EUCC is lead partner in an Interreg IIIC proposal which will develop an ICZM practitioners network of 21 partners in 11 EU and acceding states embracing regional and local authorities (9), government institutes (2), universities (5) and NGOs (5). They represent all but three of the EU’s coastal states. It is called Coastal Practice Network or CoPraNet, has a budget of €1.6 million and will run for three years until year end 2005. It has been set up to develop and exchange information on best practice in the coastal zone on the issues of sustainable tourism and coastal erosion and beach management. The network will serve to equalise the differences in regional coastal development by bringing together Priority 1 and 2 partners in a partnership embracing research, advisory and implementing organisations.

It will develop both an international label for tourism destinations and a multilingual guide for beach management and coastal erosion. Aspects being covered are water and beach quality of the coastal town and the impact of climate change, in a regional context, so that erosion and/or flood risks can be appropriately incorporated into the planning.

The project has at its heart a series of two annual conferences and eleven workshops which will explore different aspects of sustainable tourism and coastal erosion. They will be organised in order to make progress in the performance of the network activities and as a forum for presentations and inter-regional discussions. At each conference and workshop, the themes of sustainable tourism and beach management will be discussed in greater depth incorporating first hand experiences of exchange and study visits.

A website-based tool kit that can be used externally for use by other European authorities and interested stakeholders will be compiled. In order to make this information as widely available as possible, it will also be produced in ten languages other than English

Sponsors: EU Interreg IIIC west programme