Guidelines on Member States' adaptation strategies and plans

Recent extreme events – forest fires, droughts, floods, and fatal heat waves – both across Europe and the world, have demonstrated that the consequences of climate change are hitting our societies harder and faster than science has projected. The increase in extreme weather events and natural disasters has a growing impact on the physical and mental health of people, on the rest of nature and on economic assets. These EC guidelines are a powerful tool for national administrations to make climate adaptation a top political priority.

In line with these provisions, the purpose of these guidelines are:

• To support EU Member States in revising their adaptation strategies and drafting / revising their
  adaptation plans in meeting the adaptation related challenges they face, taking into account the differences in
  their administrative structures and the adaptation planning pathways they have already taken.
• To highlight the key features that are essential for delivering quality adaptation policy and results. Since climate
  change impacts require a more systemic and urgent response, adaptation strategies and plans that do not
  integrate all policy domains and are not embedded into decision-making at all levels are no longer sufficient means
  to do this. Therefore, the principles apply to the overall national adaptation policy framework whereas adaptation
  strategies and plans support the delivery of good adaptation outcomes.
• To provide an example of a template outlining a structure for the strategy that will make it easier to
  access and compare these strategies and to ensure a comparable overview of the state of preparedness and
  planned actions at EU level.
• To enhance adaptation policy with new areas.