D - Flood risk management
The impacts of extreme water-related incidents are aggravated by the climate change. In 2021, dramatic flood events in the Rhine and Meuse river basins illustrate the need of stronger actions at European and national level. Since the important floods along the Danube and Elbe rivers in the summer 2002, it became clear that action by individual States was no enough, even beyond the strengthening of civil protection cooperation between Member States. It appeared necessary to consider the adoption of EU legislation to prevent and manage flood risk. The Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risks aims to reduce the adverse consequences for human health, the environment and cultural heritage but also for economic activities in the EU. 12 years later, the Commission underlines that under a no-adaptation to climate change scenario, damages in the EU are “projected to rise from EUR 6.9 billion/year to EUR 20.4 billion/year by the 2020s, EUR 45,9 billion/year by the 2050s and EUR 97.9 billion/year by the 2080s” (com 19 -95). However, the Commission notes in its last report on the implementation of Directive 2007/60/EC that “in 60% of river basin in the EU there are no data on the costs from flood damages” (COM 2020 970) and concludes the need to collect data to better calculate the costs and the prioritization of adequate measures.
Directive 2007/60/EC defines Flood as “temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water. This shall include floods from river, mountain torrents, Mediterranean ephemeral water courses, and floods from the sea in coastal areas, and may exclude floods from sewerage systems”. It also defines Flood Risk as “the combination of the probability of a flood event and of the potential adverse consequences for human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity associated with a flood event” (article 2).
The development of synergies between this Directive and the WFD is clearly emphasized and planned. The competent authorities designated by Member State for the implementation of WFD should be the same authority for the implementation of Flood Directive. However, Member States may decide to appoint competent authorities different from those identified for the WFD. As stated in article 3 of Flood Directive, Member States may “identify certain coastal areas of individual river basin and assign them to a unit of management different from those assigned pursuant to article 3(1) of WFD”. Member States have to ensure the coordination of the Flood Directive and the WFD (Article 9). For example, the development of the first flood hazards maps and flood risk maps “shall be carried out such a way that the information they contain is consistent with relevant information presented according” to WFD. In the same way, the first flood risk management plans (including their reviews) “shall be carried out in coordination with, and may be integrated into, the reviews of the river basin management plans” of WFD. Finally, Member States shall ensure the coordination “as appropriate” of the active involvement of all interested parties under article 10 of Flood Directive and article 14 of WFD.
Flood Directive also imposes three major obligations on Member States:
- Preliminary flood risk assessment based “on available or readily derivable information and studies on long term developments, in particular impact of climate change” by 22/12/2011. The article 5 provides the main elements to include in this assessment. (Article 5)
- Flood hazard maps and flood risks maps which shall cover the geographical areas which could be flooded according three scenarios (low probability or extreme event scenarios, medium probability (likely return period = 100 years, high probability, where appropriate) by 22/12/2013. (Article 6)
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Flood risk management plans coordinated at the level of the river basin district or unit of management by 22/12/2015. Member States shall establish “appropriate objectives (…) focusing on the reduction of potential adverse consequences of flooding for human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity (…) and/or the reduction of the likelihood of flooding”. The article 7 identifies the specifies the different elements that such risk management plans shall contain, focusing in particular on “prevention, protection, preparedness, including flood forecasts and early warning systems”. Such plans “may also include the promotion of sustainable land use practices, improvement of water retention” and the use of nature-based solutions. In its 2019 report on the implementation of Flood directive, the Commission states that all 26 Member States assessed include such nature-based solutions in their management plans
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The 2019 Fitness check of the WFD and Flood Directive concluded that the “existing legislative framework broadly fit for purpose with some scope of improvement”

