2.4 ICZM in Selected Member States of the EU
29
2.4.3 Spain
Reporting Period 2002–2006
The Spanish report was divided into four parts.
12 The introduction of the Spanish coast was
followed by an exhaustive description of the situation today and the national stock-take.
The report ends with the elaboration on how Spain wanted to develop and implement an
integrated management strategy for the coast (see MERM, 2006).
Within the section “the situation today” the main coastal problems were described in
the fields of environment, socio-economic and legal-administrative system. Regarding the
environmental problems at the Spanish coast it was stated that urban development and
the increase of touristic infrastructure within a one kilometer strip along the coast led to
severe degradation of natural coastal habitats and dynamics. Furthermore, some parts of
the Spanish coast suffer erosion and low-lying areas adjacent to river deltas also were at
risk of flooding. Taking the ecological and chemical status of coastal rivers into account
water quality has also to be improved in many water bodies.
The problems mentioned in the socio-economic sector at the coast were linked to urban
and touristic development, the fishing and aquaculture and to maritime transport. The
touristic sector, for example, concentrated in the recent years mainly on quantity rather
than quality. Consequently, the coastal zone suffered increased and, in some places, uncontrolled construction of infrastructure (MERM, 2006, p. 19-20). According to fishing
and aquaculture the Spanish fishing fleet had to deal with the entry into force of the UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Many coastal states claimed an EEZ under
this International law which impedes the free entrance and use of the fish stocks in these
areas by foreign fishing fleets.
Within the reporting time Spain had no big maritime logistic hub, although it was
recognized that the logistic sector will increase in future time. For the 47 smaller ports
along the Spanish coast, administered by national port authorities, the development of a
national port strategy was required.
Based on the history of the Roman Law in Spain the coast falls under the status of Public Domain which was defined in the Spanish Constitution from 1978 as follows (Article
132): “The law shall regulate the legal regime of property in the public domain and communal property, based on the principles that such property may not be subject to embargo,
divestment and prescription. The areas deemed to belong to the public domain shall be
determined by law and shall, in any event, include the maritime-terrestrial zone, beaches,
territorial waters and the natural resources of the economic zone and the continental shelf.”
Ten years later the Spanish Coastal Law defined the above-mentioned areas: “The shores
of seas and rias,
13 including maritime-terrestrial zone from low tide to high tide line as well
as beaches, dunes, cliffs, marshes and other low-lying wetlands; the terrestrial seas and inland waters, including their beds and undergrounds; the natural resources of the economic
zone and continental shelf” (MERM, 2006, p. 10).
12 For Spain: www.magrama.gob.es/es/costas/temas/default.aspx
13 Estuaries.
29
2.4.3 Spain
Reporting Period 2002–2006
The Spanish report was divided into four parts.
12 The introduction of the Spanish coast was
followed by an exhaustive description of the situation today and the national stock-take.
The report ends with the elaboration on how Spain wanted to develop and implement an
integrated management strategy for the coast (see MERM, 2006).
Within the section “the situation today” the main coastal problems were described in
the fields of environment, socio-economic and legal-administrative system. Regarding the
environmental problems at the Spanish coast it was stated that urban development and
the increase of touristic infrastructure within a one kilometer strip along the coast led to
severe degradation of natural coastal habitats and dynamics. Furthermore, some parts of
the Spanish coast suffer erosion and low-lying areas adjacent to river deltas also were at
risk of flooding. Taking the ecological and chemical status of coastal rivers into account
water quality has also to be improved in many water bodies.
The problems mentioned in the socio-economic sector at the coast were linked to urban
and touristic development, the fishing and aquaculture and to maritime transport. The
touristic sector, for example, concentrated in the recent years mainly on quantity rather
than quality. Consequently, the coastal zone suffered increased and, in some places, uncontrolled construction of infrastructure (MERM, 2006, p. 19-20). According to fishing
and aquaculture the Spanish fishing fleet had to deal with the entry into force of the UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Many coastal states claimed an EEZ under
this International law which impedes the free entrance and use of the fish stocks in these
areas by foreign fishing fleets.
Within the reporting time Spain had no big maritime logistic hub, although it was
recognized that the logistic sector will increase in future time. For the 47 smaller ports
along the Spanish coast, administered by national port authorities, the development of a
national port strategy was required.
Based on the history of the Roman Law in Spain the coast falls under the status of Public Domain which was defined in the Spanish Constitution from 1978 as follows (Article
132): “The law shall regulate the legal regime of property in the public domain and communal property, based on the principles that such property may not be subject to embargo,
divestment and prescription. The areas deemed to belong to the public domain shall be
determined by law and shall, in any event, include the maritime-terrestrial zone, beaches,
territorial waters and the natural resources of the economic zone and the continental shelf.”
Ten years later the Spanish Coastal Law defined the above-mentioned areas: “The shores
of seas and rias,
13 including maritime-terrestrial zone from low tide to high tide line as well
as beaches, dunes, cliffs, marshes and other low-lying wetlands; the terrestrial seas and inland waters, including their beds and undergrounds; the natural resources of the economic
zone and continental shelf” (MERM, 2006, p. 10).
12 For Spain: www.magrama.gob.es/es/costas/temas/default.aspx
13 Estuaries.