And by golly, they control our weather

The latest anti-EU myth is that EU directives cause flooding.
EUEU
EU

The mythmakers would like us to believe that dredging is verboten, as they seek to exploit the recent devastation to people’s lives and livelihoods to further their cause.

But EU Directive 2007/60 on the assessment and management of flood risks does not mention dredging at all.

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Instead, it calls for urgent action to prevent, protect against and prepare for floods, because “floods endanger lives and cause human tragedy as well as heavy economic losses”.

It also reinforces the rights of the public to access flood planning information and to have a say in the planning process.

When the Somerset Levels flooded in winter 2013/14, the UK Environment Agency had, (in accordance with the EU directive, and also with common sense), surveyed the area and created a plan.

The plan involved dredging, but they had only begun to execute it in October 2013. This means that if river silt made the floods worse, this was because of a failure to implement the EU directive.

J Robin Hughes

Towngate Road, Worrall, Sheffield, S35