1. A Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s waters
WGD Reporting 28 March 2012

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 River Basin Management Plans: 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 5

6. 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 incl. 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 efficienct

7. Climate Change Vulnerability & Adaptation
Thorough assessment of drivers of vulnerability and potential adaptation measures at EU level in the ClimWatAdapt project.
Combination of 4 socio-economic and 11 regional climate scenarios
On-going in-depth assessment of effectiveness of specific measures (natural water retention, water efficiency)

8. Fitness Check of EU Freshwater Policy
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
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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. Policy Options (2): Unlocking Measures:
Focus on measures serving multiple benefits
Unlocking barriers :
Technical / Innovation
Knowledge (costs, benefits and impacts of measures)
Economic incentives
Financial resources
Regulations

13. 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

14. 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

15. Next Steps 15/3 – 7/6: 12-weeks public consultation on Policy Options
April: Publication Fitness Check
Discussion options at 3rd EU Water Conference on May
November: Publication Blueprint