Evaluation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Europe

Status

The Netherlands submitted a progress report on the implementation of the ICZM Recommendation in the Netherlands to the European Commission on 3 March 2006, with the main purpose to show the extent to which the Dutch coastal zone is being managed in an integrated and sustainable way.

The Netherlands has decided not to develop a separate strategy for ICZM but to make use of two existing building blocks which in fact are supported by a variety of complementary statutory institutions:

1. the National Spatial Strategy, which establishes a national strategy for integrated spatial planning policies generally; and makes the coastal zone, Wadden Sea and Deltas explicitly part of the main national spatial structures; and
   
   
2. the Third Policy Document on Coastal Areas, which provides an integrated frame-work for coastal zone management and policies on coastal areas.
   

ICZM has been initiated - although not always explicitly mentioned as such - even before the Recommendation. The case for the Netherlands shows that a specific ICZM strategy is not necessarily needed in the country to implement ICZM principles as long as the notion of sustainable development guides the set up of governance and participation.

Reporting Institutions

Since 2002 the national level (Rijk) is responsible for the implementation of the Recommendation. Coordination here is carried out jointly by the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Management of the Dutch coastal zone is in hands of a multitude of public and private-sector bodies.

National Institute Coastal and Marine Management, RWS/RIKZ
The Hague

National Contacts

Mr. Hans Balfoort
DG Water, Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management
Contact: Hans.Balfoort@minvenw.nl

Ms. Hermine Erenstein
National Institute Coastal and Marine Management, RWS/RIKZ
Contact: H.J.E.Erenstein@rikz.rws.minvenw.nl

National Reporting to the EU ICZM Recommendation

EU Recommendation Concerning the Implementation of ICZM in Europe, Report on Implementation in the Netherlands, December 2005 (28 pages, English)

Stocktake and Supporting Documents

Kust in kader. Actorenanalyse integraal kustbeheer 2003
(Stakeholder analysis, 78 pages, Dutch)

Inventarisatie en vergelijking van kustzonegerelateerde onderwerpen in streekplannen, RA-02-584, December 2002
(ICZM aspects in regional zoning plans, 72 pages, Dutch)

RIKZ - Integraal kustbeheer - een inventarisatie van nationaal en Europees beleid en regelgeving, 20 January 2004
(Inventory of national and EU policies and legislation, 129 pages, Dutch)

Dieperink, C, and Steyn, S. (1 July 2005) In de geest van Europa? Vijf Nederlandse kustprojecten belicht vanuit de Europese Aanbeveling betreffende de uitvoering van een geintegreerd beheer van kustegebieden.
(An analysis of the use of the ICZM principles in the Netherlands, 62 pages, Dutch)

The results of the inventory of the sustainability Indicators (2006)
http://www.vliz.be/nl/zeecijfers/Zeecijfers_RIKZ_rapport

Further Information

Website of the National Institute Coastal and Marine Management, RWS/RIKZ
http://www.rikz.nl and http://www.kustzonebeleid.nl/ (Dutch ICZM)

Millieu en Natuurbeleid
http://www.minbuza.nl