The programme

The approach
The six-year-long INTERREG Rhine Meuse Activities programme (IRMA 1997-2003) was initiated by the European Union and the Member States in the catchment area of the rivers Meuse and Rhine (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands). Switzerland has also participated in several projects. A request for programme financing was submitted to the European Union in 1997 within the context of INTERREG-IIC and was honoured. A total of 141 million euros was made available from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to cover the full programme of 153 projects, 119 million euros of which was used to finance the 147 projects actually carried out. The Member States covered two thirds of the costs themselves, bringing the IRMA programme total to 356 million euros. IRMA covered between 10 and 50 percent of a project's budget.

IRMA is a practical programme. The philosophy is: don't talk, act. With this idea in mind, existing know-how and skills were used wherever possible. In a number of cases, sustainable water management projects had been in the works as far back as the 1970s, but could not be completed owing to a lack of funding. Administrators had followed general opinion in finding technical water management an investment priority. The new way of thinking about water in spatial terms, however, and the funding made available through IRMA made it possible to dust off these forerunner projects, update them and implement them. Nevertheless, IRMA was not intended to be a grant programme, but rather a programme aimed at fostering cooperation within catchment areas. The programme participants received financial assistance from the European Union in exchange for their participating in the programme.

IRMA was based on three themes: (1) the Meuse and Rhine catchment areas, (2) the major beds of the Meuse and Rhine, and (3) improving knowledge, raising awareness and fostering transnational cooperation. Different categories of measures were formulated for each theme. The Member States then submitted projects that fit in with one or more categories of measures. To ensure transparency in the selection process and prioritisation, the IRMA Joint Operational Programme set criteria for project eligibility. An effort was made to ensure that projects were evenly distributed amongst the regions within the catchment areas. Despite these efforts, some regions ended up with more projects than others, owing to differences between the Member States with respect to the number of projects submitted and the degree of financing available. The selection was otherwise based on the breadth and complementarity of the projects submitted within a region.

Ultimately, 153 projects were approved based on the funding available. These projects were later divided into nine clusters: eight regional and one theme-based. The regional clusters may be regarded as the forerunners of catchment area districts as defined in the EU's Water Framework Directive. Many different types of projects were completed within each of the regional clusters, all of which together contribute to sustainable spatial water management.

By the time this book is published, most of the projects will have been completed and will be visible for both the parties directly involved and the public at large. The innovative nature of many of the projects attracted the attention of the media when they began. Excursions to areas in which projects (or clusters of projects) were being carried out proved to be a valuable means of communicating the idea of water as an ally. It is in fact essential to convey the message that water offers opportunities in the area of housing, working life, recreation, landscape and nature conservation. After all, if we are to achieve a form of spatial planning that gives water enough space and therefore limits the risks of flooding as much as possible, we must have the support of the general public.

International resolutions related to IRMA

Datum Verdrag Karakteristiek
26 April 1994 Charleville-Mézières Impetus to take action after the 1993 floods. Emphasises the common and particular interests of the Member States.
4 February 1995 Arles After the 1995 floods, the environment ministers sign a joint declaration and argue in favour of a spatial approach to water management.
30 March 1995 Strasbourg The ministers responsible for spatial planning argue in favour of a coherent transnational programme for the catchment areas of the Meuse and the Rhine.
October 1996 The Hague Interim report on "Spatial Planning and prevention against flooding" adopted.
22 January 1998 Koblenz International Rhine Action Plan adopted.
8 April 1998 Namur International Meuse High Water Action Plan adopted. Member States sign the Meuse Treaty.
3 December 2002 Ghent The Working Group High-Water Meuse is integrated into the International Commission for the Protection of the Meuse.

Theme and categories of measures

Themes Categories
1. Arteries of Meuse and Rhine 1.1 Restore the natural course of tributaries and of overflow areas.
1.2 Reduce indirect discharge of rainwater from residential and urban industrial areas.
1.3 Create retention and overflow areas.
2. Main beds of Meuse and Rhine 2.1 Preserve, restore and introduce measures to use water retention areas and enlarge wetted sections and water retention areas.
3. Knowledge, awareness and cooperation 3.1 Develop computer models.
3.2 Promote and implement good practice e.g. enhance -monitoring, warning and protection systems.
3.3 Identify sensitive areas, raise awareness and further know-how.

Clusters of projects which are interrelated spatially

N° Project clusters Member States
I The Upper Rhine, Basle-Karlsruhe Germany, France
II The Central Rhine, Karlsruhe-Mainz Germany
III The Moselle, measures taken in the tributary France, Luxembourg, Germany
IV The Lower Rhine, North Rhine-Westphalia Germany
V Border region, the Meuse and its tributaries Belgium, Germany, Netherlands
VI The Dommel and the Aa Belgium, Netherlands
VII The Rhine Delta, the German-Dutch border region Germany, Netherlands
VIII The Vecht and its tributaries Netherlands
IX Catchment area studies Germany, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands

Principles and criteria for selecting and prioritising projects

  • Projects must be located in the eligible area, i.e. in the catchment areas of the Meuse and Rhine, except for those stretches where upstream measures do not affect safety.
  • Projects must be committed before 31 December 1999.
  • Projects must respect the regulations as laid down by the EU, in particular as regards the purchase of land and real estate and the costs incurred by public administration.
  • Projects must be transnational in nature or involve transnational cooperation.
  • Projects must involve an integrated approach combining various aspects of water management, spatial planning and safety.
  • Projects must be innovative in nature and contribute to sustainability.
  • The approach taken in the projects must be transparent and transferable.
  • Projects must contribute positively to other IRMA projects.
  • Projects must have measurable effects on reducing water levels and increasing retention.
  • Finally, the project budget should preferably be a minimum.

The programme