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| Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) |
| Type | Directive |
| Adopted | 23 October 2007 |
| Status | In force |
Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) is a European Union legal instrument establishing a framework for the assessment and management of flood risks across European Union member states. It aims to reduce adverse consequences for human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity by promoting coordinated planning and information exchange among institutions such as the European Commission, European Parliament, and national authorities. The Directive complements other instruments like the Water Framework Directive and interacts with regional initiatives including the United Nations's flood risk guidance and the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine.
The Directive arose after major transboundary events such as the 2002 European floods, which affected the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria, and subsequent policy responses involving the European Commission and the European Environment Agency. It builds on environmental law precedents including the Water Framework Directive and the Aarhus Convention by codifying risk-based duties for member states like France, Spain, and Italy. Its stated purpose is to establish procedural measures to assess flood risks, to map potential impacts, and to plan measures to manage those risks across basins such as the Danube and the Rhine.
The Directive applies to inland waters, transitional waters, and coastal waters within the territory of the European Union and to riparian states in shared basins such as the Danube Basin and the Po Basin. It operates within the EU legal order alongside instruments from institutions like the European Court of Justice and interacts with international agreements such as the Espoo Convention and the Helsinki Convention. Member states including United Kingdom (pre-Brexit), Netherlands, and Belgium were required to transpose its provisions into national legislation and to harmonise actions with river basin management plans used by bodies like the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe River.
The Directive requires member states to perform a three-step cycle: preliminary flood risk assessment, flood hazard and risk mapping, and flood risk management planning. Authorities such as national ministries in Germany and regional administrations in Spain must identify areas of potential significant flood risk and adopt appropriate measures consistent with frameworks like the EU Floods Directive's objectives and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Obligations include coordination in transboundary basins, designation of competent authorities akin to those in Austria and Sweden, and integration with spatial planning policies in entities such as the European Investment Bank-funded projects.
Implementation has varied across member states, with differing institutional arrangements in countries such as Poland, Greece, and Portugal. National plans must be developed in coordination with river basin districts managed by organisations like the International Commission for the Protection of the Meuse and must reflect stakeholder input from bodies including the European Environmental Bureau and regional authorities like the Basque Government. The Directive set deadlines for publishing flood hazard maps and management plans, prompting national legislation updates in capitals such as Brussels, Rome, and Warsaw.
Member states are required to produce preliminary flood risk assessments and to delineate flood hazard maps and flood risk maps for areas at significant risk. Mapping efforts often relied on technical standards promoted by organisations like the European Environment Agency, research collaborations with universities such as ETH Zurich and Imperial College London, and modelling tools developed by agencies like Deltares. Maps must show flood extents for scenarios including low-probability extreme events, affecting river systems like the Seine, Thames, and Elbe.
The Directive mandates public access to information and opportunities for public participation, in line with principles established by the Aarhus Convention and practices of institutions such as the European Ombudsman. Member states were required to make flood maps and management plans available to authorities, NGOs such as Greenpeace and WWF, and the public in cities like London, Paris, and Vienna. Procedures for consultation paralleled those used in environmental impact assessment processes administered by bodies like the European Investment Bank.
Monitoring and reporting obligations include periodic reviews of flood risk management plans and submissions to the European Commission and information exchange with agencies such as the European Environment Agency. The Directive established cycles for reporting and for revising measures, enabling comparative assessments across basins like the Danube and facilitating supranational oversight through instruments linked to the European Flood Alert System. Subsequent reviews have informed amendments to national practices and inspired integration with global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and initiatives at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.