The original goal of this EUCC led initiative was to develop a distance training programme (internet, CD-ROM) for accession countries, the NIS, and the Mediterranean on the benefits and the tools of an integrated approach to coastal management. Today, Coastlearn has proven to be of value also for ICZM training in EU countries. The overall objective is to promote integrated planning and management of coastal resources and consequently sustainable development along the coast. In addition, CoastLearn aims to exchange knowledge and practice experience, support ICZM processes and promote trans-national and trans-sectoral networks. The vocational training package targets coastal managers and planners working at local, sub-national, and national levels. The secondary target group are universities and NGOs. It is an on-line, free of charge, flexible training tool.

The idea originated during a meeting in Split, Croatia, in summer 2000, of 18 governmental representatives of the Baltic, Black, Mediterranean and Caspian Seas. They made a call for a distance vocational training tool which would allow them to communicate information, experience and ideas to each other on a longer term basis.

CoastLearn is divided into thematic modules that can be studied independently. There are currently eight modules available viz. Principles of ICZM, Policy Analysis, GIS, Planning, ERA, Sustainable Tourism, Public participation & Biodiversity. There is also a Simulation Game. They are illustrated with figures, exercises and good & bad practice examples and can be supported by tutorial services. They also contain ample references to European legislation. Furthermore, it is multilingual, being already available in Croatian, English, Estonian, French, Greek, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Turkish, and Russian. Currently an Arabic version are under development.

Development of the modules has involved experts in the field of training, coastal planning and management from all over Europe and the Mediterranean: educational experts and teachers from Greece, UK and Netherlands, for example, worked with like-minded colleagues in Turkey, Slovenia, Romania, Croatia, Poland, the Baltic Republics, Russia, and Ukraine.

CoastLearn, a unique, free of charge, flexible, Internet-based long distance vocational training package, is already a powerful training tool and a starting point for the ICZM learning process.