Evaluation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in ...

Evaluation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Europe – Final Report
Level of Observance
•
Yes, fully :
Partly fulfilled:
Significant gaps
Not fulfilled
Insufficient
information
The principle is fully covered by the strategy/equivalent and in place (or close to).
Essential aspects of the principle are covered by the strategy/equivalent and in place.
Serious initiatives for implementation are taken or foreseen.
Only some aspects of the principle are covered or implementation is foreseen.
The principle is not or only marginally covered.
Insufficient information available for assessment
The scoring method is explained in chapter 3 of this Report.
* Because of the ongoing reform of the municipal and regional system, no assessment could be made in Denmark
Sustainability issues and precautionary principle although not
explicitly mentioned in all cases reflect in various approaches and
activities aiming at integrated management. Mechanisms for decisionmaking
rely on participation and flexible networks to give justice to
local and regional issues, as well as to stakeholder aspirations in the
legal national framework.
The importance of mid- to long-term planning is stressed, but has not
been solidly established in all of the North Sea states, the main
underlying reason being the prominence of political and economic
short-term planning. The exception is the Netherlands, since the key
feature is the very low-lying nature of the country resulting in a longterm
history and vision of flood defence and protection. The west
coast of Sweden has been subject to long-term programmes on ICZM
that well endorse a long-term perspective in contract to its Baltic Sea
coast where gaps are felt. The lack of a long-term perspective has
been clearly recognised by the UK. However, in the UK National
ICZM Strategy report, not statement is made on how to overcome this
significant gap.
Sustainability
and precautionary
principle baseline
of most
approaches
Political and
economic shortterm
planning as
major obstacle
to long-term
planning principle
The principle of a balanced combination of instruments in planning
and management is one of the more problematic ones, in which more
efforts must be undertaken in most of the North Sea States. It is
notable for instance in Germany that whilst there are several activities
related to environmental issues, instruments for planning and
management of social affairs seem to be the minority. Coherence
between legal instruments and administrative objectives and between
planning and management is not given in a formal sense, but there
appears to be exchange via informal channels. Thus, despite that
many activities seam to run side-by-side without the necessary
interchange, these informal dialogues hold the potnetial to foster
more balanced outcomes of desicions.
In terms of participation, the public is endorsed in formal routines of
planning, e.g. public hearings and exhibition of development plans for
pubic consultation. However, participatory planning instruments are
improvable in all of the North Sea states. Generally, a strong public
interest in coastal affairs can be noted. Voluntary partnerships and
networks have only partly statutory character and powers. Therefore
Major
shortcomings of
participatory
planning
instruments
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