US lessons for coastal management in the European Union

The US Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 established a collaborative and voluntary Federal-State Coastal Zone Management Program (CZMP) which now covers over 99 per cent of the nation's coastline. By comparison, in Europe coastal management initiatives are a relatively recent phenomenon. While the need for integrated coastal zone management is widely recognised, the responses on a European scale are largely fragmented. This paper examines key features of the US CZMP and raises the question, would such an approach be appropriate and feasible in Europe? The draft Water Framework Directive provides one model for a flexible ecosystem-based approach to coastal management.