Georgios Zois, Dr. jur.
Climate change is accelerating in Europe, with its impacts on the protection of human health and life, the environment, the cultural heritage, and -of course- on the economic activity increasing in intensity and in frequency. Consequently, taking measures to assess, manage and deal with flood risks is not just a necessity, but an imperative and obvious political choice. This is also provided for in European Union law, since the obligations of the Member States to establish the relevant legislative framework and to draw up the corresponding flood risk management plan are regulated by Directive 2007/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23rd October 2007 on the assessment and management of flood risks.
In accordance with the provisions of the above Directive, Member States are required to draw up flood hazard maps and flood risk maps, as well as coordinated management plans setting appropriate targets, focusing on reducing the negative consequences that floods could have on all aspects of human life and activity (economy, environment, culture). It should be noted in particular that the above actions of the Member States must not be deprived of adequate publicity and transparency in terms of their budget and planning. This includes the obligation of the Member States to inform the relevant European institutions and in particular the European Commission, not only of the aforementioned thematic planning, but above all of its implementation. Moreover, the European Green Deal has stressed that it is important for Europe and the Member States of the Union to take regulatory measures to contain the impact of climate change and to the remaining objectives of the common environmental policy.
Nowadays, the state of emergency in several parts of Greece due to extreme weather and floods phenomena, confirms the country’s failure to comply with European flood preventive planning requirements, despite assurances of a response plan. This assumption is reflected not only on unfortunate reality, but also on the report assessing the progress of Member States in measure programmes during the second programming cycle of the Water Framework Directive (December 2021). The same conclusion is drawn from the warning letter sent by the European Commission to the Greek Government in February 2022, in which it is pointed out that Greece (as well as six other Member States) failed its obligation to notify the Commission of updated flood hazard and risk maps within a reasonable time frame.
As the widespread destruction caused by recent strong climate phenomena, which has not yet been recorded, combined with the unprecedented size and destructive nature of recent fires, it becomes clear that a comprehensive and detailed planning is needed. The prevention and preparedness of the state mechanism in such circumstances of emergency becomes a vital political priority, with a realistic and feasible implementation plan, taking into account the extensive legislative framework of the European Union and the supplementary published guidelines.
