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EUROPEAN
UNION
Committee
of the Regions |
|
DEVE
034 |
Brussels, 16
March 2005
OPINION of
the Committee of the Regions of 23 February 2005 on
the
Communication from the
Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic
and Social committee and the Committee of the Regions - Flood risk
management - Flood prevention, protection and
mitigation COM(2004) 472 final |
_____________ |
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,
Having
regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the
European Parliament, the European Economic and Social committee and the
Committee of the Regions - Flood risk management - Flood prevention,
protection and mitigation (COM(2004) 472 final); |
|
Having regard to the
decision of the European Commission of 12 July 2004 to consult it on this
subject, under the first paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty
establishing the European Community; |
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Having
regard to its President's decision of 26 May 2004 to instruct the
Commission for Sustainable Development to draw up an opinion on this
subject; |
|
Having
regard to the Council Conclusions on Flood risk management adopted
on 14 October 2004; |
|
Having
regard to its opinion on the Commission Proposal for a Council
Directive establishing a framework for Community action in the field of
water policy (COM(1997) 49 final - CdR 171/97 fin); |
|
Having
regard to its opinion on the Commission Communication on the sixth
environment action programme of the European Community "Environment 2010:
our future, our choice - the Sixth Environment Action Programme", and the
proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on
the Community Environment Action Programme 2001–2010 (COM(2001) 31 final -
CdR 36/2001 fin); |
|
Having
regard to its resolution on the recent flood disasters in Europe
and the establishment of the European Union Solidarity Fund (CdR 294/2002
fin); |
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|
|
|
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Having
regard to its opinion on the Communication from the European
Commission “Building our common Future - Policy challenges and Budgetary
means of the Enlarged Union 2007-2013” (COM(2004) 101 final - CdR 162/2004
fin); |
|
Having
regard to its opinion (CdR 299/2004 rev.1) adopted on 9 December
2004 by its Commission for sustainable development (rapporteur: Mr Aalderink, Member of the Executive
Board of the Province of Gelderland (NL/ALDE)); |
|
WHEREAS |
1) Flood risk management is an
important issue for European regions and municipalities. Many regional and local
authorities have to deal with the risks of flooding from either rivers or the
sea to protect and preserve the quality of life for their citizens.
2) Different
types of floods can be identified due to their different regional
characteristics. Diverse measures are required to reduce the likelihood and
impact of floods. A regional approach towards flood risk management is therefore
necessary.
3) Rivers and seas do not
respect boundaries. It is therefore necessary to strive for cross-border
cooperation between inhabitants and administrators in coastal areas and in
entire catchment areas of rivers. It is essential to create solidarity between
people who are not directly threatened by floods and those who live on banks or
shores which are threatened by flooding.
adopted the following opinion at its
58th plenary session of 23 and 24 February 2005 (meeting of 23
February):
*
*
*
1. The Committee of the
Regions’ views
1.1
welcomes the
essential features in the Commission Communication and in particular the
concerted action programme on flood protection and underlines that seas
and rivers are dynamic systems which can not be controlled by simple or
sectorial measures;
1.2
appreciates
that flood protection measures in one region may affect flooding in other
upstream or downstream regions. It is therefore important that the effects of
measures are determined for the entire river basin. However, this approach
should not lead to prescribed models, standardised plans or further bureaucracy
as regional and local authorities know that they are bound in diversity and not
in uniformity;
1.3
realises,
however,
that determining the effects of measures on an entire river basin
requires a minimum number of standard indicators. These indicators offer the
possibility to fine-tune and coordinate actions on an international, national,
regional and local level. To assure flexibility it should be possible to alter
the number of standard indicators depending on the circumstances;
1.4
underlines that
the citizens should be made aware of the importance of taking preventive
measures when there is no perceived threat. Commitment of the citizens is very
important, as citizens are the actual standard bearers of the principle of
solidarity. This is particularly important for those citizens who live in river
basin areas that face no acute or potential danger of flooding, but which parts
may in particular be sensible to create runoff;
1.5
appreciates
that the Council on 14 October 2004 concluded that in the context of the
regular meetings of the EU Water Directors the action programme on flood
protection should be prepared in cooperation with other stakeholders and
relevant parties and emphasises that European regional and local
authorities should participate in this preparation;
2.
Committee of the
Regions' recommendations
2.1
considers that
the threat of flooding is a communal problem and that it should be addressed on
the level of the entire river basin catchment area. The overall aim should be to
create a common responsibility and solidarity within the river basin area so
that the entire area would be considered when looking for effective measures to
fight the threat of flooding in a small area of the basin;
2.2
considers that
it is essential to raise awareness among all stakeholders in a river basin and
certainly to upstream areas that are not, or to a lesser extent, prone to
flooding but who contribute by their land use to create runoff and recommends that all
regional and local authorities in a river basin should be obligated to active
participation in the process of planning for preventative measures;
2.3
supports the
river basin approach as an integrated way of working, without any sectorial
exceptions. This method will have to be practised when applying the principle of
solidarity, which is also supported by it;
2.4
believes that
the European Commission’s Monitoring and Information Centre for Civil Protection
could play an important role in addition to the spreading of information to
national, regional and local authorities and recommends that the Centre introduce activities
aimed at increasing awareness also among stakeholders, both for the general
public and for industry; to enhance river basin wide solidarity, recommends that the
Centre establishes flood partnership initiatives;
2.5
believes that
only a wide integrated approach, which encompasses several policy sectors, could
lead to the desired effect in the longer term, therefore suggests that the
action programme on flood protection actively addresses the multidisciplinary
range of soil bounded policies;
2.6
underlines the
importance of the implementation of the principle of solidarity in a strategy
with three steps, namely, retaining, storing and draining water. A proper land
use and water management system may reduce floods in large rivers and especially
in smaller rivers. An example of this is to use the water storage capacity of
the soil, small water systems and small basins as the storage of rain in these
elements may reduce peak discharges in the rivers;
2.7
advises the
Commission to lay down the activities required to reduce the impact or
likelihood of floods in an action programme involving cooperation at all
administrative levels concerned. The development of flood risk management plans
should not be hindered by a noncommittal attitude of any Member State;
2.8
suggests that
when devising and fine tuning the measures for flood protection, the working
methods and the principles of the Water Framework Directive should be used,
without striving to amend the Directive;
2.9
believes that
in the long-term the action programme on flood protection should be attuned to
all measures that are the result of the Water Framework Directive;
2.10
takes a positive
view of an action programme on flood protection with short-term and
long-term objectives. In the short term it is absolutely imperative that
existing initiatives, especially those aimed at the implementation of structural
measures, will be continued. Regional and local authorities need to make every
effort to realise concrete actions in the range of flood prevention in
anticipation of the action programme;
2.11
takes the view
that the success of the action programme on flood protection is closely
linked to satisfactory financing. This view is reflected in the proposed
Financial Perspectives for the period 2007-2013 and in the proposals for
Regional Development Fund, the EU Social Fund, and the EU Cohesion Fund;
2.12
strongly supports the Commission's proposed method for pinpointing,
disseminating and promoting best practice. To this end, regional and local
authorities and any stakeholders in the various regions who could make a useful
contribution should be involved, alongside the Member States.
The President of
the Committee of the
Regions
|
The
Secretary-General of the Committee of the
Regions
|
Peter Straub |
Gerhard
Stahl |
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