This page provides a summary on the following items:

1. The coastal zone
1.1 Description of the coastal zone
1.2 Definition of the coastal zone
1.3 Setback lines policy
2. Coastal Management and Spatial Planning in the Coastal Zone
2.1 Authority
2.2 Policy
2.3 Legislation
3. Coastal and Marine Environmental Policy
3.1 Authority
3.2 Policy
3.3 Legislation
4. Coastal and Marine Nature Conservation Policy
5. Economic developments, important sectors and trends
5.1 Tourism and recreation
5.2 Coastal defence
6. The Current State of Integrated Coastal Zone Management
6.1 Legal framework
6.2 Completed projects
6.3 Ongoing projects
6.4 Evaluation
7. NGOs and other private stakeholders
8. References

1. The coastal zone

1.1 Description of the coastal zone
Denmark has a coastline of ca. 7,300 km. The Danish landscapes were mainly shaped by the Würm glaciation which ended ca. 11 000 years ago. Coastlines are therefore generally formed in sandy glacial plains or moraine cliffs. In a few locations bordering on the Baltic Sea tertiary chalk formations protrude the glacial landscape whereby impressive headlands are formed, between which gently curved sandy beaches are found. Only the rocky island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea is of even older origin. While the course of the coastline is in general determined by the surface forms of the glacial or pre-glacial deposits, the coasts have been, and are, continuously changed by marine erosion and deposition and, in the long term, by changes in sea level. In some places they are bordered by marine foreland, for example, on the Southwest coast of Jutland. Flat shores are the most common types of shore profile in Denmark. Although coastal dunes are very common in Denmark, they cover less than 700 km² or 1.6% of the total land area.

Most of the coastal dunes are found on the West Coast of Jutland where they form a belt up to 10 km wide from Skallingen in the south to Skagen in the north. The North Sea coast of Denmark (The West Coast) is sandy and particularly vulnerable to erosion. Mean erosion rates reach values up to 2 m/year and littoral drift is in the order of 100,000 - 1,000,000 m3/yr. The Kattegat and Baltic Sea Coast are moderately exposed. Mean erosion rates are 0.3 - 0.5 m/year and the littoral drift is up to 75,000 m3/yr. Belt and fjord coasts are even less exposed. Mean erosion rates are less than 0.25 m/year, the littoral drift is less than 10,000 m3/year. One third of the coastline is built up areas or planned for new development and half the coastline is visually affected by development structures.

1.2 Definition of the coastal zone
Denmark has not adopted a formal definition of the coastal zone. In summer cottage areas, the protection zone is set at 100 metres but may be reduced and is increased to 300 metres in rural areas as defined by the Nature Protection Act (1992). There is a coastal planning zone extending 3 km inland from the low water line and defined in The Planning Act. This planning zone should not be interpreted as a no-build or no-development zone but as a zone where development has to be planned carefully in harmony with nature and landscape and where there has to be a functional necessity to locate new constructions. However, within this zone the beaches which extend to where vegetation is continuous are strictly protected and public access to them is ensured and all coastal dunes are also protected. Urban areas are not included in this planning zone, but the Planning Act gives special guidelines for development in urban coastal areas. A commission was set up in 1994 to establish a permanent borderline along all coasts for this strictly nature protected coastal zone and for the coastal dunes. This work is expected to be completed in 2002.

In relation to regional plans this zone can be divided into:

At sea, no strict nature protection limits have been set down. Conservation measures can, however, be taken throughout the national fishing zone, which includes the Danish Exclusive Economical Zone (EEZ) and territorial waters, as independent projects or in connection with projects on land. In 1983, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the Ministry of Environment defined, in a guideline for near-shore marine environmental management aimed at the counties (Guidance Document on Water Quality Planning, Ministry of Environment, 1983), a coastal zone including bays and fjords and other marine waters extending to a depth of 6 m or at least to 1 nm from the shore-line. With respect to marine fisheries, a coastal zone extending 3 nm from the low-water line is defined in the Sea Fisheries Act (Ministerial order no. 803, 11 November 1998, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries).

1.3 Setback lines policy
In 2001, a permanent beach protection line has been set down in the municipality of Copenhagen and 8 of the 14 Danish counties. The counties and the Ministry of Environment have the authority to give exemptions from some of the restrictions connected to the beach protection line.

Seawards, restrictions have been put on dredging and dumping activities within a coastal zone, including bays and fjords, and other marine waters extending to a depth of 6 m or to, at least, 1 nm from the shore-line. Restrictions have also been put on fishing with trawls and seines inside the 3 nm coastal zone and the use of gill nets is prohibited within 100 m from shore.

2. Coastal Management and Spatial Planning in the Coastal Zone

2.1 Authority
On a national level, the Ministry of Environment is responsible for integrated management and sustainable development in coastal and marine areas, including the EEZ. The Danish EPA, together with the Ministry of Defence, are responsible for protecting the Danish coast against oil and chemical pollution. The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Trade and Industry are co-operating to develop a sustainable tourism. In accordance with national legislation, the general public is involved in the planning process and The Danish Society for the Conservation of Nature (an NGO) has a statutory right to complain under the majority of Acts concerning nature and the environment.

The Danish Coastal Authority ("Kystdirektoratet), a technical institution under the Ministry of Transport, was established in 1973. Tasks of the Danish Coastal Authority include:

On a regional level, the Coast Protection Act (Act no. 243, 5 April 1994, Ministry of Transport) empowers the counties (regional authorities) to protect the coastal areas against flooding and erosion. It also provides improved co-ordination of coastal protection and development schemes within a coastal environment perspective. In case the counties lack expertise, they can involve the Danish Coastal Authority at an early stage for assistance in further examination of a project. The integrated process, called coastal erosion management, leads to local plans with a few prerequisites:

The counties are responsible for the setting up of regional guidelines for development in the coastal zone, including indications of in which areas development and construction can take place. They are also responsible for environmental quality to a depth of 6m or at least 1 nm from the shoreline.

2.2 Policy
The main incentive for coastal management policy in Denmark has been the control of coastal erosion, the need for a balanced utilisation of resources in the coastal zone and the wish to enhance the environmental quality of the coastal zone. In addition to this, rights of way, general setback lines, and governmental sovereignty over the sea territory are pillars in Danish coastal policy. During the past four decades the development in the Danish coastal zone has been characterised by a number of rational, technical and economic conditions. The localisation of industries and supply establishments has been necessitated by the need for sea transport or the disposal of waste or cooling water. Also the coast has been the site for land fill or land reclamation, especially along shallow water coasts, by which new cheap land for agricultural and industrial localisation has been created. The increased mobility of the population over the last 50 years has led to a spread of the towns and the holiday areas, especially in the coastal areas.

Coastal zone management in Denmark is mostly being established through gradual harmonisation and co-operation of the administrative and legislative framework, through the physical planning system and through environmental legislation. Coastal zone management objectives are incorporated into the planning system, and regional plans can provide guidelines for the rational use of coastal areas of a region, including planning of recreational activities and facilities. Involving the general public and a variety of NGOs and other organisations in the planning process underlines the integrated approach.

Although integration is generally good, both between sectors and administrative levels, there are still some conflicts of interest and contradictions between legislation, particularly concerning the marine area. There is no legal basis for integrating planning across the intertidal shore – except for specific nature conservation purposes as stated in the §51 in the Nature Protection Act. Management of the marine area is the responsibility of the State and is subject to sectoral legislation.

2.3 Legislation
Since 1874 Denmark has had a Dike Protection Law and a Coast Protection Law, defining the owners’ responsibility for the physical coastal activities and their consequences. In 1988 the Danish Parliament passed a new law for Coastal Protection, opening up for improved co-ordination of coastal protection with other coastal activities and for the integration of environmental issues in a Coastal Erosion Management process.

As early as 1917 the Nature Conservation Act formalised the right of public access to all Danish beaches. Considerable effort is devoted to securing general public access from the hinterland to the beaches. This Act prohibits the erection of new buildings or other constructions as well as fencing and placing of camping and similar facilities within the beach protection zone. In summerhouse areas, the protection zone is set at 100 m, but may be reduced. In rural areas it is set at 300 m. Constructions for military purposes and harbours are exempted. Existing farming is also allowed to continue. All natural coastal habitats are protected, including the Wadden Sea and dunes. Restrictions have been put on trawling activities within bays, fjords, and narrow straits and otherwise within 1 nm from shore, and gill net fishing and trolling is prohibited within 100 m from shore. Hunting at sea is prohibited within 100m from summerhouse areas and within 500m from urban areas.

In 1994, the Planning Act adopted measures ensuring that special planning and function justifications are required for permitting building projects and the designation of new areas for development in the coastal zone. If such justifications exist, the main rule is to locate behind already existing settlements. The designation of new areas for summerhouses is not allowed. The coastal planning zone does not comprise the urban areas and the planning system does not function beyond the coastline. However, The Planning Act includes regulations for building in coastal urban areas. The main emphasis is placed on a quality-based incorporation of new building in the city, viewed in relation to the surrounding coastal landscape. Through the Danish environmental legislation the open coasts are preserved as an important landscape resource while in the areas where the population is actually living, planning requirements are only imposed when absolutely necessary. Furthermore, the importance of tourism at the national level, vacation centres and hotels with floor space above 50.000m² are subject to mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

According to the Raw Materials Act (Act no. 569, 30 June 1997, Ministry of Environment and Energy) extraction of materials (sand, gravel and stones) from the seabed is only permitted in designated areas where permits can be given if the extraction can take place without conflict with essential nature values. In EU-Natura 2000 areas and shallow areas with a water depth less than 6 m, permits cannot be given except in special cases involving certain rare and valuable materials. Besides this, other conservation orders were issued for certain areas.

3. Coastal and Marine Environmental Policy

3.1 Authority
The highest environmental authority is the Ministry of Environment and Energy operreating on the basis of legislation concerning environmental and nature protection specifically and involving, i.a. legislation on raw materials and hunting.

The environmental protection system has been developed in the last 20 – 30 years, regulating pollution from industry and agriculture by environmental permits and supervision. The regional authorities are responsible for the permits and supervision of large industries while municipal authorities are responsible for smaller companies and large farms. On the marine side of the mean water level, Denmark’s first Environmental Protection Act from 1974 imposed the county councils to elaborate and implement water quality plans, based on the concept of “environmental quality objectives”. An integrated part of this planning process was – apart from monitoring and assessing the water quality – to survey all the interests bound up with each water area within the jurisdiction of the county council. Based on the results of these surveys, recipient water standards were decided by the county council and as a consequence a set of limit values for all discharges to the water area in question were decided. Following the Environmental Protection Act, all bays and fjords and other coastal areas out to a depth of 6 m or at least within 1 NM from the shore – at least in principle – are to be considered part of the counties regarding environmental protection. In broad terms the county councils bear the responsibility for the quality of (ground water and) surface waters.

3.2 Policy
The aim of the Environmental Protection Act is to prevent and control pollution of air, water, land in order that social development will be on a sustainable basis and in respect for both human living conditions and the conservation of plant and animal life.

The purpose of the Protection of Nature Act is to contribute to safeguarding nature and environment in Denmark thus ensuring sustainable social development in respect of human conditions of life and for the protection of flora and fauna.

The objectives of the act are, in particular:

The Raw Materials Act in force is from 1997. Exploitation of raw materials from the seabed is not allowed in International Nature Conservation Areas and in areas with a water depth of less than 6 m. Extraction of raw materials always requires a permission based on an environmental impact assessment. Application for a permit to extract larger amounts of raw materials shall be accompanied by an environmental impact assessment (EIA) in accordance with the EU-directive on Environmental Impact Assessments dawn up by the applicant. Landward the county council administers the regulations.

There is an increasing pressure especially in the Inner Danish Waters between nature protection interests and a number of commercial interests e.g. fisheries, raw material extraction, wind mill farms, transmission systems etc. and initiatives are taken to establish spatial management systems for the utilization of the sea. At this moment, four large windmill parks at sea are being planned in Denmark, three of which are in the Baltic marine area.

4. Coastal and Marine Nature Conservation Policy

The Nature Conservation Act of 1917 and now the Nature Protection Act of 1992 formalises the right of public access to all Danish beaches (from the low water line to where land vegetation is continuous. The revision of this act of 1937 restricted building activities on the beach and the adjacent 100 m of the hinterland. In 1994 this limit was provisionally extended to 300 m outside summer house areas, disallowing any changes except for certain activities relating to agriculture, forestry and fisheries within this 100-300 m zone. A commission was then to establish a permanent borderline for this strictly nature protected coastal zone and for the coastal dunes along all coasts. A directive issued by the Minister of Environment in 1978 provided a halt to the outlay of new vacation housing and hotel areas in a 3 km wide coastal zone thus functioning as an important setback line. These coastal planning rules were incorporated into the Planning Act in 1994, restricting planning for new activities within the 3 km wide coastal planning zone.

Through The Coast Protection Act there is a wide integration between the involved authorities and the landowners. The law empowers regional authorities, i.e. the county, to take their own initiatives or to respond to requests brought forward from local citizens or authorities. This ensures that co-ordination with physical planning is established at the appropriate administration level at an early stage of the project. At the same time the local municipalities and landowners are involved.

One group is not involved – the general public. To a certain extent the public is involved through its representatives in the political organs but, except for the landowners benefiting from the project, no citizen is asked during the process. This may seen a little old fashioned compared to e.g. The Nature Protection Act 1994-amendment where all decisions have to be made public or the sectored planning which have pre-proposal periods. Up till now the procedure stated in the Coastal Protection Act secures both public involvement (to a certain extent) and authority involvement in the process of coastal protection (prioritisation and planning) and no immediate need for further integration seems obvious. The problems caused by migrating dunes, which were already serious in the 16th century, and continuing to modern times, led to the adoption of a Dune Preservation Law.

Major parts of the 384 km of the Jutland West Coast are under the jurisdiction of the Dune Preservation Law. Legislation, therefore, has functioned as an early setback line (see also below) and has prevented undesirable development in this century. Considerable public funds are allocated for the acquisition of areas which can form green wedges through the coastal zones. In the period 1981-1991 large national and international nature conservation areas have been established covering ca.10% of the coastline. Denmark, together with Germany and the Netherlands, is a member of the Trilateral Co-operation on the protection of the Wadden Sea and has designated (in 1982, with further amendments) the whole of its part of the Wadden Sea (Vadehavet) as a nature and wildlife reserve. At the same time the local municipalities, landowners and Danish Coastal Administration (DCA) are involved.

5. Economic developments, important sectors and trends

5.1 Tourism and recreation
The main environmental problems connected with tourism in Denmark are quite small, although problems do exist, namely: large areas are taken for construction and used very extensively but nevertheless demands infrastructure, roads, sewers, power and water supply etc, with a low utilization. Many of the tourist accommodations and attractions are situated so that they can almost only be reached by car. This means that tourism contributes more than the average to the general problems caused by private transportation. The Danish nature and especially the beaches are generally speaking robust and able to absorb the numerous visitors. In some tourist areas however, especially on the North Sea coast, the pressure is so strong that the limit has already been reached. In some of these areas, further development of tourism will cause damage to the environment.

5.2 Coastal defence
The Coast Protection Act empowers regional authorities to protect against flooding and erosion. In the case that the regional authority does not have enough expertise, the Act makes it possible to involve at an early stage the Danish Coastal Administration (DCA) for assistance in further examination of the project. The DCA also has a management task for the coastal zone. The DCA consists of four major sectors:

6. The Current State of Integrated Coastal Zone Management

6.1 Legal framework
Denmark has not formally adopted a clearly defined and coherent ICZM system but ICZM -principles have been brought into practice through the system of laws and regulations, inter-sectoral co-ordination and planning and the high degree of public participation which has been developed over several years.

6.2 Completed projects
Coastlink Storstrøm project
Storstrøm County is part of the Southern Danish Archipelago. It is a largely rural area with small towns and villages in a countryside of farmland and small forests where tourism, next to fishing and agriculture, is the prime source of income. However over the last few years employment in the local fishing, agriculture, industry and shipping were seriously declining. Tourism was seen to become the main key to the region's future prosperity. The Coastlink project was set up with two questions in mind: 1) how can tourism be increased in sufficient quantity without the very attractions that make the archipelago unique being adversely affected? 2) How can the demands of tourists be reconciled with the, often different, demands of local residents?

6.3 Ongoing projects
Waterfront Urban Development
Waterfront Urban Development 's objective is to find solutions for downtown and dock areas in ports and small towns situated on the waterways in their hinterlands. Especially in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea Region, the cities have been moved away from the waterfront and a new use for abandoned military sites also has to be found . The project aims to create a network for exchange of experience from the various projects to be launched in the participating cities.

BEST project
This is focused on Sustainable Tourism Development from the seven larger islands' (B7) Bornholm - Denmark, Gotland - Sweden, Hiiumaa - Estonia, Saaremaa - Estonia, Rügen - Germany, Åland - Finland and Öland - Sweden. The approach is clearly cross-sectoral and related to the core of the measure “integrated management of coastal zone and island”. The B7 islands have been co-operating since 1998 and this project is determined as a key element in their common strategy and the action programme. It is related to the Baltic 21 action programme. The project enhances knowledge and exchange of experiences between the islands, trying to create a common long lasting network for co-operation on sustainable tourism development with links to tourism organisations, NGOs and research institutions.

SUSWAT
The focus of the SUSWAT project is on the water supply in relation to environmental protection and sustainability. It enhances knowledge exchange between the B7 about planning and management of the water supply. The aim is to start up demonstration of new solutions related to management and planning of sustainable water supply. There is a clear linkage to the BEST project. The project is considered as a key element in the B7 common strategy and action programme of the BEST project.

ARCHIBAL
The aim of the project is to develop methods and tools for nature conservation authorities to assess, steer and participate in developing the increasing tourism in Baltic archipelagos. The project calls for more consultative and detailed methods for co-operation between authorities, local society and the tourist business. Indicators for sustainable tourism will be developed.

Integrated Coastal Management Project K.E.R.N. Region
The Technology Region K.E.R.N. a network of the cities Kiel, Eckenförde, Rendsburg and Neumünster is co-operating with the Danish county Fyn in a project that has three parts:

PROCOAST
The aim of PROCOAST is to bring experts on coastal zone management issues from different regions in the Baltic Sea together in order to exchange experiences on how to incorporate environmental concerns into practical management solutions for the coastal zones in the Baltic Sea region. A handbook, a state of the art report, containing a background for coastal zone planning and management in the Baltic Sea Region, is one of the results of this ‘harmonisation of uses and interests in the coastal zone‘ project. The Schleswig-Holstein State Ministry for the Rural Areas, Regional Planning, Agriculture, and Tourism is the lead partner of PROCOAST. Partners include, i.nter a.lia, Sweden and Denmark.

6.4 Evaluation

According to PROCOAST 2000 the overall state of the environment of the coast is "good". This, the report states, is due to the fact that many beaches are not in use or only lightly used. However, the old coastal defence legislation hampers new initiatives for further integration of ICZM. Furthermore problems with pollution are reported near harbours and larger cities. Finally there are reported eutrophication problems in the inner seas due especially to intensive agriculture.

7. NGOs and other private stakeholders

Some of the most important NGOs in the field of the spatial planning, as well as the protection of certain areas for natural and cultural purposes are:

Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB)
The first environmental NGO-network established in the Baltic Sea Region, established in 1990. Today it has 25 member organisations in all 9 countries bordering the Baltic Sea. The main goal of CCB is the protection and improvement of the Baltic Sea environment and natural resources. It is gathering, producing and distributing information about environmental problems in the Baltic Sea Area.

The Biologists Association (Biologforbundet)
A national association for teachers, biologists and others interested in biology, it has campaigns for more teaching on ecological and environmental issues in Danish schools.

The Danish Forestry Society (Dansk Skovforening)
Aims at the conservation of the natural resources of Danish forests.

The Danish Society for the Conservation of Nature (Danmarks Naturfredningsforening)
Concerned with the protection of wild flora and fauna, resource protection, protection of endangered animal and plant species, conservation of freshwater environments, forests, terrestrial environments and protected areas.

WWF Denmark
Active in the field of nature conservation, it is one of the initiators of the WWF Baltic Sea Project, a co-operation between the Helsinki Commission and most of the local WWF branches in the Baltic Sea region that aims for the protection of five large coastal areas and wetlands.

8. References

Bondesen, 1996. (The Norcoast Report)

Bridge, L. & A. Salman, 2000. Policy Instruments for ICZM in Nine Selected European Countries. EUCC Services. (PC2000B)

Ellul, M. 1996. Tourism and environment in European countries. (DR 96)

EUCC, 1999. Coastal Guide National Report – Denmark. EUCC.

Norcoast Project Secretariat Denmark, 1999. Norcoast review of national and regional planning processes and instruments in the North Sea regions. (8PC99)

Procoast Project Secretariat, 2000. Procoast State-of-the-Art Report. Background for Coastal Zone Planning and Management in the Baltic Sea Region.

www.spatial.baltic.net for a description of all Baltic Sea Interreg projects.

© Copyright: EUCC, 2002