The role of the European Community in the Mediterranean coastal zone management

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to focus on the role of the European Community (EC) in the management of the coastal zones of the Mediterranean. The EC performs this role at two levels of involvement: with respect to its Mediterranean member states and through the Euro-Mediterranean co-operation, in co-ordination with international and regional initiatives, such as those of the United Nations (Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP)) and the World Bank. According to this, the coastal policy of the EC is considered with special attention to past and current developments, and the main policy objectives and instruments are discussed. This review is followed by a brief analysis of the EC Mediterranean coastal zone: the general use and development patterns, the main pressures bearing upon it, and its definition from a legal and administrative perspective. An evaluation of the role of the EC in the Mediterranean context then follows, with particular reference to the ongoing developments of the Euro-Mediterranean co-operation within MAP and the Barcelona Convention system. On this basis, conclusions are drawn on the need to improve the EC Mediterranean coastal policy through a strengthened integration between the various EC sectoral policies, and between these policies and the policies of the member states, and through an optimised co-ordination with MAP.