Will the floods directive keep our feet dry? Policies and regulations in the flemish region and Scotland

Journal of Water Law

Volumn 21, Issue 4, 2010, Pages 156-166

  Herman, Charlotte ^a  

^a Legal Counsel   (Belgium)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

BASIN MANAGEMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; EUROPEAN UNION; FLOOD CONTROL; GOVERNANCE APPROACH; INTEGRATED APPROACH; LAW ENFORCEMENT; POLICY ANALYSIS; REGULATORY APPROACH; RISK ASSESSMENT; RIVER BASIN; STRATEGIC APPROACH; WATER PLANNING;

BELGIUM; FLANDERS; SCOTLAND; UNITED KINGDOM;

EID: 79957861196     PISSN: 14785277     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (149)

1. H de Moei, J van Alphen and JCJH Aerts 'Flood maps in Europe methods, availability and use' (2009) 9 Natural Hazard and Earth System Sciences 289.
2. Council Directive 2000/60/EC of 23 October 2000 on establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (2000) OJ L327 (Water Framework Directive (WFD)).
3. Council Directive 2007/60/EC of 23 October 2007 on the assessment and management of flood risks (2007) OJ 1288/27 (Floods Directive (FD)).
4. WFD arts 2(15), 4.
5. HFMW van Rijswick Moving Water and the Law: On the Distribution of Water Rights and Water Duties Within River Basins in European and Dutch Water Law (Europa Law Publishing Groningen 2008).
6. J H Jans, HHB Vedder European Environmental Law (Europa Law Publishing Groningen 2008);
7. W Howarth Aspirations and realities under the Water Framework Directive: Proceduralisation, participation and practicalities' (2009) 21(3) Journal of Environmental Law 393;
8. Strategic document 'Carrying forward the Common Implementation Strategy for the Water Framework Directive - Progress and Work Programme for 2003 and 2004 (17 June 2003) available at http://ec.europa.eu/ environment/water/water- framework/objectives/pdf/strategy 2.pdf.
9. P de Putter 'Grondwaterpeilbeheer in de Europese Kaderrichtlijn Water' (2002) Milieu & Recht 292.
10. E Louka Water Law & Policy: Governance Without Frontiers (Oxford University Press Oxford New York 2008);
11. WFD (n 2) arts 4(6), 11(3)(1) and Art 11(5).
12. HFMW van Rijswick, A A Freriks, C W Backes and others EG-recht en de praktijk van het waterbeheer (Stowa Utrecht 2003).
13. T Moss The governance of land use in river basins: prospects for overcoming problems of institutional interplay with the EU Water Framework Directive' (2004) 21 Land Use Policy 85.
14. WFD (n 2) preamble recital 16;
15. van Rijswick (n 9).
16. WFD (n 2) arts 3,13.
17. Louka (n 8).
18. Louka (n 8). ibid.
19. Briefing Note of DG Internal Policies of the Union, Policy Department Economic and Scientific Policy The Adequacy of EU action on flood protection, focusing on the European Commission's recent proposal' (March 2006) IPOUA/ENVI/2006-18 available at httpJ/ www.europarl.europa.eu/comparl/envi/pdf/ externalexpertise/ieep-6 leg/-flood-protection.pdf;
20. A Farmer 'A European Union directive on flood management' (2005) 16(3) Journal of Water Law 85-9.
21. FD (n 3) preamble recital 4.
22. S Bach 'Perspectives for European water management law - Report of a conference in Brussels, 3-4 April 2008' (2008) (3-4) Journal for European Environmental and Planning Law 346.
23. Inter alia FD (n 3) preamble recitals 6, 7, 8,17, chs I, V.
24. ibid arts 4, 5, 6, 7.
25. Louka (n 8).
26. Louka (n 8). ibid.
27. FD (n 3) preamble recital 3, art 4.2(d).
28. ibid art 9; Bach (n 17) 347.
29. FD (n 3) preamble recital 17;
30. Louka (n 8).
31. Farmer (n 15) 89;
32. Bach (n 17) 346.
33. van Rijswick (n 5);
34. W Howarth 'The European Community approach to flood defence' (2007) 18(4) Journal of Water Law 115-16.
35. W Kellens and others A GIS for flood risk management in Flanders' in P S Showalter, Y Lu (eds) Geospatial Techniques in Urban Hazard and Disaster Analysis (Springer Dordrecht 2010) available at http://www. milieurapport.be/;
36. http://statbel.fgov.be/nl/modules/publications/ statistiques/bevolking/ cijfers-bevolking-1-1-2009.jsp.
37. Scottish Executive Geographic Information Service Impact of Flooding in Scotland, In-house CIS analysis using the SEPA Indicative Flood Map 2007, Summary results (25 September 2007) available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk-/ Publications/2007A)9/20092209/6;
38. Scotland's Population 2009 - The Registrar General's Annual Review of Demographic Trends 155th Edition available at http://www.gro-scotland.gov. uk/files2/stats/annual-review-09/rgar 2009-.pdf.
39. The Scottish Government was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, and rebranded following the 2007 Scottish Parliament election.
40. Belgium is a federal country with three regions: the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region.
41. Special Act on Institutional Reform of 8 August 1980, Belgian Law Gazette 15 August 1980 (own translation) (Bijzondere Wet tot hervorming der instellingen, BS. 15 augustus 1980).
42. Scotland Act 1998 (c 46) sched 5;
43. A Ross, H Nash and C T Reid The Implementation of EU Environmental Law in Scotland' (2009) 13 Edinburgh Law Review 231;
44. W M Gloag, R C Henderson The Law of Scotland (Sweet & Maxwell Edinburgh 2001).
45. TFEU Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, OJ 2008 C-115/47 art 258;
46. Case C-274/98 P, Commission v Spain, [2000] ECR I-02823, paras 19-20;
47. S Hendry 'Environmental Information in the legal context and a Scottish case study' in J G Timmerman, S Langaas (eds) Environmental Information in European Transboundary Water Management (IWA Publishing London 2004) 79;
48. Scotland Act 1998 (n 32).
49. Decree on Integral Water Policy of 18 July 2003, Belgian Law Gazette 14 November 2003 (own translation) (hereinafter DIWP) (Decreet lntegraal Waterbeleid van 18 juli 2003, B.S. 14 november 2003).
50. Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 (asp 3) Royal Assent March 2003 (hereinafter WEWS).
51. S Hendry 'Scottish Strategic Issues' (2005) 16 (3) Journal of Water Law 98;
52. J Heyman 'Naar een nieuwe visie op het waterbeleid in Viaanderen -Titel I van het decreet van 18 juli 2003 betreffende het integraal waterbeleid' in K Deketelaere, M Deketelaere (eds) Jaarboek Milieurecht 2003, Milieurechtstandpunten nr. 18 (Die Keure Brugge 2004).
53. Decree of 16 July 2010 to amend the Integral Water Policy of 18 July 2003, Belgian Law Gazette 19 August 2010 (own translation) (Decreet tot wijziging van het decreet van 18 juli 2003 betreffende het integraal waterbeleid of 19 August 2010, B.S. 19 augustus 2010).
54. The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 asp 6 (FRM(S) Act) was enacted on 16 June 2009 (hereinafter Flood Act).
55. The international RBDs are the Scheldt and the Meuse river basin district; http://www.vmm.be/water.
56. Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 (Designation of Scotland River Basin District) Order 2003 (SSI 2003/ 610).
57. A Crabbé Integraal waterbeleid in Vlaanderen: van fluide naar solide (UA Antwerpen 2008).
58. Implementing Order of the Flemish Government regarding the geographical division of water systems and the organisation of the integral water policy, Belgian Law Gazette (2 December 2005) (Besluit van de Vlaamse Regering betreffende de geografische indeling van watersystemen en de organisatie van het integraal waterbeleid in uitvoering van Titel I van het decreet van 18 juli 2003 betreffende het integraal waterbeleid van 9 September 2005, B.S. 2 december 2005).
59. F Maes 'Doorwerken van internationale en Europese milieubeginselen in het Vlaams intregraal waterbeleid' in F Maes, L Lavrysen (eds) Integraal waterbeleid in Vlaanderen en Nederland (Die Keure Brugge 2003).
60. G Gonsaeles 'Vlaamse waterbeleidstructuren als basis voor integraliteiť in Maes, Lavrysen (ibid).
61. DIWP (n 34) art 25.
62. The Flemish Environment Agency (Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij) is also a member of the International Meuse Commission and the International Scheldt Commission and is the coordinator of the international Scaldit project which focuses inter alia on spatial planning and floods available at http://www.vmm.be/.
63. DIWP (n 34) arts 24, 32. The first water policy document was approved by the Flemish Government on 8 April 2005 available at http: //www.ciwvlaanderen. be/publicaties/Brochure-WBN-Def-versie.pdf.
64. J Heyman 'lnspraak in planvorming in het integraal waterbeleid' in Maes, Lavrysen (n 43).
65. Water policy document (n 47) 5-6.
66. W van Gils Kroniek van een aangekondigde overstroming (dewereldmorgen 2010) available at http://www.dewereldmorgen.be/ artikels/2010/11/17/kroniek- van-een-aangekondigde-overstroming.
67. The RBMPs of the Scheldt and Meuse were approved by the Flemish Government on 8 October 2010 available at http://www.ciwvlaanderen. be/stroomgebieddistncten/vlaams/vlaamse-stroomgebiedbeheer plannen-voor-schelde- en-maas.
68. The management plans for the 11 river basins were approved on 30 January 2009 in the Implementing Order of the Flemish Government regarding river basin management plans in accordance with art 48 of the Decree of integral water policy as stated on Integral Water Policy of 18 July 2003, Bulletin of Acts (5 March 2009) (Besluit van de Vlaamse Regering houdende de vaststelling van de bekkenbeheerplannen overeenkomstig artikel 48 van het decreet van 18 juli 2003 betreffende het integraal waterbeleid, B.S. 5 maart 2009) available at http://www.bekkenwerking.be/.
69. The Scheldt RBMPs refers to the flood measures taken in the Sigma Plan available at http://www.sigmaplan.be/.
70. Decree of 23 December 2010 regarding various regulations concerning the environment and nature, Belgian Law Gazette (18 February 2011) (Decreet houdende diverse bepalingen inzake leefmilieu en natuur van 23 december 2010, RS. 18 februari 2011).
71. S Bell, D McGillivray Environmental Law (Oxford University Press Oxford 2006).
72. SEPA was established by the Environment Act 1995 (c 25).
73. WEWS (n 35) s 10;
74. Flood Act (n 38) ss 5, 74.
75. Agriculture (Scotland) Act 1970 (c 40) s 92;
76. 'Current Law, Statutes Annotated, Flood Peril Management (Scotland) Act (2009) (asp 6)' annotations by T Ball, S Hendry, A Werritty and C Spray, UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science, University of Dundee.
77. WEWS (n 35) ch 2.
78. ibid s 2. The order is made in respect of the following bodies: local authorities, Scottish Water, Scottish Natural Heritage, National Parks Authorities, Forestry Commission (Scotland), District Salmon Fishery Boards, British Waterways, Fisheries Committee. Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 (Designation of Responsible Authorities) Order 2006 SSI 2006/126 amended by the Water Environment (Relevant Enactments and Designation of Responsible Authorities and Functions) Order 2008 SSI 2008/263.
79. Water Environment Order ibid;
80. Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (c 8).
81. Implementing the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003: promoting an integrated approach - a policy statement (July 2008) available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/ 231541/0063156.pdf.
82. WEWS (n 35) ch 2. On 22 December 2009, SEPA adopted and published the Scotland RBMP. On the same day the Solway Tweed RBMP was adopted and published jointly by SEPA and the Environment Agency. Both plans are available at http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river- basin-planning.aspx.
83. WEWS (n 35) ss 5,10(2)(a).
84. The river basin management plan for the Scotland river basin district 2009-2015 - Summary 15-17, available at http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/ river-basin-planning.aspx.
85. WEWS (n 35) s 2(4)(b)(i)
86. WEWS (n 35) ibid s 20.
87. Scottish Environment LINK Towards sustainable flood management in Scotland (August 2007) available at http://www.scotlink.org/pdf/ Towards%20Sust%20Flood%20Management%20LINK%20Briefing.pdf.
88. The Flood Act repeals the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 and amends the Reservoir Act 1975. See n 57.
89. Scottish Parliament Rural Affairs and Environment Committee Official Report (19 March 2008) available at http://www.scottish.parliament. uk/s 3/committees/rae/or-08/ru08-0602.htm.
90. Available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/ Water/Flooding/FRMAct/saif.
91. The deadline for transposition was 26 November 2009.
92. For example within the framework of the Sigma plan many detailed maps and models are already available. An application known as LATIS is already used as the preferred methodology for flood risk assessment. Further development of this application will allow the Flemish Region to fulfil the provisions of the FD. For more details on LATIS see W Kellens and others 'A GIS tool for flood risk analysis in Flanders (Belgium)' (2008) Risk Analysis Vl: simulation and hazard mitigation 21-7; DIWP (n 34) art 60§2.
93. DIWP ibid.
94. ibid art 50 bis.
95. Maps indicating flood risk are available at http://www.sepa.org.uk/ flooding.aspx.
96. The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act: delivering sustainable flood risk management - a consultation (January 2011) available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/01/14152758/0.
97. Treaty on European Union art 5 OJ 2008 C115/15 (subsidiarity principle). The competence of the Flemish Region for land use and spatial planning is stipulated in art 6§1 I and art 6§1, III Special Act on Institutional Reform 1980 (n 31). Section 1 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (c 8) confers competence for spatial planning on the Scottish local authorities (n 60).
98. X 'Ruimte' (2009) Vakblad van de Vereniging voor Ruimte en Planning -Themanummer: herziening RSV 12-30.
99. Spatial Structure Plan of Flanders (April 2004) 431 ('Ruimtelijke ondersteuning van het integraal waterbeheer', in Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Vlaanderen, april 2004).
100. DIWP (n 34) arts 4, 5,4°,
101. 5,6°(c)(d), 6,10°,
102. 7, 8, 36§3, 42§1 and §4.
103. DIWP (n 34) art 3§2,44° defines flood areas as 'an area which is bordered by dikes, interior dikes, valley borders or by any other method that floods or can flood on regular times and that as such can fulfil or fulfils a water storage function'. The definition of flood area covers the areas in which floods take place in a controlled way as well as in a purely natural way. See V Bruggeman 'Floods and the law: watershed or swamp? The link between water quantity policy and spatial planning policy in an international, European and comparative context' in G van Calster, K Deketelaere (eds) Energy and Environmental Law - 2005 - Recent Developments in International, European and Comparative Energy and Environmental Law (Institute for and Environmental Law KUL Leuven 2005) 688.
104. DIWP (n 34) art 3§2,44° bis defines a designated flood area as 'a flood area which has been demarcated or designated for this specific aim within a RBMP, a sub RBMP or by a decision of the Flemish Government'.
105. ibid arts 36§3,42§1.
106. ibid arts 36§3,42§1; P De Smedt 'Naar een ruimtelijke ordening op waterbasis' in Maes, Lavrysen (n 43) 149-91.
107. Flemish Code on Spatial Planning of 15 May 2009, Belgian Law Gazette (20 August 2000) (Besluit van de Vlaamse Regering van 15 mei 2009 houdende coördinatie van de decreetgeving op de ruimtelijke ordening, B.S. 20 augustus 2009).
108. P De Smedt 'Water-related tools for climate change adaptation in the Flemish Region: the art of linking water quality management standards to spatial planning' (2010) 7(3) Journal for European Environmental and Planning Law 294-5.
109. Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (n 60) s 1. The legislative framework for the planning system in Scotland has undergone a major change through the Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 17).
110. Scottish Planning Policy (February 2010) available at http://www. scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/300760/0093908-.pdf pp 7-8 paras 37-9, 43. This policy, replacing the SPP 7- Planning and Flooding (6 February 2004), however, does not restate policy and guidance expressed elsewhere. Thus the Planning Advice Note PAN 69 - Planning and Building Standards Advice on Flooding (August 2004) remains in force.
111. Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006 (n 87) ss 3D, 3E.
112. Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (asp 12) s 92.
113. Scottish Planning Policy (n 88) pp 40-1, p 43 para 205.
114. Flood Act (n 38) ss 9, s 28(1)(a)(viii); s 28(5) states that 'a "development plan" has the meaning given in section 24 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997'.
115. DIWP (n 34) art 8, amended by the Decree on the environment, energy and public works of 25 May 2007, Belgian Law Gazette (19 June 2007) (Decreet van 25 mei 2007 houdende diverse bepalingen inzake leefmilieu, energie en openbare werken, B.S. 19 juni 2007).
116. FCSP art 4.3.1..1, 4; De Smedt (n 86).
117. DIWP art 3§2,17° of the DIWP defines the concept 'harmful effect'. It must be noted that compensation in natura is only possible if the harm has effect on the infiltration of rainwater or the reduction of the space for water. P De Smedt De watertoets getoets - Juridisch leidraad bij de toepassing van de watertoets (Larder Brussel Gent 2008).
118. Depending on the permit, plan or programme the responsible authority is the FR, the province or the community; Besluit van de Vlaamse Regering tot vaststelling van nadere regels voor de toepassing van de watertoets, tot aanwijzing van de adviesinstantie en tot vaststelling van nadere regels voor de adviesprocedure bij de watertoets, vermeld in artikel 8 van het decreet van 18 juli 2003 betreffende het ¡ntegraal waterbeleid, B.S. 31 Oktober 2006 available at http://www. watertoets.be.
119. It must be noted that the ratione materiae of the water assessment focuses not only on flood prevention but also on nuisance caused by groundwater, sewerage, water supply for individual households, erosion, public health, water quality and effects on nature. De Smedt (n 95).
120. Council of State, Case Vandekerckhove (12 July 2007) nr 173.482;
121. Council of State Case Van Poucke (20 February 2008) nr 179.933.
122. De Smedt (n 86).
123. DIWP (n 34) arts 36§3, 42§4.
124. Flood Act (n 57).
125. Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2008/432 sched 5, s 1(1).
126. Flood Act (n 57);
127. The Scottish Planning Policy (n 88) nr 29.
128. WEWS (n 35) s 20(3)(d).
129. DIWP (n 34) art 17.
130. De Smedt (n 86).
131. Flood Act (n 38) ss 82, 83.
132. Available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/ localgovernment/17999/Bellwin.
133. Available at http://www.overstromingsvoorspeller.be/default. aspx?path=NL/Algemene-info/Waarom&KL=nl.
134. Programme Decree of 27 June 2003 (Programmadecreet 27 juni 2003, B.S. 12 September 2003).
135. For example the Scaldit project, Wave project, Alfaproject, Flood Resilience City Project available at http://www.vmm.be/water/ integraalwaterbeleid/waterbeheerplannen.
136. D Green Scottish Borders Council's Flood Protection Programme in Relation to Sustainable Flood Risk Management (World Water Day workshop 22 March 2010 UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science, University of Dundee) available at http://www.slideshare.net/ WordWaterDayBe2camp/river-basin-management- flooding.
137. Available at http://www.sepa.org.uk/flooding.aspx.
138. For example the AQUARIUS research project, which focuses on farmers as water managers, Communication of flood risk (UR-FLOOD), catchment management research, NFMG Scoping Project, SFDAD project, ERA NET CRUE. S Langan 'Stakeholder engagement in the Dee Basin: some aspects of flood management research and practice' (World Water Day workshop 22 March 2010 UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science, University of Dundee) available at http://www. be2camp.com/page/world-water-day-the-river;
139. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Water/Flooding.
140. The Act on the restoration of damage caused by natural disasters and on the land insurance (Wet van 21 mei 2003 tot wijziging van de wet van 25 juni 1992 op de landverzekeringovereenkomst en de wet van 12 juli 1976 betreffende het herstel van zekere schade aan private goederen door natuurrampen B.S. 15 juli 2003, gewijzigd door de wet van 17 September 2005, B.S. 11 Oktober 2005);
141. The Federal Council of Ministers (19 March 2010) adopted legislation making insurance against physical injury caused by fire or explosions compulsory. However, general fire insurance is still voluntary.
142. See http://presscenter.org/ repository/news/fa5/nl/ fa5ee8a3f0a1d4886e9bf6054617cacd-nl.pdf.
143. Royal Decree of 28 February 2007, Belgian Law Gazette (23 March 200) (Koninklijk Besluit van 28 februari 2007, B.S. 23 maart 2007).
144. V Bruggeman 'De schadeloosstelling van slachtoffers van natuurrampen. Belgie als wenkend voorbeeld?' (2010) 4 Milieu- en energierecht 223-34.
145. De Smedt (n 86) 105-108;
146. M Faure, V Bruggeman 'Catastrophic risks and first-party insurance' (2008) 15(1) Connecticut Insurance Law Journal 45-9.
147. The Association of British Insurers and the Scottish Government 'A joint statement on the provisions of flood insurance' (December 2008) available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/921/ 0075588.pdf.
148. S Hendry 'Enabling the framework - the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act' (2003) 14 The Journal of Water Law (1)17.
149. FD (n 3) preamble recital 17.