Brussels, 02/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - In its July 4 plenary session under first reading as part of the codecision procedure, the European Parliament will debate the report by the Irish Green MEP Patricia McKenna on the draft Recommendation on the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Europe.
The rich biodiversity of the European Union's coastal areas is exposed to dangers such as pollution (particularly by oil), high population density, deforestation and global warming which is causing a rise in the sea level, changing the frequency and intensity of stormy weather and accentuating coastal erosion, noted the rapporteur. She added that coastal planning does not take enough account of local capacity to resist pressures on the environment and this was subjecting natural resources and some social activities to irreparable damage. The main problem facing the EU is the lack of coordination in coastal zone management. Each plan is managed by a different body, has its own objectives and is subject to different monitoring and follow-up conditions. To deal with this situation, the European Commission put forward a draft Recommendation in September 2000 on implementing Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Europe. The document encourages Member States to carry out a stocktaking exercise on the planning and management of their coastal zones and to draw up a national strategy for coastal management. In her report, Patricia McKenna regards the Commission's Recommendation as a "vital first step", but that EU legislation on coastal management lacks coordination and needs to be pulled together so that Member States can implement the recommendations and have the desired level of protection. The rapporteur puts forward a series of amendments which, broadly speaking, call for greater collaboration between the different administrative departments, agencies and other organisations involved in managing coastal zones.