6.1 Integrated Water Management for Quality and Quantity
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6.1.3 European Flood Risk Management Directive
Between 1998 and 2009 major damaging floods occurred in the European Union, including
the catastrophic floods at the Rhine river in 1993 and 1995, or at the Elbe river in summer
2002. These floods caused approx. 1126 deaths, the displacement of about half a million
people and at least 52 e billion in insured economic losses (EEA, 2010). Severe floods in
2005 further reinforced the need for joint action.
The Flood Risk Management Directive (FRMD) was proposed by the European Commission in early 2006 (EC, 2006) and was finally published in the Official Journal on 6
November 2007 (EC, 2007). Its aim is to reduce and manage the risks that floods pose
to human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activities. The Directive forced Member States to carry out a preliminary assessment by 2011 to identify the
river basins and associated coastal areas at risk of flooding. For such zones they needed to
draw up flood risk and flood hazard maps by 2013 and establish flood risk management
plans focused on prevention, protection and preparedness by the end of 2015. The FRMD
applies to inland waters as well as all coastal waters across the whole territory of the EU.
The FRMD shall be carried out in coordination with the WFD, mutually by the coordination of preparing flood risk management plans and river basin management plans
and through coordination of the mandatory public participation (see also 6.1.1). All
assessments, maps and plans prepared have to be made available to the public.
Objective
The FRMD includes the following obligations for the Member States (Articles 4 to 10, see
EC 2007):
Preliminary flood risk assessment: Action will only be taken in areas where potential
significant flood risks exist or are reasonably predictable in the future.
Flood hazard and flood risk maps: Flood risks would be mapped for the river basins
and sub-basins with significant potential risk of flooding, in order to
• increase public awareness;
• support the process of prioritizing, justifying and targeting investments and developing
sustainable policies and strategies;
• support flood risk management plans, spatial planning and emergency plans
Flood risk management plans: Flood risk management plans are developed and implemented at river basin/sub-basin level to reduce and manage the flood risk. These plans
include the analysis and assessment of flood risk, the definition of the level of protection,
and identification and implementation of sustainable measures applying the principle of
139
6.1.3 European Flood Risk Management Directive
Between 1998 and 2009 major damaging floods occurred in the European Union, including
the catastrophic floods at the Rhine river in 1993 and 1995, or at the Elbe river in summer
2002. These floods caused approx. 1126 deaths, the displacement of about half a million
people and at least 52 e billion in insured economic losses (EEA, 2010). Severe floods in
2005 further reinforced the need for joint action.
The Flood Risk Management Directive (FRMD) was proposed by the European Commission in early 2006 (EC, 2006) and was finally published in the Official Journal on 6
November 2007 (EC, 2007). Its aim is to reduce and manage the risks that floods pose
to human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activities. The Directive forced Member States to carry out a preliminary assessment by 2011 to identify the
river basins and associated coastal areas at risk of flooding. For such zones they needed to
draw up flood risk and flood hazard maps by 2013 and establish flood risk management
plans focused on prevention, protection and preparedness by the end of 2015. The FRMD
applies to inland waters as well as all coastal waters across the whole territory of the EU.
The FRMD shall be carried out in coordination with the WFD, mutually by the coordination of preparing flood risk management plans and river basin management plans
and through coordination of the mandatory public participation (see also 6.1.1). All
assessments, maps and plans prepared have to be made available to the public.
Objective
The FRMD includes the following obligations for the Member States (Articles 4 to 10, see
EC 2007):
Preliminary flood risk assessment: Action will only be taken in areas where potential
significant flood risks exist or are reasonably predictable in the future.
Flood hazard and flood risk maps: Flood risks would be mapped for the river basins
and sub-basins with significant potential risk of flooding, in order to
• increase public awareness;
• support the process of prioritizing, justifying and targeting investments and developing
sustainable policies and strategies;
• support flood risk management plans, spatial planning and emergency plans
Flood risk management plans: Flood risk management plans are developed and implemented at river basin/sub-basin level to reduce and manage the flood risk. These plans
include the analysis and assessment of flood risk, the definition of the level of protection,
and identification and implementation of sustainable measures applying the principle of