Press Release: Environment: European Parliament and Council reach agreement on the new Floods Directive

The European Parliament has adopted a set of compromise amendments agreed with the EU Council of Ministers on the proposal for a directive on the assessment and management of flood risks. The directive was proposed by the Commission in 2006 in order to prevent and limit floods and their damaging effects on human health, the environment, infrastructure and property. Since 1998, floods in Europe have caused some 700 deaths, the displacement of about half a million people and at least €25 billion in insured economic losses. The new directive will require Member States to identify the river basins and associated coastal areas which are subject to flood risk. They will have to draw up flood risk maps and management plans for those zones.