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2 Historical Annotations
In 1992 the European Council adopted the Council resolution on the future Community
policy concerning Europe coastal zones in which they concluded that “. . . there is a clear
need for a Community strategy for integrated planning and management of coastal zones
based on the principles of sustainability and sound ecological and environment practice”
(CEC, 1992). The resolution demanded “a strategy for integrated coastal zone management
which will provide a framework for conservation and sustainable use”.
Two years later, in 1994, the Council recalled the necessity for a European strategy
for integrated coastal zone management and made clear that the Commission should
come up in a certain time span with “a view to strengthening coordinated action. . . [for]
a Community strategy for the integrated management of the whole of the Community
coastline. . . ” (CEC, 1994).
Consequently, from 1996 to 1999, the EU Commission ran a Demonstration Program
on integrated coastal zone management. In total 35 projects contributed to the cross-cutting
thematic studies which dealt, for example, with (see EC, 1999): legislation and regulatory
instruments, participation, sectoral and territorial cooperation, role of EU policy.
Subsequently, a group of specialists on Coastal Protection (PE-S-CO) was established
in 1995. The group was charged to draft a Code of Conduct and to draft a Model Law
on Coastal Protection which defines the concept of integrated management and planning
based on the principles on sustainable development.
The result was published in January 2000 as “Model Law on Sustainable Management of Coastal Zones and European Code of Conduct for Coastal Zones” (see CEC,
2000). The first part was the proposed Model Law which contained 17 titles dealing
with the definition of terms and general principles concerning coastal zones or setting
up appropriate bodies to facilitate ICZM. Distinct descriptions were made for each of
the 83 articles in the Model Law. The second part contained the Code of Conduct for
Coastal Zones that should provide “practical guidelines for the conservation of nature
and biodiversity in coastal areas, fully recognizing that socio-economic development in
these regions will continue to occur” (CEC, 2000, p. 31). The main intention of the Code
of Conduct was to provide practical assistance and guidance to achieve the sustainable
development of European coastal areas: “It is intended that this approach will lead to
a better dialog within and between the sectors, and with those promoting a more integrated and sustainable form of coastal and marine management and use” (CEC, 2000,
p. 32).
In the first part of the Code the principles of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS CEC, 1996) were used to define some key elements
for the coastal zone. Each sectoral description was followed by respective guidelines for
the sector in coastal areas. Within the Code the process of EIA was seen as a relevant
instrument for the sustainable management of coastal zones because it already contained
basic and important steps for an integrated management: “The ICZM approach is meant
to enhance development and planning models which treat single issues separately, or are
implemented by individual administrative units. It is a continuous process active before,
during and after sectoral planning” (CEC, 2000, p. 98).
2 Historical Annotations
In 1992 the European Council adopted the Council resolution on the future Community
policy concerning Europe coastal zones in which they concluded that “. . . there is a clear
need for a Community strategy for integrated planning and management of coastal zones
based on the principles of sustainability and sound ecological and environment practice”
(CEC, 1992). The resolution demanded “a strategy for integrated coastal zone management
which will provide a framework for conservation and sustainable use”.
Two years later, in 1994, the Council recalled the necessity for a European strategy
for integrated coastal zone management and made clear that the Commission should
come up in a certain time span with “a view to strengthening coordinated action. . . [for]
a Community strategy for the integrated management of the whole of the Community
coastline. . . ” (CEC, 1994).
Consequently, from 1996 to 1999, the EU Commission ran a Demonstration Program
on integrated coastal zone management. In total 35 projects contributed to the cross-cutting
thematic studies which dealt, for example, with (see EC, 1999): legislation and regulatory
instruments, participation, sectoral and territorial cooperation, role of EU policy.
Subsequently, a group of specialists on Coastal Protection (PE-S-CO) was established
in 1995. The group was charged to draft a Code of Conduct and to draft a Model Law
on Coastal Protection which defines the concept of integrated management and planning
based on the principles on sustainable development.
The result was published in January 2000 as “Model Law on Sustainable Management of Coastal Zones and European Code of Conduct for Coastal Zones” (see CEC,
2000). The first part was the proposed Model Law which contained 17 titles dealing
with the definition of terms and general principles concerning coastal zones or setting
up appropriate bodies to facilitate ICZM. Distinct descriptions were made for each of
the 83 articles in the Model Law. The second part contained the Code of Conduct for
Coastal Zones that should provide “practical guidelines for the conservation of nature
and biodiversity in coastal areas, fully recognizing that socio-economic development in
these regions will continue to occur” (CEC, 2000, p. 31). The main intention of the Code
of Conduct was to provide practical assistance and guidance to achieve the sustainable
development of European coastal areas: “It is intended that this approach will lead to
a better dialog within and between the sectors, and with those promoting a more integrated and sustainable form of coastal and marine management and use” (CEC, 2000,
p. 32).
In the first part of the Code the principles of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS CEC, 1996) were used to define some key elements
for the coastal zone. Each sectoral description was followed by respective guidelines for
the sector in coastal areas. Within the Code the process of EIA was seen as a relevant
instrument for the sustainable management of coastal zones because it already contained
basic and important steps for an integrated management: “The ICZM approach is meant
to enhance development and planning models which treat single issues separately, or are
implemented by individual administrative units. It is a continuous process active before,
during and after sectoral planning” (CEC, 2000, p. 98).