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

Evaluation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Europe – Final Report
Latvia considers ICZM as an organic part of the National Spatial
Planning and therefore the development of specific National ICZM
Strategy is not envisaged. Instead, aspects of ICZM will be reflected
in the revised National planning due to be finalised by mid-2007.
Since no draft plan has been made available during this evaluation, it
is difficult to judge how fully this strategic document will encompass
the EU ICZM recommendation. At the same time, the achievements
of Latvia in the ICZM process can be considered as significant. As far
as the planning at the regional level is concerned, all ICZM aspects
addressing strategic, holistic, and participatory and governance
approaches seem to be present.
The Lithuanian Government has conceptualised but not elaborated
an ICZM strategy. The main reason for this seems to be rooted in the
lack of a strategic approach. The document that is nearest to ICZM is
the Development Strategy for the Klaipeda County, addressing the
whole coastal municipalities in Lithuania (draft issued in 2005).
However, in spite of its explicit call for an ICZM strategy, this document
does not go deep into the sectoral conflicts and their solution
along the coastal zone. It also has no links to water management. It is
interesting to note that respondents to the Evaluation questionnaires
indicate that the Lithuanian coastal management policies adequately
consider the current coastal issues.
Some solutions in line with ICZM have been incorporated in Polish
law prior to the EU ICZM Recommendation (2002/413/EC), however
no Polish administrative unit specifically responsible for coordinating
ICZM has been set up. This lack of specific unit can be viewed as one
of the weak features causing a major obstacle in the process of an
ICZM strategy development and its implementation. Despite this, the
EU ICZM Recommendation has further defined and triggered ICZM in
Poland. Additionally, the Water Framework Directive has also been an
instrument in boosting ICZM. Some elements of ICZM have been
implemented including the elaboration and presentation of a report on
ICZM to the public for discussion. One of the main achievements
resulting from the ICZM concept is the extension of statutory spatial
planning to all Polish sea areas. Links between ICZM and policies
related to water management have not been established at the
central level. The upcoming EU Maritime Policy and development of a
European Marine Strategy form an essential part of the policies
related to the coastal zone. Because of these two instruments the role
of ICZM in Poland is expected to increase in the coming years.
ICZM included in
revised National
Planning in
Latvia
Lack of a
strategic
approach in
Lithuania
First steps
towards a
National Report
on ICZM in
Poland
In Sweden, no ICZM Strategy was developed. The existing Environmental
Code and the Planning and Building Act (1987) is used as a
focused legal instrument addressing both environmental and social
sectors and applies to both terrestrial and marine areas. According to
the Planning and Building Act, all municipalities must produce a
comprehensive plan that covers their entire area and can be used as
a decision making tool. This instrument ties the different sector
agencies together, and is currently under review to include stronger
ICZM issues.
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