Tourists like well managed beaches			COPRANET: Sustainable development of coastline economies Leiden, Netherlands, 10 May 2004 - INTERREG IIIC West interviewed Alan Pickaver, Programme Co-ordinator of the Coastal Practice Network (COPRANET), a network of public organisations from coastal regions located in 12 European countries. Reporter: Perhaps you could briefly describe COPRANET AP: COPRANET is a network of 21 partners that are all located on or near stretches of coastline in Europe. The network consists of eleven regional and local authorities, two governmental institutes, four universities and four non-governmental organisations. Reporter: What are the operation’s main objectives? AP: The operation has two. The first is to develop a network of organisations involved in the development and management of coastal areas. The second is to allow the partners to exchange best practice on developing sustainable tourism within coastal areas and managing coastal erosion. Ultimately, through the network we hope to improve the effectiveness of regional development policies that are implemented in coastal regions. Reporter: Why are these objectives important? AP: Three of COPRANET’s partners, including the lead partner EUCC, The Coastal Union, took part in an INTERREG IIC project called ‘Quality of Coastal Towns’, which looked at developing policy instruments for the regeneration of seaside towns. During the life of the project we learned that there was great support, and in many cases a need, for the creation of a larger network that would allow regions to exchange information and experience on a wider range of subjects. As for the second objective, for all of the partner authorities, managing erosion and developing tourism in a way that ensures an area retains its appeal are essential to a coastal region’s survival. Reporter: Can you give some examples of the type of issues facing the partners that the network will address? AP: Yes. For example, there is a geographical imbalance in terms of where the coastal tourist centres are located in Europe. Over several decades, many coastal regions in the North have suffered a significant reduction in their tourist economies. This is in contrast to some parts of Greece and Spain in the South that are suffering from overcrowding. We aim to look at new ways of putting the traditional northern resorts back on the tourist map. In addition, some of the partners have a great deal more experience of developing policy instruments for coastal regions than others. Through the exchange of experience and information, we hope to reduce this ‘knowledge gap’. Reporter: And what issues relating specifically to developing sustainable tourism will the operation address? AP: Preventing unnecessary sprawl is one example. Some areas have allowed the development of tourist resorts to spread out into the surrounding countryside, even though buildings and facilities in the centre of the resort are underused. Managing different groups of beach users is another. In some places, for example, you can still drive your car along the beach, and windsurfers and surfers have different needs to those of families with small children. Another example is the management and licensing of seasonal business, such as fast-food stalls and restaurants operating on beaches. Reporter: Do you think that tourists are interested in whether a coastal area is managed in a sustainable way? AP: We do. One of our aims is to develop and introduce a labelling scheme to show that a tourist destination is managed in harmony with its natural heritage and resources. We believe that this will make a resort more attractive to tourists. Reporter: Why has the network decided to concentrate on erosion? AP: One quarter of the EU’s coastline is eroding, despite the development of a wide range of measures to protect shorelines. Erosion is closely linked to tourism, and in addition, the European Community project EUROSION is developing generic policy recommendations on coastal erosion management. We hope to be able to implement some of its findings. Reporter: How will the choice of partners help the operation to achieve its objectives? AP: By combining universities, research institutions and local and regional authorities, we have access to those who study the effects of various natural and man-made factors on coastal areas, and those who implement policy decisions on a day-to–day basis. We think this combination will help the network develop effective policy instruments. Reporter: How do you intend to exchange and disseminate best practice? AP: The network will hold three annual conferences and ten workshops during its three-year life span. These will be attended by the partners, and supported by site visits. The results of the different exchanges will be published on the operation’s website and in a newsletter that we will distribute to the partners and public authorities across Europe. Reporter: How will the legacy of COPRANET extend beyond the life of the operation? AP: We hope that the partners will incorporate the best practice identified in the workshops and conferences into their policies and planning processes. We also believe that a number of the partners will seek additional funding in order to implement some of the ideas as operational projects. In addition, thanks to the website, the network’s findings will continue to be available to coastal authorities throughout Europe long after the operation itself has finished. Reporter: How much funding will you receive from INTERREG IIIC? AP: We will receive almost EUR 1 million from the European Regional Development Fund to develop the operation’s activities. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERREG IIIC is a Structural Funds programme scheduled to run from 2002 to 2008. The overall aim of the programme is to strengthen economic and social cohesion throughout the EU by increasing the effectiveness of existing policies and instruments for regional development. INTERREG IIIC makes some EUR 300 million ERDF available to public bodies at local and regional levels across Europe and the accession countries to form partnerships and learn from each others’ experiences in regional development. For further information on COPRANET, please contact Alan Pickaver at pickaver@eucc.nl or call him on +31 71 5122900 For further information on INTERREG IIIC, please write to the Communication Officer, INTERREG IIIC West at west@interreg3c.net, or call +33 (0)3 28 38 11 16.