EU Water Framework Directive The first implementation report of the European Commission - 2007 Water Framework Directive Team Unit D.2 – Water and Marine DG Environment, European Commission

European Water Policy Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC): overall framework for integrated management ambitious objectives (e.g. good status by 2015) basic measures (directives on urban wastewater, nitrate pollution, industry pollution and others) protected areas (directives on bathing water, habitats, drinking water and others) Completing the framework: Groundwater (2006/118/EC) Priority Substances (negotiations ongoing) Intercalibration (2005/646/EC, results end 2007) Extending the scope: Floods Directive (negotiations ongoing) Marine Strategy Directive (negotiations ongoing) Communication on Water Scarcity and Droughts

Implementation Report Communication ‘Towards Sustainable Water Management in the European Union’ (COM(2007) 128 final) Supported by Annexes 1) WFD 1st Impl. Report (SEC(2007) 362) 2) UWWD 4th Impl. Report (SEC(2007) 363) Snap-shot of the situation reported in 2004-2006 Based on reports from Member States Assesses 3 components: Legal transposition into national law (Art. 24) Administrative arrangements (Art. 3) Environmental/economic analysis (Art. 5)

Implementation Results -1 Legal Transposition: - 19 MS with major shortcomings Administrative Arrangements: 110 different RBDs, 40 are international >60 % of EU territory is international RBD size between 1.000 and 800.000 km2 Economic analysis: Low level of information on cost-recovery in different sectors

TITLE

Implementation Results Legal transposition - 2 Art. 4 (7) not transposed

Implementation Results Article 5 analysis - 8 Information available on cost recovery

Implementation Results -2 Environmental analysis 70.000 water bodies in 23 MS Average drainage area per water body between 19 km2 and 312 km2 Average size of a groundwater body between 300 and 1000 km2 25% of water bodies is heavily modified or artificial (average of 24 MS) 29% of surface water bodies NOT at risk (average of 23 MS) 43% of groundwater bodies NOT at risk (average of 24 MS) NOT at risk means that they meet or will meet WFD objectives

Implementation Results Article 3 arrangements - 5 * Results of performance assessment “Good practices” “Distance from minimum target” EU27 average Preliminary assessment

Implementation Results Article 5 analysis - 12 Overall performance Article 5 range between different national RBDs * *

Implementation Results - 3 Main shortcomings: lack of data and no follow up identified variability of approaches and methodologies (e.g. size of water bodies) designation of heavily modified water bodies diffuse source pollution of surface water (incl. lack of inventory) diffuse and point source pollution of groundwater (incl. lack of inventory) assessment of overexploitation and salt intrusion in groundwaters (analysis of) current levels of cost recovery and consideration of environment and resource costs

Follow - up Recommendations for MS: -overcome shortcomings Implement fully basic measure legislation (uwwd, nitrates, ippc) Improve methodologies and close data gaps -enhance integration Transpose and apply 4.7, the WFD impact assessment, to new infrastructure projects Match financing priorities (national and EU) better with WFD analysis and implementation -improve transparency Make information available, also through WISE: http://water.europa.eu

Main messages Implementation well advanced with some positive examples – it is possible to implement the WFD well and in time! Significant shortcomings – Member States have to do better! Still time to rectify situation – decisive milestone is 2009 RBMP!

Reporting of Monitoring Networks Article 8 requires establishment of monitoring network – deadline 22 March 2007 First WFD reporting only supported electronically through new WISE input portal (REPORTNET hosted by EEA) Reports to date - In time through WISE: AT, CZ, DE, DK, FI, FR, IE, LU, LT, LV, NL, PL, SI, SP, SE, UK - Later reporting (WISE or other): BE, BG, CY, HU, RO - Not reported: EE, GR, IT, MT, PT, SK Check out the latest state-of-play yourself at http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/recent Overall very successful exercise - no major problems report – new WISE operates well Commission report latest by end 2008

More information The reports are available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/ water-framework/report2007.html Data from WFD reports and much more on WISE: http://water.europa.eu Thank you for your attention!