About Coastal & Marine Union - EUCC

The Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC) is a stakeholder and network association with expert members in the European coastal Member States and beyond. Its main aim is to promote sustainable coastal development by bridging the gap between scientists, environmentalists, planners, and policy makers. It is a platform for sharing good practices between EU Member States on coastal and marine management. Founded in 1989, in the Netherlands with the aim of promoting a European approach to coastal conservation by bridging the gap between scientists, environmentalists, site managers, planners and policy makers, it has grown since then into the largest network of coastal and marine practitioners and experts in Europe and neighbouring areas. The EUCC has extensive experience in applying integrated coastal management programmes, based on thorough understanding of land and sea interactions. It also organises international coastal conferences; offering a podium for exchanging knowledge on natural and socio-economic coastal processes and views on coastal management practices.

EUCC promotes a European approach to coastal and marine management and has become a European NGO network with a lead role and top expertise on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), Land - Sea Interactions (LSI), coastal and marine ecosystems management and restoration, climate adaptation, Marine Strategy issues (marine litter, underwater noise), and sustainable coastal and maritime tourism, by providing  integration of aall aspects that are so important in nowadays EU environmental policies.

Our mission

EUCC's mission is to promote coastal and marine management that integrates biodiversity conservation with those forms of development that sustain the integrity of landscapes, the cultural heritage and the social fabric of our coasts considering the effects of climate change. EUCC advocates best practice by developing coastal and marine policies, mobilising experts and stakeholders, providing advice and information, and implementing demonstration projects. Our working area is Europe, but we also have working relationships with NGOs and networks outside the European Union.

Our organization

The following international offices are active

• The EUCC International Secretariat in Leiden (The Netherlands)
• The EUCC Eastern Europe Office in Klaipeda (Lithuania)
• EUCC Germany/Baltic Office in Warnemunde (Germany)

And a series of national branches and focal points: in Italy, Spain, France, Poland, Portugal, The Netherlands, Ireland and the United Kingdom.