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| Floods Directive | |
|---|---|
| Title | Directive 2007/60/EC |
| Adopted | 23 October 2007 |
| Institution | European Parliament; Council of the European Union |
| Legal basis | Article 175 of the EC Treaty |
| Status | In force |
| Language | All official European Union languages |
Floods Directive
The directive adopted in 2007 establishes a framework for assessing and managing flood risks across the European Union following major flood events such as the 1998 Central Europe floods, the 2002 European floods, and the 2005 United Kingdom floods. It aims to reduce adverse consequences for human health, the environment, cultural heritage, and economic activity by coordinating flood risk assessment, mapping, and management among Member States including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland.
The instrument emerged after catastrophic episodes like the Rhine flood of 1995 and the Elbe floods of 2002 prompted cross-border concerns shared by institutions such as the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions, and the European Environment Agency. Core objectives include identifying areas at risk, prioritising risk reduction measures that affect stakeholders such as the World Health Organization, the European Investment Bank, and national authorities in Netherlands and Belgium, and integrating actions with directives like Water Framework Directive and programmes managed by agencies including the Joint Research Centre.
Built on the treaty competencies of the European Union, the measure complements existing instruments such as the Habitats Directive and the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive. It applies to fluvial and coastal flooding, including flash floods and groundwater inundation, across river basin districts coordinated with bodies like the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine and basin authorities in the Danube Commission. Exemptions and transposition responsibilities fall to national parliaments such as the Bundestag and assemblies in Spain and Poland, under scrutiny from the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Member States are required to perform preliminary flood risk assessments and produce detailed hazard maps and flood risk maps, using methodologies developed by research centres including the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, the Joint Research Centre, and university groups at institutions like ETH Zurich and University of Cambridge. Assessments must consider historical floods (e.g., Mersea Island flood history) and projected impacts of climate phenomena such as those studied by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and European Environment Agency. Cross-border coordination involves commissions like the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River.
Plans must set objectives to reduce likelihood and consequences of flooding and must integrate with river basin management plans under coordination with agencies such as the European Environment Agency and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment. Measures include structural works overseen by national ministries (e.g., Ministry of Environment (France)) and non-structural options supported by institutions like the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and insurers such as the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority. Stakeholder engagement involves municipal governments including City of Venice, heritage bodies like Europa Nostra, and agricultural ministries in Greece.
Transposition into national law has been tested in courts including the Court of Justice of the European Union and reviewed by the European Environment Agency. Member States such as Netherlands and United Kingdom (pre-Brexit) developed national approaches involving agencies like the Rijkswaterstaat and the Environment Agency (England and Wales). Funding and investment draw on instruments from the European Investment Bank, regional funds administered by European Regional Development Fund, and international aid coordinated with the World Bank for cross-border projects.
Periodic reporting obligations require submissions to the European Commission and evaluation by bodies such as the European Environment Agency and the Joint Research Centre. Reviews take account of evolving science from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments and major flood case studies like the 2007 United Kingdom floods and the 2010 Central European floods. Data interoperability initiatives reference standards from organisations including the European Committee for Standardization and spatial frameworks like the INSPIRE Directive.
The framework has improved transnational cooperation evidenced by initiatives between river commissions such as the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine and the Danube Commission, and has advanced hazard mapping practices promoted by the European Environment Agency. Criticisms arise from stakeholders including municipal associations and environmental NGOs such as Greenpeace and BirdLife International over perceived gaps in incorporation of climate change, limited enforceability compared with instruments adjudicated by the Court of Justice of the European Union, and uneven implementation across Member States exemplified in debates involving Poland, Hungary, and Romania.