Coastal Management in Germany

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
2. Coastal Management
2.1 Authority
2.2 Policy
2.3 Legislation
3. Spatial Planning in the Coastal Zone
3.1 Authority
3.2 PoIicy
3.3 Legislation
4. Coastal and Marine Environmental Policy
4.1 Authority
4.2. Policy
4.3 Legislation
5. Coastal and Marine Nature Conservation Policy
5.1 Recreation and tourism
5.2 Coastal defence
6. Economic Developments, Important Sectors and Trends
6.1 Legal framework
6.2 Finished projects
6.2 Ongoing projects
6.3 Initiatives related to ICZM
6.4 Evaluation
7. The Current State of Integrated Coastal Zone Management
8. NGOs and Other Private Stakeholders
9. References

1. The Coastal Zone

1.1 Description of the coastal zone
Germany has a coastline of 3379 km divided roughly into 1300 km along the North Sea and 2000 km along the Baltic Sea. Two German states or Länder, border the Baltic sea: Schleswig-Holstein (minor part with approximately 400km) and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (major part with approximately 1.600 km). The Baltic coast forms the eastern part of Germany‘s coastline, as opposed to the western part that embodies the North Sea coast. In the Baltic Sea region, the tide is almost absent and the water is brackish with a salinity of between 25 and 1 ppm. lt is a shallow coast, often bordered by moraine cliffs. Numerous bays and lagoons, bodden, peninsulas and islands break the coast with large areas of shallow water and mudflats.

1.2 Definition of the coastal zone
There is no official definition of the coastal zone. For terrestrial planning purposes on the local Ievel, responsibility generally ends at the mean high tide.

Schleswig-Holstein has established a 100 metre inland-protected strip along the coast under its nature conservation act and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has established a 200 metre wide inland-and a 200 metre wide offshore protected strip under its Nature Conservation Act.

2. Coastal Management

2.1 Authority
According to the Constitution, both the federal government as well as the federal states have joint responsibility for most areas of coastal planning issues. The Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing is responsible for providing national guidelines and co-ordinating pIanning policy from which the individual states derives its own planning Iegislation. This entails that for regional planning, nature conservation and water-management, the Länder have a high degree of freedom in establishing their own legislative structure and adhering laws, albeit having to be in co-ordinance with the federal legal framework.

2.2 Policy
There is no federal policy or strategy for coastal zone management in Germany. The federal states use the 1998 Federal Spatial Planning Act as a legally binding framework to establish their own legislative structures and laws. However, planning principles under the Federal Spatial Planning Act are confined to the terrestrial area and coastal defences.

The marine area is not adequately considered: national policy on oceans is integrated into the National Sustainable Development Strategy. lt has an integrated coastal area management programme to encompass all marine activities within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The policy addresses marine environmental protection and sustainable use as well as conservation of marine living resources.

2.3 Legislation
Federal legislation relevant to coastal management:

3. Spatial Planning in the Coastal Zone

3.1 Authority
Spatial planning in Germany is organised on at least two, generally four Ievels. At the federal level, spatial planning is only a policy with a framework responsibility laid down in the Federal Spatial Planning Act. It provides principles for spatial planning. A much stronger responsibility for the actual spatial planning process exists within the federal states and with regional and local authorities (Table 1).

Table 1. The responsible authorities and available instruments for spatial planning.

At the federal state level, there are Federal State Planning Programmes (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) or Federal State Spatial Plans (Schleswig-Holstein) which outline strategies for development and are valid up to the 12 nautical mile border. In drawing up these plans all involved authorities and municipalities as well as NGOs are able to participate. The plans are legally binding for the authorities and municipalities. In both federal states, binding regional planning programmes and plans are established incorporating federal guidelines. The administration level responsible for drawing up these programmes and plans differ in both states.

Under the principle of subsidiarity much power is placed at the municipality level, including the development of land use plans which are used as the basis for municipal building plans. The states, regions and municipalities are responsible for issuing permits for different levels of development according to the 1997 Federal Building Act which has incorporated the principle of sustainability into the planning process.

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the State Spatial Planning Authority is the responsible institution for conducting State Spatial Planning and called the State Spatial Planning Programme in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The Municipalities have the final planning sovereignty, embodied in Land Use Plans, which are detailed and legally binding preparatory land use and building plans. This system is often characterised as the ‘counter-current principle‘ since, although the municipal plans have to meet the criteria of federal and state authorities, the municipalities are given the opportunity to participate in the preparations of the plans on those higher levels.

The German Constitution does not provide for clear administration of the EEZ. The responsibility for it, beyond the state boundary, belongs to the coastal state government under the conditions of the UN Law of the Sea Convention. i.e. for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources and with regard to other activities, such as the production of energy from the water, currents and winds; establishment and use of artificial islands, marine scientific research and the protection and preservation of the marine environment. According to the new Federal German Nature Conservation Act from 2002, NATURA 2000 sites can be established in the EEZ.

lt is important to take into consideration that spatial planning of municipalities and counties exist on land only, i.e. land-ward of the high tide. Consequently, there is little or no Iocal or regional planning in the marine area. Federal State Planning only comprises the land area and the marine area up to the seaward state boundary, i.e. the outer boundary of the territorial sea. So far, the demand for integrated coastal zone planning and for concrete definitions of specific spatial use in the marine area has not been realised by the Federal State Planning Authority. As a result of the conference of the ministers for spatial planning of the Baltic States, it is foreseen that the competence of spatial planning will be increased to the 12 nautical mile border.

3.2 PoIicy
Spatial planning is, in accordance with the German constitution, a policy area with only framework competencies for the Federation. As a result, there is the framework Federal Spatial Development Programme from 1975. To co-ordinate the different policies in the field of spatial planning, a conference of the state ministers for spatial planning was founded which is authorised to elaborate leading concepts. This is a new informal planning instrument on the federal level.

The state spatial planning programme for Schleswig- Holstein was published in 1998 and replaced the 1979 plan. lt lays out the main principles and objectives of spatial planning until 2010. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the First State Spatial Planning programme was adopted in 1993, defining and regulating the principles of overall planning for the development of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

4. Coastal and Marine Nature Conservation Policy

4.1 Authority
According to the Constitution, nature conservation is the responsibility of the individual federal state within the framework of federal legislation. The highest authority at the federal state level is the State Ministry of Environment, being responsible for environmental legislation.

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the State Office of Environment, Nature and Geology is the second state authority (technical-scientific administration). In Schleswig-Holstein, it is the State Office of Nature and Environment which acts accordingly. They are, among others, responsible for research, monitoring, technical-conceptual information and species protection. The counties are the lower nature protection authorities. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the regional state environmental and nature conservation authorities are, i.a. responsible for nature conservation in marine areas, for permits in nature conservation areas, for compiling statements concerning impacts and for consultation.

4.2. Policy
The Federal Nature Conservation Act contains provisions for general protection of certain biotopes and species. The Act lists these protected biotopes, but it is the responsibility of the federal states to implement nature conservation by adopting federal legislation. The State Nature Conservation Act of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as well as Acts for specific conservation areas regulates nature conservation and can be seen as a standard for all state legislation in Germany, though minor variations might exist. The most important biotopes, related to Baltic Sea coastal management that enjoy legal protection are:

All measures which might significantly alter or threaten the state of these biotopes are forbidden. Exceptions are only allowed in case of an overriding public interest and the possibility of compensating the impacts.

Several nature protection areas, parks, and biosphere reserves exist. The Iargest German national park at the Baltic Sea Coast is “Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft“. Other large protected areas along the coast line are the National Park “Jasmund“, the biosphere reserve Südostrügen or the nature park Usedom. Furthermore, large parts of the coast zone are proposed or designated as NATURA 2000-areas. These Natura-2000 areas often correspond with different conservation areas.

Further nature reserves exist in Schleswig-Holstein: e.g., on the Fehmann Island (“Grüner Brink“, “Wallnau and “Krummsteert and Sulsdorfer Wiek”), in the Hohwacht bay region (“Sehlendorfer Binnensee, “Kronswarder“, “Graswarder Heiligenhafen“ and “kleiner Binnensee“) and along the northeast coastline (“Vogelgreistätte Oehe-Schleimünde” and “Geltinger Birk”).

About 10% of the seacoast of Schleswig-Holstein is currently protected. Another 27 areas covering 12% of the coastline have been recommended for designation as nature reserves by the nature conservation authorities. National parks and nature protection areas have the highest status of protection.

5. Economic Developments, Important Sectors and Trends

5.1 Recreation and tourism
Germany is a main tourist market: in 1954, there were about 9.3 million trips which had increased to approximately 161 million trips by 1993. At this time, the tourist industry attained an annual total turnover of DM 140 billion, corresponding to about 5.6% of the Gross National Product. As a result, several attractive recreational areas are, at least during the main season, heavily affected to a level which exceeds the ecological sustainability of the area. Within the past years, a number of nature reserves have become overcrowded in such a way that today they no longer satisfy the criteria set when the reserve was first set up.

5.2 Coastal defence
The highest authority concerning coastal defence is the Ministry of the Environment in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Ministry of Rural Areas in Schleswig-Holstein. Several departments within the ministries are responsible for, i.a. legislation, general planning (including the integration/participation of stakeholders in the coastal Zone), financing and the determination of state measures in coastal defence.

At a regional level, a number of environmental and nature conservation authority departments are responsible for building and maintaining the state coastal defence measures. For basic research, planning and licensing procedures along the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the regional environmental and nature conservation authority in Rostock has jurisdiction whereas local water boards are responsible for other coastal defence measures, e.g. the protection of agricultural areas or tourist facilities. After the re-unification in 1990, basic and applied research in coastal engineering were intensified in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The results were included in the ‘master-plan coastal defence Mecklenburg-Vorpommern' which was adopted in 1995. This master plan represents the technical and financial concept for coastal defence. Next to an identification of the most urgent measures, it also includes technical and financial dimensions of most of the measures Iisted. The Federal government engages in co-financing coastal defence. A new master plan is to be elaborated shortly which will contain plans concerning implementation.

The Schleswig-Holstein State Ministry for the Rural Areas, Regional Planning, Agriculture and Tourism realised that the implementation of an integrated coastal zone management programme is a goal that can hardly be reached in the near future. Therefore, to ensure a sustainable planning process that protects human life and assets from coastal hazards, the State Ministry has established an integrated coastal defence management programme for its coastal zone. The management programme consists of the following tasks:

6. The Current State of Integrated Coastal Zone Management

6.1 Legal framework
With respect to integrated coastal zone management and sustainable use as well as conservation of marine Iiving resources, Germany has engaged in several international agreements and signed numerous conventions that create legal obligations for its national policy. They are impIemented according to the adopted international laws or international agreements.

National legislation in Germany shows awareness of the importance of an integrated, sustainable approach to management and (spatial) planning. The principle of sustainability has been incorporated into the 1998 Federal Building Act, the set of overarching guidelines for spatial planning. When issuing development project permits, counties and municipalities are obliged to do so according to the Federal Act.

The aim of SuPortNet, sustainable development with a network of ports for boat tourism in the Baltic Sea Region promoted integrated management of coastal zones with potential for boat tourism. The project concentrated on planning activities on the various locations where possible improvements in the harbour facilities were subject to integrated spatial planning and management. The Ministry of Employment Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was the lead organisation.

The Regionaler Planungsverband Mecklenburgische Seeplatte (a regional planning association) co-ordinated this project which aimed at integrating tourism and sustainable development in regions with a high percentage of protected areas. The end result was a handbook for local actors and Iinked tourism projects within, and between, the regions.

Cultural Assets for the Sustainable Development of Tourism in the Region of HOLM and its European Partner Regions (1999-2001)

The goal of the project is the creation of a pearl-string of cultural events and destinations to establish high quality management. The scope of the projects comprises the creation of a common view of suitable planning methods, particularly at the local and regional level, and the elaboration of co-ordinated strategies to improve cross-sectoral planning. HOLM/Hansestadt Wismar is the organising partner in Germany.

The State Ministry of Environment of Hamburg is the project leader, aiming at setting up a Baltic Environmental Information Dissemination System. The project is an interregional, cross-sectoral initiative designed to increase economic and social cohesion among organisations in the EU and Baltic non-EU states which aims at improving cross-sectoral communication in relation to spatial planning, focussing on transport and energy issues in particular.

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, inter alia, Sweden and Denmark.

The aim of the Baltic Eutrophication Regional NETwork (BERNET) is to improve the management of eutrophication problems in the Baltic Sea Area i.e. the pollution of the aquatic environment with the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus. This is taking place through the identification of major eutrophication problems in the co-operating regions around the Baltic Sea and by comparing and evaluating the present strategies of eutrophication management resulting in regional action plans which serve to implement the development improvements.

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:

In co-operation with the chamber of commerce and a number of university and consulting agency experts, the State Regional Planning Authority aims at identifying the possibilities for an integrated development of the coast, incorporating ecological as well as economic requirements.

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.

6.3 Initiatives related to ICZM
A number of studies dealing with integrated coastal management have been carried out in Germany by a range of research institutes. The objective of these studies was to identify the importance of integrated coastal management and how to overcome the obstacles which hamper the implementation of ICZM. ‘Integrated Coastal Zone Management What Lessons for Germany and Europe?‘(2000), a report issued by the Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, contains recommendations and results from the ‘First German ICZM Conference. A study called ‘Raumbedeutsame Maßnahmen im off-shore-Bereich vor der Küste von Mecklenburg- Vorpommern‘ (1999), contains recommendations for sustainable spatial planning and incorporates suggestions for an integrated approach.

6.4 Evaluation
During a PROCOAST evaluation of coastal management in Germany it was concluded that there is a sufficient legal and organisational framework for ICZM. However, even though there is enough awareness among authorities, there is a lack of agreement between different departments. Public awareness about environmental issues has decreased and the awareness concerning coastal problems is low. On the other hand, lCZM has proven to be a big issue for both science and the authorities in Germany.

7. NGOs and other private stakeholders

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.

German Association for Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND)
An organisation with concern about wild and endangered flora and fauna, forests and lakes as well as land use, atmospheric pollution, renewable energy, ecology, sustainable development, environmental education, hazardous substances and waste disposal, Other activities include international co-operation, camps and excursions.

Grüne Liga (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
An ecological network engaged in e.g. environmental education, sustainable development

Nature Conservation Society (NABU)
National organisation for the protection of birds (partner of Birdlife International) and nature; engaged in the protection of species and habitats of high ecological value with local offices in Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Verein Jordsand for the Protection of Seabirds and Nature (Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
An organisation with specific concern on seabirds and the management of protected areas.

WWF International, Baltic Conservation Programme
The WWF Baltic Programme is a regional conservation programme of WWF International.

8. References

EIIuI, Anthony, 1996. Council of Europe. Tourism and environment in European countries. (DR 96)

EUCC, 1999. Spatial Planning in European Coastal Zones. Review of approaches in spatial planning, coastal policy and coastal defence. (pp 99)

EUCC, 2000. Policy Instruments for ICZM in Nine Selected European Countries — Germany. (PC 2006)

Federal Ministry for the environment, 1998. Report on Environmental Policy — Today. (31 PE 98)

PROCOAST Project Secretariat, 2000. PROCOAST State-of-the-Art Report. Background for Coastal Zone Planning and Management in the Baltic See Region, August 2000, p.31/66.

PROCQAST, proceedings of the International Seminar on the harmonisation of uses and interests in the Baltic Sea Coastal Zones, October 2000, Eckenforde, Germany.

VASAB 2010 Compendium of spatial planning Systems in the Baltic See Region http://vasab.leontief.net/countries/permany. html