1. A Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s waters
Comparative Study on Pressures and Measures
Lourdes Alvarellos
European Commission
DG Environment, D.1 Water
2012 State of water stakeholder
and Eionet Workshop
29-30 March 2012
water.europa.eu

2. What is the Blueprint?
The Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources will present the policy response to the challenges presented in the State of Water Report,
long-term aim: to ensure sufficient availability of good quality water for sustainable and equitable water use
Closely linked to EU 2020 Strategy and Resource Efficiency Roadmap

3. Why a Blueprint?
Improving the implementation of current EU water policy
Fostering the integration of water and other policies
When necessary, seeking the completion of the current policy framework

4. Synthesis of policy recommendations building on on-going assessments
Impact Assessment
« Fitness Check»
EU water
policy
instruments
Outlook of sustainability and vulnerability of EU water resources
Policy
Options
Nov 2012
Blueprint To
Safeguard
EU Waters
Report on 2009
River Basin
Management Plans
Report on 2009
River Basin
Management Plans
Report on 2009
River Basin
Management
Plans
Report on 2009
River Basin
Management Plans
Report on 2009
River Basin
Management Plans
Report on 2009
River Basin
Management Plans
Review
Water Scarcity
& Droughts
Strategy
Review
Water Scarcity
& Droughts Strategy
Review
Water Scarcity
& Droughts Strategy
Review
Water Scarcity
& Droughts Strategy
Review
Water Scarcity
& Droughts Strategy
Climate Change
Vulnerability
& Adaptation
Climate Change
Vulnerability
& Adaptation
Climate Change
Vulnerability
& Adaptation

5. Assessment of RBMPs Commission’s report November 2012

6. WFD timetable Transposition into national law Dec 2003
Administrative arrangements Dec 2003
Environmental analysis:
Analysis of characteristics
Assessment of human impacts
Economic analysis of water use Dec 2004 Monitoring programmes Dec 2006
Public Participation starts Dec 2006
Significant water management issues Dec 2007
Draft river basin management plans Dec 2008
Final river basin management plans Dec 2009
Measures implemented at the latest Dec 2012
Implementation, adjustment till 2027

7. Commission‘s 3rd implementation report
To be published in November integral part of the Blueprint
Communication on the implementation of WFD
Analysis based on WFD main principles
Commission Staff Working Document
Analysis based on 17 topics of assessment
More detailed information on the assessment of RBMPs
Annexes by MS (fiches)

8. Assessment RBMP: some general preliminary findings
A lot of effort put into preparation of the plans
High uptake of the common framework and common language on water management provided by the WFD
Integration of ecological perspective into water management
Enhancement of international cooperation
Public participation, stakeholder involvement
Impressive improvement in the knowledge base
All plans not submitted in 4 Member States
Low ambition in many of the plans (extensive use of exemptions)
Lack of concrete measures and expected achievements
Lack of comparability in some issues (e.g. chemical status!)
Dressing “business-as-usual” as WFD 8

9. Review Water Scarcity and Droughts policy
Communication 2007 and follow-up:
Council conclusions - review & further develop WS&D policy by 2012
EP report – new initiatives including pilot projects preparatory actions
Annual follow up reports
GAP Analysis
Overview of problem & existing measures
Identification of gaps
Proposal of new measures
Assessment of impact of new measures
In-depth studies on:
Water Supply Infrastructure
Buildings
Agriculture
Indicators for water stress and water efficiency

10. Climate Change Vulnerability & Adaptation
Thorough assessment of drivers of vulnerability and potential adaptation measures at EU level in the ClimWatAdapt project
Combination of different scenarios:
socio-economic
regional
climate
On-going in-depth assessment of effectiveness of specific measures (natural water retention, water efficiency)

11. Fitness Check of EU Freshwater Policy (1)
Part of European Commission Smart Regulation policy
Objective: Assess the relevance, coherence, effectiveness and efficiency of the EU freshwater policy
Process: scoping study, stakeholder and public consultation
Scope
Water Framework Directive
Groundwater Directive
Directive on Environmental Quality Standards (EQS)
Urban Waste Water Directive
Nitrates Directive
Floods Directive
+ quantitative and adaptive water management issues, for which there is currently no legislation at EU level

12. Fitness Check of EU Freshwater Policy (2)
Most important issues:
Improvements in implementation of EU water policy are required
Need for a stronger legal basis for tackling the problems of water scarcity and droughts
Ecosystem services not systematically addressed within water policy
More coherence needed with the CAP, regional, renewable energy and transport policies
Potential to enhance coherence with chemical, pesticides, pharmaceuticals policies on issues such as risk assessment methods
Improved analysis of the costs and benefits of water protection measures is needed

13. Baseline, scenarios and indicative targets
water resource balances
use of water by the different economic activities, and impacts
indicative targets at EU level for reducing the vulnerability of water resources
baseline scenario / sensitivity analysis
optimisation model
measures affecting water availability and water use
Environmental
Constraints
(E-flows)
linked to achievement
Good Ecological Status
(WFD)
(natural) retention,
efficiency,
re-use
climate, land-use, demographic and socio-economic scenarios

14. From Objectives to Policy Options
Adressing
Water Stress
Target
Setting
Resilience to
Extreme Events
Unlocking
measures
Achievement
Good Ecological Status
Improving
Implementation

15. Policy Options (1): Targets
Targets for efficient water resources allocation including the basic needs for nature (environmental flows) and sectoral allocation
Drought management instruments
Support better management of water resources in third countries

16. Policy Options (2): Unlocking Measures
Support to land-use measures (natural water retention)
Improve water efficiency in building and water using appliances
Address leakage in water infrastructure
EU standards for waste water re-use
Tackle metering / illegal abstraction
Water pricing levels and structure to provide sufficient incentives to increase water efficiency
Costs and benefits of inaction and of water related measures to be properly understood and quantified

17. Policy Options (3): Governance and Knowledge base
Improve coordination in river basin shared between different administrative entities within Member States, between Member States and with third countries
Improve knowledge provision and accessibility

18. Next Steps
12-weeks public consultation on Policy Options (15 March to 7 June)
April: Publication Fitness Check
Discussion of policy options at 3rd EU Water Conference on May
November: Publication Blueprint

19. Comparative Study on Pressures & Measures

20. Comparative Study on Pressures & Measures
Top down assessment of RBMPs
In-depth analysis of certain identified subjects, including
Governance
Development of methodologies
Integration of other policies
Economic aspects
To analyse and compare the collected information in order to provide conclusions at European level
Outcome of assessment: will support 2012 Blueprint to Safeguard Europe’s Waters

21. TASK 1 - Governance and Legal Aspects
1a – Administrative Arrangements
1b – International coordination mechanisms
1c – Enforcement, control, inspection and sanction systems
1d – Analysis of nature of RBMPs
Information sources
MS RBM Plans and COM assessments
WISE reporting
MS – legislation literature
MS – SCG members
EEA
Milestones
Final report 30 April

22. TASK 2 – Methodologies for ecological status classification and specific pollutants
To examine and analyse methods (used by MS) to assess and classify the ES of SWB and if appropriate to achieve a comparable assessment across Europe
2a – Comparison of Typologies
2b – Intercalibration – scientific peer review
2c – Comparison of specific pollutants and EQSs
2d – Reality check of the results obtained in assessing ES across EU (comparison of ES on transboundary WB)
Information sources
RBMPs Reporting
2a: EEA, JRC (support)
2b: JRC (Technical IC report), Peer review
2c:
WG A Report on specific pollutants
European Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry (releases of substances to the aquatic environment)
All relevant matrices (water, sediment, biota) and all water categories
2d: Selected data sets from MS (special request)
Milestones
Technical Report 30 April
Intercalibration final report 15 July
Final report on specific pollutants, analyses of potential implications for ecological status assessment, comparability and best practices 30 April

23. TASK 3 - Integration TASK 3 3a – Agriculture
- Horizontal task: storylines connecting pressures, measures and status 2009, 2015
- Integration of sectoral policy in WFD PoMs
3a – Agriculture
3b – Hydromorphological alterations
3c – Drinking Water Protection Resources
3d – Water abstraction and water use (quantitative issues DMPs and e-flows)
3e – Mining
Thematic assessment on GW quantitative status
Information sources
WISE (RBMPs screening)
Expert meetings
Consultation with MS
Expert workshop on 21 March in Brussels – on measures agriculture, hydromorphology and drinking water
3c:
EUREAU
Questionnaire to MS
3d: Expert Group WS&D & Technical papers
Milestones
PSIR (measures-impacts-measures-status) 30 April
Effectiveness of selected measures (3a, 3b, 3c, 3e) 31 March
Catalogue of measures (3a, 3b, 3c, 3e) on database 31 October
Thematic assessment on GW quantitative status 15 June

24. TASK 4 - Innovation and development of technology
4a – Innovation and development of technology
(opportunities for urban, rural and industrial water management sectors)
4b – Costs and benefits
Knowledge base on the economic dimensions and economic impact of WFD (first cycle)
Information sources
RBMPs
RBMP accompanying technical reports
WISE
Existing studies in MS
Research reports
Thematic studies (EEA, COM…)
Expert group meetings
Milestones
Report on initiatives July 2012
Assessment of costs & benefits of WFD
Assessment of current financing of RBMPs
Guidance note on how to assess and report costs & benefits of water related measures
Knowledge gaps on costs & benefits of water management