Policy frameworks in place

• In 2002, the European Commission recommended implementing ‘Integrated Coastal Zone Management’ acknowledging the uniqueness of coastal zones.
• The EU Water Framework Directive, adopted in 2000, requires surface water bodies (lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries and coastal waters) to be ecologically sound by 2015.
• The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, adopted in 2008, urges the creation of a network of marine protected areas by 2012 and stipulates that marine ecosystems must reach a good environmental status by 2020.
• Coastal habitats and species are also covered by the European Union’s two key nature conservation directives: the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive.
• Several international conventions, including the OSPAR Convention (Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic), Barcelona Convention (Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution), and Bucharest Convention (Convention for the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution) also enhance regional cooperation.
• More policy-specific responses, such as the ongoing reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, should also have a strong positive impact on coastal economies.