THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, ALGERIA, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, CYPRUS, DENMARK, EGYPT, SPAIN, FINLAND, FRANCE, GREECE, IRELAND, ISRAEL, ITALY, JORDAN, LEBANON, LUXEMBOURG, MALTA, MOROCCO, THE NETHERLANDS, PORTUGAL, THE UNITED KINGDOM, SWEDEN, SYRIA, TUNISIA, TURKEY AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY,

participants in the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on the Environment in Helsinki, 28 November 1997,

Reaffirming

the principles set out in the Barcelona Declaration on the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and reiterating their full commitment to its Work Programme, which were both adopted in Barcelona on November 28, 1995 and confirmed in the Malta Conference in April 15-16, 1997, and further committing themselves to ensure their implementation and follow-up;

Recalling

the Barcelona Declaration targets to establish a common area of just and comprehensive peace, security and stability, to accelerate the pace of sustainable socio-economic development and to set up a Euro-Mediterranean free-trade area by 2010, and stressing the necessity to fulfil the environmental commitments established both in national legislation and in international agreements, such as the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification;

Considering

that a high quality environment is a prerequisite for both healthy living conditions and economic development, and consequently underlining their awareness of the individual and collective responsibility of the partners and especially of the most economically developed, with respect to preserving, protecting and rehabilitating the environment;

Considering

that action for the protection and rational management of the Mediterranean environment contributes and should contribute even further to maintaining and developing employment opportunities in the region;

Wishing

to promote synergy among relevant national, regional and international programmes and activities carried out or scheduled in the Mediterranean region, in particular plans and measures under the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea and its related Protocols, the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development (MCSD) and the Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Programme (METAP) as well as other international agreements of importance, which have the aim of achieving sustainable development in the Mediterranean Region;

Respecting and supporting

the Programme for the further implementation of Agenda 21 as adopted by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) in June 1997, including its provisions on financial assistance and transfer of environmentally sound technology, as well as confirming the Rio Declaration and the Forest Principles;

Taking into account

that the European Union has decided to allocate financial resources to implement the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership for the period 1995-1999, and also taking account of the priority recognised to the environment in the Regulation on Financial and Technical Measures to Accompany the Reform of Economic and Social Structures in the Framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (MEDA) and in the Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements; convinced that optimal use should be made of available funds and advanced technologies and techniques, based on the approach of cost-effectiveness and highlighting the need to attract additional resources, including from the private sector;

Recalling

that the Barcelona Declaration provides for the establishment of a Short and Medium-Term Priority Action Programme (SMAP) as a framework for the development of a regional dialogue and as a practical expression of the commitments undertaken through launching of programmes and projects to protect the environment in the Mediterranean, including measures to combat desertification and related appropriate technical and financial support; recalling also that the European Commission was entrusted with a coordination role for the preparation of this Programme;

Recognising

that, within such a Short and Medium-Term Programme, all important environmental issues cannot be dealt with at the same time and to the same extent given the limited resources and, therefore recognising the urgency to set priorities for the organisation of initiatives and actions within a defined period of time;

Recalling

the importance of biodiversity for the Mediterranean region and acknowledging that the issue is inter-related to all priority fields of action of the SMAP;

Recalling

the first Conference of the Contracting Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, held in Rome from 29 September to 10 October 1997, and the first Forum of Water held in Marrakesh in March 20-25, 1997.

Recalling

the results of the Marseilles Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Local Water Management;

Reaffirming

the necessity for further integration of environmental concerns in all other policies;

Recognising

the important role that civil society including non-governmental organisations, through their representatives, and participatory procedures can play to achieve the objectives of sustainable development and protection of the environment in the Mediterranean region;

Finally, recognising

the importance of public awareness, as well as the need for basic and advanced environmental education and training, including increasing understanding of relations between sectors and their interdepence.

 HAVE ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING:

1. Short and Medium-Term Priority Environmental Action Programme (SMAP)

1.1 The Ministers adopt the Short and Medium-Term Priority Action Programme (SMAP) in Annex I, which constitutes an integral part of this Declaration, and commit themselves to its implementation, without prejudice to the sovereignty of states through, inter alia, appropriate programmes and projects, in cooperation with representatives of civil society, including non-governmental organisations, the private sector, and donors who may express interest in being involved in the realisation of the objectives of this framework Programme.

1.2 They undertake to focus their efforts on the following SMAP priority fields of action: integrated water management, waste management, hot spots, integrated coastal zones management and combating desertification.

1.3 They commit themselves to ensure that their actions favour the appropriate investments.

1.4 They undertake to promote the measures foreseen in SMAP in support of the priority initiatives and actions and to ensure a link with the longer term objectives. They welcome the three Commission initiatives announced to this end, regarding dissemination of information on the SMAP convening of Euro-Mediterranean workshops for project managers and convening of Euro-Mediterranean workshops on the use of Environmental Impact Assessment.

1.5 They also agree to establish a network of SMAP Correspondents, to be coordinated by the European Commission. They undertake to ensure the follow-up and the implementation of the SMAP and to provide for its review by the SMAP Correspondents at appropriate times.

2. Specific Activities

The Ministers stress that all five priority fields identified in the SMAP are of equal importance in the short and medium term to the Mediterranean area. However, they feel the need to discuss in more detail desertification, integrated coastal zone management and hot spots, in order to encourage the preparation and launching of concrete programmes and projects in those areas.

As regards integrated water management, the Ministers recall the conclusions of the Marseilles Euro-Mediterranean Conference on local water management. They note with satisfaction the establishment of an information system on know-how in this field (SEMIDE), whose structure and operational modalities, as well as its relation to existing structures are to be submitted to the Partners for approval at the next Conference to be held in Naples, December 9 and 10, 1997.

As regards integrated waste management, the Ministers emphasize preventive action in the form of minimizing the volume of waste and seeking substitutes of substances hazardous to the environment, through acting at the source by using cleaner technology, thereby paving the way for increased recycling and sound treatment of waste.

As regards the other three priority fields which were discussed in more detail, the Ministers agree on the activities described below, which, as with the other two priority fields, will be largely underpinned by technical assistance, training assistance, transfer of environmentally sound technology and financial support as foreseen in SMAP, in which the role of MEDA will be particularly important, both as a financial instrument and as a catalyst in contributing towards attracting other resources, inter alia from the private sector.

2.1 Measures to Combat Desertification

2.1.1 The Ministers welcome the Keynote Paper in Annex A on Desertification, presented during the Conference, as a good basis for the development of future work.

2.1.2 The Ministers agree to promote actions and programs, coordinated, as appropriate, at local, regional, national and international levels, to combat desertification and to reduce its negative effects, in such a way as to mitigate environmental, social and economic damage and to contribute to meeting of the basic needs of the population. It is also important to maintain a sustained investment policy.

2.1.3 They also agree to promote actions contributing to the improvement of knowledge on desertification and to the collection of necessary information and data.

2.1.4 They agree to set up a Euro-Mediterranean information network on desertification, taking account of the existing structures, aiming at exchange of knowledge and experiences in order to facilitate the identification of the different aspects of the problem and the implementation of measures and actions to combat it.

2.1.5 They also agree to take joint action to promote and develop desertification research projects, demonstration activities or pilot projects as well as implementation projects in the Mediterranean region; this will require technical, training and financial support within existing instruments.

2.2 Integrated Coastal Zone Management

2.2.1 The Ministers welcome the Keynote Paper in Annex B on Integrated Coastal Zone Management, presented during the Conference, as a good basis for the development of future work.

2.2.2 They agree to promote concerted action across all sectors and at all decision-making levels, in an integrated way to address coastal problems.

2.2.3 They agree to take joint action to promote integrated coastal zone management and develop a comprehensive strategy in the region in conformity with the relevant commonly agreed international agreements, for instance by way of pilot projects and institutional capacity building through technical assistance and training.

2.2.4 They agree to set up a Euro-Mediterranean information network on the state and changes of coastal areas in order to support, with reliable data, the decision-making process for integrated and sustainable coastal zone management; and to support interregional cooperation on information dissemination, training and research.

2.2.5 They also agree to take joint action and support to develop scientific research and training in integrated coastal zone management.

2.2.6 They agree to develop and support concerted action, in particular through mobilizing local resources, in implementing land use policies for coastal zones and the establishment of protected areas in coastal zones (lagoons, sand dunes, estuaries, wetlands, etc.), bearing in mind their position in global ecological networks, as well as the relevant commonly agreed international agreements.

2.2.7 They also agree to support the development of technical infrastructure including monitoring system, preventive measures and combatting pollution to address marine pollution and related risks.

2.3 Experiences on Regional Environmental Cooperation – Hot Spots

2.3.1 The Ministers take note with satisfaction of the presentations made during the Conference on relevant experience in the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

2.3.2 They agree that the exchange of experiences on the regional environmental co-operation on all five priority fields identified in the SMAP between the different geographic regions mentioned above is very useful and they undertake to continue dissemination of know-how and expertise, with the aim of deepening and expanding mutual understanding, as well as of coping better with problems of a similar nature.

2.3.3 They recognise the importance of giving effect to the Strategic Action Programme to Address Pollution from Land-Based Activities formulated as part of the implementation of the Land-Based Sources Protocol to the Barcelona Convention.

2.3.4 They agree that further action to implement this Ministerial Declaration and the SMAP must be pursued by making active use of relevant exchange of experiences in particular in the field of identification, selection, management and financing of programmes and projects related to environmental hot spots needing urgent action.

 LIST OF HEADS OF DELEGATIONS

• Algeria
  Mr. BachirAmrat
  Secretary of State for the Environment

• Germany
  Mr. Manfred Plaetrich
  Director General

• The Palestinian Authority
  Mr. Sufian Sultan
  President of the Palestinian Environmental Authority

• Austria
  Mr. Heinz Schreiber
  Director General

• Belgium
  Mr C. Vanden Bilcke
  Head Environment Unit,
  Ministry for Foreign Affairs

• Cyprus
  Mr. Andreas Mantovanis
  Minister of Agriculture,
  Natural Resources and Environment

• Denmark
  Mr. Erik Lindegaard
  Director General

• Egypt
  Mrs. Nadia Ebeid
  Minister of State for Environmental Affairs

• Spain
  Mr. Juan Luis Muriel Gomez
  Secretary General for the Environment

• Finland
  Mr. Pekka Haavisto
  Minister of the Environment

• France
  Mrs. Dominique Voynet
  Minister of Spatial Planning and of the Environment

• Greece
  Mr. Theodoros Koliopanos
  Deputy Minister of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works

• Ireland
  Mr. Daithi O'Ceallaigh
  Ambassador, Embassy of Ireland, Helsinki

• Israel
  Mr. Ali Yahya
  Ambassador, Embassy of Israel, Helsinki

• Italy
  Mr Edo Ronchi
  Minister of the Environment

• Jordan
  Mr. Khaldun Al-Daher
  Ambassador, Embassy of Jordan, Moscow

• Lebanon
  Mr. Mounir Bu Ghanem
  Advisor to the Minister of the Environment

• Luxembourg
  Mr. Johny Lahure
  Minister of the Environment

• Malta
  Mr. Victor Camilleri
  Ambassador, Malta Embassy and Mission to the EU in Brussels

• Morocco
  Mr. Lahoucine Tijani
  Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment

• The Netherlands
  Mr. Jacobus van der Velden
  Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Helsinki

• Portugal
  Mr. Antonio Gonsalves Henniques
  Vice President Water Institute, Ministry of the Environment

• The United Kingdom
  Mr. A.J. Simcock
  Head of Marine, Land and Liability Division, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

• Sweden
  Mr. Svante Bodin, Director, Ministry of the Environment

• Syrian Arab Republic
  Mr. Hani Habeb
  Ambassador, Charge d'Affairs, Embassy of Syrian Arab Republic, Brussels

• Tunisia
  Mr. Mohamed Mehdi Mlika
  Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning

• Turkey
  Dr. Imren Aykut
  Minister of the Environment

ANNEX 1

EURO-MEDITERRANEAN PARTNERSHIP

SHORT AND MEDIUM-TERM PRIORITY ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PROGRAMME (SMAP)

INTRODUCTION

1. The Euro-Mediterranean Conference which was held in Barcelona in November 1995 adopted a Declaration establishing a new Partnership between the European Union and 12 Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Partners. Its overall objective is to contribute through enhanced and regular dialogue, free trade and cooperation, to guarantee peace, stability and prosperity in the region. Accordingly, the Euro-Med encompasses three different aspects: i) a strengthened political dialogue; ii) the development of economic and financial cooperation; iii) greater emphasis on the social, cultural and human dimension.

2. The sustainable development objective and its environmental dimension have been fully integrated in the new Euro-Mediterranean Partnership texts. Participants at the Conference emphasized their interdependence with regard to environment, the need for a regional approach, increased cooperation, better coordination of existing multilateral programmes. They recognised the importance of reconciling economic development with environmental protection, of integrating environmental concerns into the relevant aspects of economic policy and of mitigating the negative environmental consequences which might result. They confirmed their attachment to the Barcelona Convention and the Mediterranean Action Plan.

3. The Commission was entrusted in the Barcelona Declaration with the coordination of the preparation of a Short and Medium-term Priority Environmental Action Programme (SMAP). A participatory approach was foreseen with the involvement of all Partners in this preparation from the start, through meetings of Euro-Med environmental Correspondents, designated for this purpose within the relevant Environment Ministries. Consultations have also taken place, with the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) Co-ordination Unit, with METAP, major NGOs with activity in the region, and other relevant civil society organisations.

GUIDANCE FOR THE SMAP

1. As foreseen by the Barcelona Declaration, the Euro-Mediterranean Partners undertake to establish a short and medium-term priority action programme, including in connection with combatting desertification, and to concentrate appropriate technical and financial support on those actions. According to the Barcelona Work Programme, the main areas for action should include integrated management of water, soil and coastal areas, management of waste, prevention and combatting of air pollution and pollution of the sea, natural heritage, landscape and site conservation and management; Mediterranean forest protection, in particular through the prevention and control of erosion, soil degradation, forest fires and combatting desertification; the SMAP should also promote the transfer of Community experience in the field of financing techniques, legislation and environmental monitoring and integration of environmental concerns in all policies.

2. All interested Parties involved in the procedure, accepted unanimously the concept of a prioritisation approach for the Short and Medium-term Action Programme. The SMAP will:

• focus on a limited number of significant priority issues on which major efforts should be concentrated during the coming years;

• create political incentives for all Mediterranean Partners and ensure that these issues are taken into account in the national programmes for MEDA funding or in other financial instruments existing within the Euro-Mediterranean framework;

• promote cross-sectoral support actions, including integration of environmental considerations into other policy areas.

3. Given the fact that all the issues mentioned in the Barcelona Work Programme are very important, it is understood that:

• prioritisation should not be interpreted as a judgement on the value of the different areas but as organisation of initiatives and actions over the time (since everything cannot be done at the same time and with the same concentration of efforts);

• possibilities of submitting projects on issues in addition to those included in the SMAP (priorities and supportive measures) exist if these projects are well prepared and they are aiming to cope with needs of particular importance for a certain Partner or region, always within the objectives set up by the Barcelona Declaration;

• a link with the longer term is firmly established from the outset (e.g. enhancing awareness, capacity building transfer of appropriate technologies, training and education, approximation of legislation in a number of areas etc.);

• a review mechanism is foreseen as a part of the SMAP.  

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

1. The Environment Programme within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership is intended:

• to help to change the current trend of environmental degradation in the region, which continues despite major efforts by all Partners at national and regional levels;

• to contribute to the sustainable development of the region, to the protection of Mediterranean environment and to the improvement of the health and the living conditions of the population;

• to contribute to the further integration of environmental concerns in all other policies;

• to strengthen the coherence and secure synergies with existing multilateral programmes and legal instruments, in particular with the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), the Barcelona Convention and its related Protocols and with METAP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) while respecting the specificity of each forum;

• to encourage North / South, South / South and North / South / South cooperation;

• to contribute to creating new employment opportunities;

• to ensure that, with the building-up of a Free Trade area, steps are taken from the start to highlight trade and environment issues, and that the respective policies are mutually supportive, paying due respect to the environmental commitments.

2. In this context, the SMAP has as particular objectives:

• to become the common basis for environmental purposes (policy orientation and funding) in the Mediterranean region, responding to national / regional needs and ensuring public support through wider consultation processes including civil society; at the same time, to appear attractive to other donors, investors and international financial institutions;

• to ensure a greater visibility of activities as well as transparency within this framework;

• to ensure a real positive impact, at least in some areas, mainly through prevention policies but also through remedial and rehabilitation programmes as necessary;

• to offer a better chance of financing programmes as well as individual projects;

• to give an additional support to the concerns of Environment Ministries or other competent authorities of the region in the context of national programming for MEDA;

• to increase the chances of getting more credits for the environment in the region than is currently the case, including from International Financial Institutions.

CRITERIA AND REQUIREMENTS

1. The selection of the priority fields of action for the SMAP are based on the following criteria:

• issues having a regional or transboundary dimension;

• issues responding to national needs for the protection and rational/sustainable management of the environment in the region;

• issues having an impact on human health and quality of life;

• issues linked to serious deterioration of natural resources, in particular damage to eco-systems, soil, water and forests, as well as to the impact of oil spills on the marine and coastal environment;

• issues with tangible contribution to the achievement of sustainable development in the region.

2. The SMAP, being a framework Programme, does not include specific criteria for individual programmes and projects. The latter should, however, in a general way, when related to priority issues, meet the following supplementary requirements as appropriate:

• be designed to give visible results within relative short time periods, thus contributing to the credibility of the overall exercise and encouraging Ministers/governments to commit themselves further;

• be established on the basis of an integrated planning and management approach;

• give due account to the results of Environmental Impact Assessment, which should be used wherever appropriate;

• be based on environmentally sound techniques and practices appropriate for the region;

• present a positive cost-effectiveness ratio;

• provide as much leverage as possible to attract supplementary funding by additional donors/investors.

3. To ensure its satisfactory implementation, the SMAP needs to be based on transparent procedures and to provide for close co-operation at all stages of all interested partners, especially local communities acting through their local authorities and representative organisations of civil society.

PRIORITY FIELDS OF ACTION

On the basis of the above indications and also taking into account the existing data and knowledge of the problems and work in other fora (notably in the context of MAP and MCSD), the following five fields of action are suggested, with the understanding that duplication with other relevant international instruments should be avoided and that coherence should always be sought. Two of these fields cover major sectoral issues (water, wastes), one covers specific issues of an urgent nature (hot spots) while the fourth and fifth ones offer the opportunity of addressing intersectoral problems in an integrated way in specific - often sensitive or even vulnerable - geographical areas (coastal management, desertification). The important objective of protecting the biodiversity, having an intersectoral character, is dealt with under at least three of the selected fields of action.

1. Integrated water management

The water sector is a key area for the protection of the environment and sustainable development in the Mediterranean. Water is a scarce and fragile resource, widely exploited and unequally distributed throughout the region. Therefore, supply aspects need to be taken seriously. Shortage, salinisation and overexploitation (often for irrigation reasons) leading to considerable losses, are different facets of an irrational use and management of this precious natural resource. Pollution and mismanagement of water can have negative effects on health, on economic development and on the overall protection of the environment in the region. It can lead to soil degradation, as well as to loss of precious wetlands and biodiversity.

In line with the approach established by the Marseilles Euro-Mediterranean Water Conference, action to promote sustainable water management must be based on a global and integrated approach capable of anticipating future problems and aiming at the increase and diversification of supply and the sustainable management of water demand. The Euro-Mediterranean information system on know-how in the water management sector, the establishment of which was decided by the Marseilles Water Conference, could be used to spread information on available water management techniques and new technologies.

The most urgent actions to be undertaken in this sector are:

• Evaluation and monitonng of water quality and quantity; assessment of potential (available and new) resources especially in critical areas (ie, highly populated or with big seasonal increases of population, often due to tounsm).

• Establishment and implementation of programmes for the provision of safe drinking water, including the assessment of the micro-biological quality of drinking water supplies, and for waste water treatment systems in the Mediterranean, encouraging transfer of appropriate technology and know-how to this regard.

• Establishment and implementation of water conservation plans, including - as mentioned in the Marseilles Water Conference - water sluicing techniques, 'upstream' soil saving and silt dredging. Protection of water reservoirs and wetlands and - where appropriate - establishment of river basin and catchment area management plans.

• Identification and use of measures and techniques for: (1) improved collection, treatment disposal and re-use of municipal and industrial waste water, sludge and stormwater run-off, including the setting up of infrastructures for the treatment of urban sewage; (2) prevention of salinisation and treatment of brackish water.

• Establishment and implementation of programmes to tackle water losses - including rehabilitation of existing networks, leak detection, preventive maintenance, mapping and training - and development of techniques to reduce irrigation inputs.

• Encouragement of decentralised authorities (e.g river basin committees as appropriate, local bodies for water management, etc.), bringing together users and local communities on the basis of shared responsibilities, using appropriate measures to alter unsustainable water production and use patterns, with the aim of promoting the integrated local management of water.

• Reorganisation of the management of water resources leading, where appropriate, to the establishment of financially autonomous enterprises and other similar bodies with fully transparent management and cost-recovery mechanisms. 

2. Waste management

Due to the combined pressure of industrial, touristic and demographic developments, and the concentration of populations and economic activities in urban and coastal areas, the waste problem is becoming a major concern. Regardless its nature (domestic, industrial, hazardous etc, liquid or solid), it is generating health problems and unpleasant living conditions and is hampering sustainable development. Actions - often of a preventive character - with tangible results could be completed within reasonable timespans, with the aim of contributing efficiently to a sustainable management of wastes, including reduction of their volume, recycling or reuse, safe transfer and appropriate treatment. The most urgent actions to be undertaken in this sector are:

• Preparation and implementation of national plans, data bases and pilot projects for the integrated management (including collection systems, treatment plants and safe disposal) of (a) municipal waste, (b) industrial waste, and (c) hazardous waste.
  

• Preparation of guidelines for more effective waste management, including authorisation procedures;
  

• Establishment of comparable statistical methodologies and national waste inventories in order to make qualitative and quantitative estimates of existing waste production in the Mediterranean region and ensure better collection and waste processing activities.
  

• Identification of waste disposal methods and sites presenting a risk for the environment (such as unauthorised landfills, open-air burning, uncontrolled dumping into water etc) and setting up infrastructures and taking measures to tackle these problems.
  

• Launching of initiatives to promote waste reduction, re-use and recycling, including the promotion of production techniques covering the entire life-cycle of the product as well as the identification and implementation of appropriate market mechanisms (incentives, etc.) for recovered products.
  

• Reinforcement of local management capacity and promotion of pilot initiatives to tackle systematically waste from tourism-related activities.
  

• Preparation of national guidelines for the disposal of dredging spoils and used oils.

3. Hot Spots

In many areas, pollution and environmental degradation is such that immediate action should be undertaken. Each Partner will be free, within a broad understanding of the concept, to designate one or several priority Hot Spots (urgent problems in urban areas, industrial sites, or sensitive natural areas...).

Programmes and projects should reflect an integrated approach for remediation of the situation. To this end, the appropriate use of all relevant material and guidance stemming from work carried out within the MAP, the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development (MCSD) and other international fora is encouraged.

The most urgent actions to be undertaken in this sector could be:

• Establishment of emergency environmental plans for the integrated management of highly polluted Mediterranean urban areas, including the management of energy and transport systems, development and implementation of specific programmes to reduce air pollution, protection of green areas.

• Development and implementation of specific emergency programmes to reduce highly polluting emissions in industrial areas, using an integrated approach and aiming to avoid cross-media pollution to the greatest possible extent. Where appropriate, Best Available Techniques (BAT) might be used.

• Setting up and implementation of management plans, pilot projects and demonstration actions, including appropriate institutional and organisational arrangements, to secure the future of the most valuable and threatened natural resources; priority will be given to ecosystems and notably wetlands of mediterranean or even international importance, to areas designated within international agreements for the protection of species in the Mediterranean region and to the protection of vulnerable biodiversity elements.

• Development and implementation of pilot projects and demonstration actions for the sustainable use and management of biodiversity and of natural resources.

4. Integrated coastal zone management

More than 50% of the Mediterranean countries' population is concentrated on the coastline. More than 30% of the world tourism is attracted in the Mediterranean region, while there are strong trends of further increase for the next years. Existing pressures due to human activities cause enormous damage to coastal eco-systems and landscapes. Irrational practices also cause pollution problems in marine waters.

Much knowledge has been acquired in the Mediterranean region about this type of situation and there is growing awareness of the need to tackle it before it is too late. Yet, inter-institutional problems still hamper the sound and efficient management of the coastal environment.

The most urgent actions to be undertaken in this sector are:

• Development and implementation of appropriate national or demonstration plans, data bases and legislative and technical measures to promote the integrated management of coastal zones, including their sustainable urban and industrial development based on a sustainable, multidisciplinary and preventive approach. Where appropriate, use of techniques such as remote sensing and the Geographical Information System (GIS) for more complete mapping of the situation. Promotion of interactions and coordination among different policies and actors involved, including users, through relevant information networks where appropriate.

• Preparation of studies on carrying capacity for the major development projects.

• Support for the sustainable development of tourism areas, as well as for the rehabilitation of other environmentally sensitive areas where tourism has already developed.

• Development and implementation of plans for the conservation and management of Mediterranean biodiversity with special emphasis on coastal ecosystems including where appropriate, the protection of threatened marine species, as well as support to environmentally sound initiatives of Fisheries Ministers.

• Setting up of Port Reception Facilities for treatment of liquid and solid waste, generated by ships.

• Development and implementation of national and sub-regional plans to combat accidental oil spills prom ships, including the establishment of oil spills response centres, given the serious impact of the problem on the coastal zones and the marine environment.

• Identification of appropriate methodologies, promotion of national and local initiatives and development of integrated pilot projects to protect coastal zones from erosion and degradation. To the same end, development of pilot projects and demonstration actions at local level for the promotion of sustainable agricultural and silvicultural practices. Development of pilot projects for the restoration of damaged soils and plant cover.

• Development and implementation of national and sub-regional emergency plans to prevent and combat forest fires, using early detection systems, identifying user needs and promoting further development of the existing know-how and techniques. Where appropriate, satellite monitoring of forest fires might be used, on a broader scale.

• Development and implementation of integrated environmental management plans and sustainable development programmes for Mediterranean islands.

• Elaboration of Good Practice Guidelines for Integrated Coastal Zones Management taking due account of the already existing relevant work carried out within different international fora.

• Support for national and local authorities for the implementation of strategies for action to prevent and combat pollution from marine and land-based sources and activities. Where appropriate, satellite monitoring of marine and coastal pollution might be used.

• Support for national and local authorities for the implementation of actions and pilot projects for the prevention, reduction and control of marine and coastal litter, in particular of persistent synthetic materials. 

5. Combatting Desertification

It is widely recognized nowadays that combatting desertification is urgent. This problem is very closely linked to integrated soil, plant cover and water management, and its expansion is threatening not only the biodiversity, including natural habitats, but also the sustainability of the production of basic goods for human life. Desertification aspects related to climate changes should be dealt with within long-term perspective frameworks.

The complexity of the issue implies appropriate planning, concrete actions and an integrated management approach. Combatting desertification will be a long-term process, but there is need for urgent action. The present SMAP will contribute to this end through pilot projects and demonstration actions, through the development and implementation of appropriate local, regional and national action plans, as well as through actions under the other selected priority areas.

Such actions and projects should aim at:

• maintaining or promoting sustainable agriculture practices (i.e., correct ways of ploughing and irrigating, avoiding misuse of fertilisers and pesticides, etc);

• mitigating drought effects, increasing water availability where possible by using appropriate harvesting techniques and preventing salinisation of soils;

• preventing as much as possible and combatting the forest fires, while at the same time protecting the existing forest ecosystems and encouraging appropriate reforestation;

• combatting erosion and sand dunes deposit,

• offering incentives to local population concerned to avoid abandoning of the agricultural land;

• promoting changes of attitude and participatory processes, in particular of farmers, stock-breeders and other interested social groups;

• ensuring appropriate data collection and analysis, vulnerable areas or important parameters monitoring and exchange of relevant information and experience;

• encouraging appropriate adaptation of institutional and legislative provisions.

SUPPORTIVE MEASURES AND LINK WITH THE LONG TERM

SMAP should develop a new dynamic by giving a major impulse at the national level to initiatives in the priority areas. Obviously, some activities will have to be pursued beyond the short and medium-term frame, while others scheduled for the long term would need appropriate preparation in advance. Thus, a clear link with the longer-term should be part of the SMAP from the outset, in order to ensure continuation of efforts, to avoid counterproductive developments in related sectors and to ensure that longer-term objectives can be met. Actions necessary to bring about this link in the long-term should be considered within this Programme from the start and be developed in particular in the following areas:

• promotion of the use of Environmental Impact Assessment as an instrument of preventive policy for projects, programmes and plans to be carried out within the different development sectors, including in cases of transboundary projects;

• awareness enhancement (campaigns, information activities, documentation centres);

• capacity building, including consolidation of the environmental agencies in the mediterranean countries;

• partnership building including civil society involvement and public / private cooperation;

• education and training (special programmes should be developed at regional and national level for training project managers and training in financing techniques);

• transfer of appropriate and environmentally sound technologies and know-how including maintainance, where necessary, contributing inter alia to a sustainable industrial conversion; encouragement of local / regional initiatives to develop appropriate techniques;

• networking: promotion of North/South, South/South and North/South/South cooperation, developing relations and exchanges among governments, local authorities and civil society organisations, such as NGOs, universities, industrial organisations, etc.;

• promotion of the use of Internet to facilitate communications and to make the environmental information easily accessible to the public

• establishment of sustainable development indicators, evaluation/performance indicators and environmental monitoring;

• support for the implementation of obligations resulting from relevant international instruments;

• promotion of adoption and implementation of legislation and regulatory measures when required, in particular of preventive measures and of appropriate environmental standards, in order to up-grade the environment in the region and to contribute to the economic development and to the establishment of an environmentally sustainable Free Trade area;

• collection and distribution of information and exchange of experiences, as well as development of guidelines for planning, especially as regards major issues such as the protection of biodiversity, combating desertification and integrated management of coastal zones, with the aim of facilitating appropriate concrete demonstration projects to deal with problems in specific areas.

FUNDING OF ACTIONS

As stated in the Barcelona Declaration, the Partners will undertake to concentrate appropriate technical and financial support on these actions. The first responsibility for the practical implementation in this context lies with the Mediterranean Partners themselves.

In view of the seriousness of the environmental problems faced by the region, the partners will give greater priority to environmental actions within the Euro-Mediterranean.

Partnership and undertake to mobilise increased resources to this end. The MEDA instrument will be an important catalyst for mobilising these resources. Furthermore, particular attention will be given to the development of horizontal supportive activities, such as training and capacity building.

For its part, the European Union is fully prepared to give support to the Programme, according to the rules of existing financial sources, in particular the MEDA instrument.

Furthermore, with the aim of supporting the Union's cooperation policies in non-Member countries, the EIB intends to continue expanding its contribution to initiatives in the Mediterranean and assisting projects with a high environmental input. The Bank is prepared to help putting together financial packages comprising loans to assist environmental actions at local and regional scale. An important contribution can be also made through interest rate subsidies on EIB loans for environmental projects.

Partners also express their interest in getting other donors and investors, at bilateral and multilateral levels, to contribute to the same objectives and related actions.

FOLLOW-UP MECHANISM

1) Creation of a Network of SMAP Correspondents, designated by competent Ministers of participating countries. Coordination will be ensured by the European Commission. Meetings will take place once a year (possibility of organising supplementary meetings when necessary).

2) Establishment of a regular reporting system: a yearly Report on Implementation by each Partner. These Reports should be the basis for discussion at the annual Correspondents' meeting.

3) Provision for a review mechanism, after two years, in order to check that the Programme is on the right track and to make the necessary adjustments. The review should be made by the SMAP Correspondents and coordinated by the European Commission. Any necessary adjustments to the Programme would be submitted for adoption at ministerial level.

4) In consultation with the Mediterranean Partners and on the basis of experience gained from environmental activities and projects/programmes in the region, the European Commission will prepare an interim report and a more detailed programme of regional activities. These documents will contribute to the preparation of the review of the SMAP and its further implementation.

5) Provision for consultation practices, allowing also civil society organisations (including NGOs) to contribute to the implementation of SMAP, the assessment of results and any necessary modifications before decisions are made.

6) Discussion on implementation of SMAP by the Partners whenever they meet at ministerial level.

ANNEX A - KEY NOTE PAPER   ON COMBATTING DESERTIFICATION

 INTRODUCTION

The problems of desertification have a lot to do with the geographical area of the Mediterranean basin since it includes countries that are seriously affected by climatic aridity and the growth in the impact of human activities in physical and biological environments that began over 4,000 years ago.

At present, desertification is one of the world's biggest ecological and socio-economic problems. Desertification is a phenomenon which:

• directly affects, in a considerable proportion, numerous countries of the Mediterranean basin, and

• seriously threatens comprehensive integrated, sustainable development in the Mediterranean basin as a whole, where over 550 million hectares are already endangered.

Apart from the impact that endangers ecological balance, desertification generates negative effects in social, economic and political fields that have direct repercussions:

• destabilizing the economic social, health, cultural situation,

• increasing proportions of population in poverty and without resources, according to accepted poverty thresholds, and

• developing risks and dependent situations, even food shortages in various countries and regions.

This problem, and the clear need to address it, is arousing more and more interest from the international community with a view to reducing its effects, as is demonstrated by the approval, in 1994, of the United Nations Convention to combat desertification, especially in Africa.

On a Euro-Mediterranean scale, the Barcelona Conference in November, 1995, pertinently emphasized the link between environment protection and sustainable development, and the need for a regional vision and to increase cooperation and partnership.

The Euro-Mediterranean countries therefore took the decision to undertake a priority action programme in the short and medium term to give the fight against desertification a place of importance in accordance with the common challenge that must be faced.

This document is complementary to the SMAP and extends its thinking, proposing concrete lines of action to combat desertification within the Euromed framework as considered by the SMAP.

PARTICULAR CONSIDERATIONS OF EACH REGION

Desertification finds ideal conditions in the Mediterranean basin for spreading, due mainly to climate, vulnerability of natural resources, demographic pressures and economic processes.

It is true that in recent years efforts have been made, both nationally and internationally. However, significant weaknesses persist:

• lack of coordination in datacollection, supervision and control, and lack of practical methods and models for assessing economic and social effects,

• lack of knowledge on the social, economic and environmental dimensions of desertification,

• insufficient integration of development objectives and priorities for protecting against and combating desertification

• low synergy between actions to combat desertification and those related to exploitation of natural resources,

• insufficient involvement of actors, particularly users of natural resources, in the design of actions to combat desertification,

• preponderance of policies and programmes favouring a corrective approach to the detriment of a preventive one,

• coordination and concentration between different actions and carrying them out, should be more dynamic, pragmatic and less bureaucratic,

• absence of national, regional or sub-regional strategic frameworks, and

• no continuity in the implementation of actions due to the lack of a sustained policy of coordination and technical and financial backing.

NEED AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTION

National and international awareness of the economic, ecological and social extent of the problem of desertification, in addition to the commitments accepted as necessary on all levels to join forces to combat the phenomenon, have never been greater than now. This is the right moment to decide on actions which are considered to be necessary. So as to ensure that actions are effective and appropriate, it is necessary to coordinate and combine efforts in accordance with the principles and initiatives undertaken in different international arenas.

Desertification should no longer be perceived as an exclusively natural problem, and limited to national or regional frontiers or spaces. Those countries that are not already experiencing the problem should in no circumstances feel themselves protected and/or unconcerned since the consequences of the migratory movement of a rural exodus and/or immigration (whether controlled or clandestine) are neither predictable nor easily borne by other, richer regions and economies. In this sense, the negative ecological effects of desertification will be felt in countries, including those that do not suffer directly from the problem, through the loss of habitants and migratory species.

The same is true of the inevitable reduction of significant markets in commercial and economic sectors. 

POLICIES AND STRATEGIES

Efficient policies to combat desertification should take into account all the efforts and initiatives in order to avoid the duplication of work, make the best use of available resources and generate appropriate synergy. In this respect, work carried out in different international arenas will be taken into account, and especially within the scope of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

The main actions which it is believed can help in the efforts carried out in the Mediterranean against this process and make them more effective, are institutional, scientific, political, social and physical, that is:

• On a conceptual level, development strategies must emphasize the new way the human population perceives the fight against desertification taking into account its concerns as user of the resources.

• On an institutional level, it would be necessary to lay down measures to help set up projects for combating desertification.

• On a technical level and in terms of knowledge, on the one hand it is necessary to take advantage of the local know-how in the rural communities in the Mediterranean basin, and on the other hand, it is necessary to transmit all the information, research, technology, etc. through a specially created network to enable any problem related to desertification to be solved.

• In terms of the development of alternative resources for life and subsistence in rural environments, there should be a movement to encourage not only non-agricultural activities, but also search for other alternative activities in affected regions, thus reducing considerably the pressure on natural resources.

• Meeting the basic needs of the population in terms of water, health, housing, infrastructure, and food supply. 

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ACTIONS TO CARRY OUT

• Respect social, economic, administrative, legal, institutional and environmental diversity in areas affected or likely to be affected by desertification.

• Programme and achieve lasting results in the short, medium and long term specifying sustainability factors to be developed when designing action programmes.

• Stimulate integrated management and coordination with other policies and sectors at local, regional, national and international levels.

• Suggest priorities for action according to factors such as, for example, poverty, gaps in development at national and regional levels, the greatest danger of degradation, the greatest threat to environmental resources, etc.

• Implementation should, in addition, be pro-active, progressive, evolutive, planned and participative.

• Give priorities as appropriate to actions at the local level.

• Actions and efforts against desertification should not only be focused on coastal areas but also extended to the interior of the affected countries. 

ACTIONS TO CARRY OUT

As a practical expression of the decision to act with effectiveness and coordination against desertification, and as regards integrated management of land, actions will be carried out at all the relevant levels with the participation of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, i.a. through the SMAP:

• Set up an information exchange network in order to:

• better understand the problem,

• monitor its evolution using available modern technology (satellites),

• gain knowledge on experiments carried out, and on the results and lessons obtained, and

• gain knowledge on and transfer know-how so as to achieve a true technological partnership, improving decision making.

• Set up and implement specific research, experimentation and demonstration pilot projects in the fields of:

• combating and preventing land degradation (maintenance of the balance of land content in water, organic and nutritional material),

• mastering the techniques of irrigation and salinity prevention (appropriate drainage systems),

• introducing and extending more rational cultivation practices, adapted to local/regional idiosyncrasies, including the introduction of new organization and management methods for areas, in order to reduce or eliminate over-pasturing and over-exploitation of fragile lands,

• developing measures and preventives actions such as land/vegetation protection, combating forest fires, recovery of plan covering, reafforestation,

• valorisation of non-wood forest products, improving their quality and the sustainable management of forests in order to expand the development of arid zones,

• rehabilitating dune systems, and

• preserving and managing genetic resources.

• Start up and encourage the idea of participation, carried out through:

• programmes and measures in favour of the most endangered populations and/or those with least resources to stimulate and motivate those populations to take steps in their lands, to protect them and exploit them in a sustainable way,

• promoting the training and education of professionals,

• adopting measures for publicising and promoting training as well as encouraging public participation,

• promoting of transnational interaction among scientific and technical institutions, local governments, and NGOs on scientific and technical policies at the Euromed level.

THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN INFORMATION NETWORK ON DESERTIFICATION

At present, there exists no global, integrated information network on desertification in the Euro-Mediterranean area. However, operators are working partially in several countries, with different objectives relating to dealing with information in this field.

The need to set up efficient Euro-Mediterranean cooperation to combat desertification together, and to obtain the best possible results, requires a Euro-Mediterranean information network on desertification to be created, its objectives being, a.o.:

• detailed knowledge of the problem to help set up policies in the short, medium and long term, necessary to control and reduce desertification,

• exchange of information in terms of research, projects and actions, as well as assessment and datacollection, information and necessary analyses to implement policies, measures and action projects,

• selection of necessary indicators and parameters, their harmonization and/or standardisation,

• publicising of methods and appropriate actions to alleviate and combat desertification, so as they can be used by local populations. This enables them to be aware of and to participate in actions to be carried out. This objective will therefore allow their standard of living to increase.

A. Functions of the Network

• Set up an operating framework combining services of information and study of the main environmental factors in desertification in addition to the harmonisation of existing criteria and the adoption of necessary new criteria.

• Draw up a list of institutions working in the Mediterranean area in the fields of analysis, research, study and actions to combat desertification.

• Draw up an inventory of existing control systems in the different fields, so as to reinforce them and/or propose, if necessary, effective alternatives.

• Analyze risks, whether real or potential, applying new techniques and computer technologies as a fundamental tool.

• Publicise and divulge the "state of the situation" in this field by means of campaigns that clearly show the seriousness of the problem and the need to adopt concrete measures to control and reduce it.

• Analyze priorities relative to actions to be carried out according to the different zonal emergences of the problem.

• Encourage and catalyse the transference and adaption of technology in fields related directly on desertification (energy, phylo-genetics, biotechnology, satellite surveillance of the situation).

• Define and deal with techniques and methodologies to combat desertification, bearing in mind the know-how of Mediterranean rural communities in their application and promotion.

• Coordinate the network's management and the effectiveness of results obtained with actions carried out to control and reduce desertification.

• Reinforce, if necessary, institutional support for setting up datacollection systems for the main indicators.

• Help to encourage education, both for the inhabitants of affected regions and for technicians responsible for preparing and carrying out pertinent actions.

• Define financial needs and look for sources of funding for the preparation and implementation of programmes, projects and actions related with combating desertification, including the private sector in partnership.

• Facilitate the identification of self-sustaining projects on desertification.

B. Institutional matters, co-ordination and implementation

The Mediterranean network will take into account the study and evaluation of existing networks, considering in particular the results of the First Conference of the Parties in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

The network's working plan should be drawn up in such a way that all operators may be incorporated progressively.

The framework for action and the mechanisms for setting it up should be analyzed with a view to optimising the use of existing systems and organizations, in addition to the lasting maintenance of investments.

The work to be carried out will be closely coordinated with other institutions and structures, on both an international and regional, sub-regional and even national levels (for example, research institutes, universities, etc.) with a view to achieving the greatest synergy possible.

We believe that it will be necessary to call, within a relatively short period of time, a technical meeting to define and set up the network.

 ANNEX B - KEY NOTE PAPER ON INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN COOPERATION

INTRODUCTION

The coastal zone is particularly important in the Mediterranean not only due to its ecological importance but mostly due to the concentration of population and human activities and the role the coastal zone holds from antiquity to the present. Prospects for the future suggest that development pressures are likely to increase particularly in the south. As a result of such pressures for development environmental resources and ecosystems face significant threats. In addition there is evidence of increasing conflicts in the use of coastal resources (mostly land and water), coastal aquifer and sea pollution, coastal land and beach erosion and biodiversity losses. These problems have often adverse impacts on sustainable development prospects. Therefore an integrated management of coastal areas in the Mediterranean is necessary.

The need for integrated management of coastal areas is noted in the Barcelona Convention and the Mediterranean Action Plan and its already established Regional Activity Centers (RAC), and in the priorities of MCSD (the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development).

Integrated coastal zone management is a priority of the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development. In particular, goals and activities to be undertaken were identified to achieve international cooperation, demographic sustainable development, adoption of an integrated approach to planning and management of land resources, water resources etc.

Also, the European Union has already noted the need for intergrated coastal zone management in:

• The Fifth Action Programme for the Environment of the Commission of the European Union where coastal areas are identified as severely threatened;

• The Integrated Coastal Zone Management Demonstration Programme of the European Commission;

• The Topic Centers of the European Environment Agency (EEA).

The need for integrated coastal zone management is acknowledged as a priority in:

• The Euro-Mediterranean Conference (Barcelona 1995); and

• The Short and Medium-term Priority Action Programme on the Environment (SMAP) in which integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) is one of the priority sectors,

but also in:

• The Council of Europe's activities under the European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy, and

• Other international programmes and initiatives.

This key note paper is complementary to the SMAP and is proposing principles, guidelines and priorities for one of the fields of actions identified in the SMAP.

Integrated Coastal Zone Management refers to multi-sectoral and multi-level coordination of actions of public and private actors with interest and responsibility over coastal resources, economic activities and environmental quality. Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) requires:

• multi-sectoral approach as several sectoral interests are present in coastal zones and strictly sectoral concerns create negative externalities which affect other activities and environmental quality,

• multi-level approach as impacts may be due to wider area influences and as responsibilities are often fragmented and overlapping in coastal zones. As a result inconsistencies arise in sectoral and territorial decision making and conflicts appear, and

• coordination of actions to overcome conflicts and gaps of interest and responsibility and maximize efficiency of interventions by assuring synergies and cohesion of policy measures.

Some Mediterranean countries have laws or legal provision which treat coastal zones in a comprehensive way. Some others have developed legislation relative to environmental protection, including general laws on environmental protection, and/or single coastal management issues (land-use planning, fisheries, pollution, etc.). In addition there are numerous related international conventions or resolutions (Barcelona Convention, Basel Convention, Law of the Sea, UNCED documents, UN Global Programme of Action for protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities, Tunis Declaration of Med21, etc.) which complete this legal framework.

In spite of the above efforts to face the problems of the Mediterranean coastal zones there is still evidence of increasing land-use conflicts, uncontrolled land development, water scarcity and use conflicts, pollution of the sea, natural habitat degradation, coastal erosion, etc.

The reasons of failure for effective intervention in coastal zone management include:

1. Inadequate information and understanding of coastal processes and ecosystems, inadequate data and projections, lack of skilled technical staff, especially at the local level where pressure for coastal land use development can be acute.

2. Weak co-ordination among ministries or fragmented responsibilities among local, regional and national authorities.

3. Limited range of regulatory instruments in coastal zone management. In the past decade the emphasis was put on the development of basic traditional regulatory instruments in coastal zone management (i.e. building regulations). Often these have been ineffective to face complex problems as regulations:

• can be limited in breadth of scope or

• may have high administration costs.

1. Unsatisfactory policy implementation and inadequate monitoring and evaluation of policy performance. Implementation problems can be attributed to weak political commitment, inadequate administrative arrangements and failure to enforce policies or legislation. Monitoring and evaluation may not be sufficiently integrated in policy formulation or even implemented. Planning is often carried out poorly and on the basis of remediation rather than prevention.

Finally, intervention failure may result from the relative influence of different interest groups on the policy formulation and management process. The future of development prospects in the Mediterranean depends to a great extent on the future of environment/development interaction. The coastal zones are priority areas in this context as they concentrate a large and diverse number of resources and interests and face increasing pressures. Their integrated management is essential and a long-term strategy is necessary as a guide for actions at all spatial levels.

PRINCIPLES FOR ICZM IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean should be:

• sustainable, conforming to the goals of sustainable development combining economic efficiency, social equity and environmental conservation and allowing for intergenerational equity,

• integrated, providing for synergies and complementarities in goals, objectives, policy measures and instruments across sectors and spatial levels,

• pro-active, with emphasis on anticipating effects and preventing conflicts and problems concerted, reinforcing coordination among local, regional and national authorities, the public and private sector, international donors and organizations,

• long-term oriented, linking short term actions to long term goals and objectives, and

• adaptive, highly focused and targeted to critical factors and issues (pressures, resourses).

GENERAL GUIDELINES OF ICZM

Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean should be:

• based on the conservation of resources and ecosystems providing for:

• protection of sensitive areas,

• multiple use and recovery of resources,

• multiple use of coastal space, and

• rational management of areas for nature conservation and/or future use.

• comprehensive in the sense of addressing to all sectors and issues involved and their effects on each other, on environmental quality and quality of life in general;

• spatially integrated in terms of policies through planning of the use of coastal areas (land and sea) by:

• establishing criteria for a common definition for coastal zones,

• identifying critical zones for strict management, and

• linking the management of critical zones to policy making, planning and programming of their wider areas of influence;

• diversified and adapted to the type of problem or area and its key issues:

• in densely developed coastal areas and areas in decline upgrading the environment, enhancing economic activity and providing the necessary infrastructures to ameliorate services (water and sewage networks, solid and liquid waste disposal, etc.,

• in coastal areas experiencing rapid growth and urban sprawl urbanization control through land development regulation, provision of basic services for guiding growth,

• in undeveloped rural areas conservation of nature reserves, and

• in islands special integrated environmental management and socioeconomic development plans and programs, taking into account that there consists a particular case of coastal areas, calling for a special management practice;

• effectiveness oriented by:

• establishing implementation of policies through better coordination and streamlining of operations and lines of responsibility,

• establishing monitoring and evaluation of project effectiveness as a vital part in a process of periodic review and adjustment of policies, and

• concerted action in regional information exchange systems, as well as training and capacity building;

• broadly based, mobilizing actors of the public sector and civil society in the spirit of "shared responsibility" through awareness and participation in the management of coastal areas. Top-down approaches should be complemented with bottom-up ones.

PROCESS OF ICZM

The following constitute basic steps in establishing integrated coastal zone management in Mediterranean coastal areas:

• Identification and assessment of coastal resources and critical processes and factors,

• Identification of areas of interest from the perspective of environmental conservation (i.e. natural habitats, scenic beauty/natural heritage sites, erosion/natural hazard areas, etc.) or future reserve,

• Analysis of conflicts and pressures, land-use and urbanization patterns and opportunities,

• Analysis of existing policies, plans and programs at various levels to identify gaps, overlaps and conflicts of interest, and

• Development of a plan of action and periodic review process.

Complementary activities include:

• Development of information systems on the state and transformation of the coastal environment (on a geographical basis),

• Improvement of review procedures for projects dealing with the coastal zones (i.e. specification of EIA, etc.),

• Establishing procedures to incorporate environmental management in development programs,

• Establishing coordination mechanisms in order to balance tourism development and carrying capacity of coastal zones,

• Development of pilot programs for key problems as coastal erosion protection/management, coastal habitat management (linking water basin management with ecosystem protection, etc.), management of coastal tourist resorts in "crisis": etc.,

• Development of innovative management tools and techniques for sustainable development (i.e. establishing thresholds for development on the basis of local resources and infrastructure constraints while upgrading capacities through organizational or technological means, visitor flow management programs, etc.),

• Development of "demonstration" programs to reduce environmental problems (i.e. establishing innovative production systems for liquid and solid waste reduction and related treatment facilities, cleaning-up of beaches and harbours restoring natural processes, etc.), bearing upon relevant experience of the EU demonstration projects in this field,

• Raising public awareness and ensuring adequate public participation throughout the process of ICZM,

• Review and revise existing plans and programs on the basis of the principles for sustainable development controlling for negative impacts on the quality of the environment, respecting critical resources and ecosystem functions, and

• Establishment of close sub-regional cooperation between the neighbouring countries.

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN COOPERATION

Mediterranean coastal areas face significant pressures for development and conflicts over the use of coastal resources with negative effects on life and environmental quality but also on social and economic development in the area. Some of these problems are shared by Mediterranean countries while some others depend on much broader influences. In addition many Mediterranean countries of the south and eastern shores lack the necessary institutional, financial and technical infrastructure and resources to cope with these problems.

Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation should be targeted to key sectors which would promote integrated coastal zone management in the region, through pilot projects where appropriate.

Concrete action should be taken in:

• institutional capacity building to develop Integrated Coastal Zone Management through technical assistance and training

• supporting the development of national legislation specific to the coastal zones limiting inter alia development in nearshore areas,

• supporting the establishment of land and sea-use planning at local level, and

• supporting the development of institutional structures for implementing integrated coastal zone management.

• mobilizing local resources to develop concerted action in coastal planning and implement land-use policies for coastal areas

• supporting the development of participatory mechanisms in integrated coastal zone management, and

• awareness and training support for the participation of civic society in integrated coastal zone management.

• support of interregional cooperation in information management, training and research in coastal zone management particularly in regard to:

• the development of cooperation in monitoring environmental conditions and in harmonizing monitoring tools, techniques and systems with particular regard to land-based activities and pollutants,

• the development of common information systems and indicators, promoting the use of GIS for integrated coastal zone management, and

• the development of scientific and educator cooperation in integrated coastal zone management.

• establishing protected areas in coastal zones (lagoons, sand dunes, estuaries, wetlands, etc.) in conformity with relevant international agreements.

• support the development of integrated coastal zone management plans,

• promote cooperation and information exchange for the management of sensitive areas in the coastal zones,

• support training and scientific exchange on ICZM for sensitive areas, and

• support for the implementation of ICZM policies for areas of special interest including coasts where erosion and desertification are problems, etc., and

• assistance to develop technical infrastructure to face coastal pollution and related risks.