awareness of these issues is now widespread in Eu-

rope and continues to rise. Once again, the absence of reliable and comparable

data is undermining the effectiveness of controls.

Many local initiatives still fail to take account of the

repercussions on neighbouring ecosystems.

Effective criteria have yet to be formulated for a

better balance between town planing, environmen-

tal protection and the exploitation of natural re-

sources.

Too many countries outside Europe still have to be

persuaded that these measures are truly necessary.

Developments

The Good... ...the Bad

Where will we stretch out or bathe?

(Beach in Normandy, France)



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Sharing responsibility

for the seaThe ecological quality of ourcoastal and marine zones cantbe improved through legislationalone at European level, andeven less so at national and re-gional level. The state of theMediterranean or Baltic, for in-stance, is determined by the en-vironmental policies of all thesurrounding states. The healthof Europes coastal zones de-pends very strongly on the con-

duct of all the people who areactive there, in sectors likeshipping, fishing and the off-shore industry. These are thecurrents and tides that truly de-termine the dilution and spreadof any pollution. Thats why Eu-rope takes an active part in theinternational debate to per-suade less committed countriesto join it on its mission.

Clear vision foreffective action

Europe has gone a long way to-wards deciding what ought tobe done. Our next task is tofind ways of putting these deci-s ions into practice. Thedemonstration programmewill be a vital tool in this pro-cess. By applying the most ef-fective strategies, we will gra-dually restore the ecological

balance of our marine andcoastal zones, thereby ensu-ring sustainable development inthe future. The creation of re-liable and uniform evaluationtools will greatly enhance thecoordination of all the partieswhose decision-making has animpact on the way theseecosystems evolve. Mean-while, reliable data-banks andeffective instruments for dataexchange and comparison willgive the EU the information it

needs to ensure that its Mem-ber States apply the agreed po-lices and instruments effective-ly. They will also enable it to

assert its rights in negotiationswith third countries involved inthese complex issues.

Local initiatives: gettingaway from

self-interest

It is generally understoodnowadays that the economicfuture of our marine and coastalregions is closely bound up withthe qual ity of thei r environ-ment. As we have seen, though,

efforts to safeguard this quality improving bathing water, forinstance, or saving a particularspecies of fish do not alwaysmean that the people con-cerned are willing to take partin an overall approach to envi-ronmental protection. For thatreason, many local initiatives,usually taken with the best in-tentions in the world, have end-ed up harming the general in-ter es t of the fragi le and

vulnerable zones which borderour coasts. Too often, measuresto reduce one type of industrialpollution have simply allowedother problems to become es-tablished.

Greater professionalismand responsibility at sea

International marine transport is

clearly implicated in the problemof marine and coastal pollution.The huge oil-slicks that havedevastated parts of the Euro-pean coastline over the past 20years are simply the most spec-tacular illustration of this phe-nomenon. Emptying and cleaningtanks offshore, unlicensed dump-ing of waste and toxic productsand intensive fishing all testify tothe fact that many people see theocean as something that is thereto be used. And that when it

comes to waste products andpollution, out of sight is out ofmind. Responsibility often lieswith badly trained or even un-trained crews operating poorlymaintained ships under flags ofconvenience. Europe has al-ready acted (introducing naviga-tion corridors, emergency sys-tems, etc.) but the situation canonly really be dealt with at inter-national level, through tightercontrols and stricter and prop-

erly enforced international rules.

Taking responsibility

The environmental quality of the coastal

zones principally depends on local initia-

tives.

(Coastal regions of the Highlands, Scot-

land)


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