1. EU Water Policy and Legislation Recent developments and next steps
Lourdes Alvarellos
DG Environment, European Commission
SCG meeting 17 May 2018

2. Towards a Fitness Check of EU water legislation
Assessment of 2nd River Basin Management Plans and 1st Flood Risk Management Plans (2017/2018)
Additional inputs
Fitness Check of EU water legislation - Commission report of fitness check (evaluation) by mid-2019
Reporting of the River Basin Management Plans
EEA State of Water report
Outcomes of the Common Implementation Strategy (both for WFD, GW, EQSD and FD)
Results of the 2012 Fitness Check of EU Water policy
UWWTD evaluation
Non-REACH chemicals evaluation
Study on Integrated Assessment
Study on Blue2
LIFE projects
Public consultation under the Fitness Check

3. Tentative timetable
Reporting
measures
Reporting
measures
Reporting
measures …
RBMP1
RBMP2/FRMP1
RBMP3/FRMP2
RBMP
RBMP4/FRMP3
2009
2015
2021
2027
Blueprint 2012
first RBMP
March 2015
full first cycle
Mid-2018
2nd RBMP/1st FRMP
COM reports
2019
Evaluation
Report
2019 Fitness Check
Evaluation
4Q 2019
New COM takes office
NB: This timetable is tentative and has not yet been formally validated by the European Commission

4. Assessment of RBMPs and FRMPs
3 dimensions: RBMPs, FRMPs and transboundary RBDs
Format: EU overview and Member State annexes
Process: analysis of key topics, previous recommendations; focus on progress and shortcomings
Timing (small delay)
EEA – State of Water Report

5. Evaluation of EU water policy
Drinking Water Directive (2016)
Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (ongoing)
Fitness Check (ongoing)
Water Framework Directive
Environmental Quality Standards Directive
Groundwater Directive
Floods Directive

6. Fitness Check EU water legislation
Roadmap published in November 2017
Evaluation study started in end April 2018
Factual basis
COM assessment of RBMPs and FRMPs
Study supporting the evaluation of WFD & FD
Integrated assessment (drivers, pressures, state, impacts, resources – and how policy areas interact)
Economic study (BLUE2)
ECA performance audit on floods (conclusion Q4 2018)
Other evidence and contributions (public consultations, EU water conference in Vienna, OECD study “water investment needs and financing capacities in the 28 EU MSs”)
Reporting of the River Basin Management Plans
EEA State of Water report
Outcomes of the Common Implementation Strategy (both for WFD, GW, EQSD and FD)
Results of the 2012 Fitness Check of EU Water policy
UWWTD evaluation
Non-REACH chemicals evaluation
Study on Integrated Assessment
Study on Blue2
LIFE projects
Public consultation under the Fitness Check

7. Fitness Check – how will it be done?
Assessment criteria…
Effectiveness
Efficiency
Relevance
Coherence
EU value added
… and process
Elaborate baseline scenario, intervention logic, develop framework, methodology and work plan for evaluation of information and evidence
Review relevant available information and evidence
Consultation with Member States and key stakeholders & public participation

8. Implementation support
Common Implementation Strategy WP and beyond
Enforcement strategy (including infringements)
Water – Agriculture nexus: governance, investments, knowledge & innovation -> NWRMs included)
Water reuse regulation (minimum quality standards for irrigation)
Pharmaceuticals in the environment
Investment instruments (MFF post 2020)
European Innovation Partnership on Water
New Urban Water Agenda 2030, launched 2017

9. Evaluation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive
Assessment of the functioning of the directive in the past:
Effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, EU-added value and coherence
Cooperation with WFD and Floods Directive Fitness Check ongoing
Joint consultation strategy
Consultation activities
Expert work-shops in Q3/4 2018; potential topics: micropollutants, stormwater overflows and individual appropriate systems
Stakeholder conference in Q3/4 2018: Presentation of preliminary findings
The Evaluation of the Directive is an ex-post exercise. The assessment of the functioning of the directive focuses on the Better Regulation criteria: efficiency, effectiveness, coherence, relevance, and EU-added value.
The launch of the Evaluation took place in Q through the publication of the roadmap on europa.eu. Via the feedback mechanism 28 replies were received.
A preliminary list of key issues has been identified, it includes topics such as storm water overflows, individual appropriate systems, possible lack of coherence with other directives, reporting and information provisions lead often to outdated information etc. The list of key issues was validated in back-to-back interviews with stakeholders, but remains flexible.
Cooperation with the WFD Fitness Check is ongoing. A first joint document, namely the consultation strategy, is planned to be published end of April. Although the open public consultations will run separately, some of the thematic expert workshops are planned to be held together.
A large stakeholder conference, in which preliminary findings of the evaluative study will be presented, is planned for October/November 2018.
It is planned to publish the evaluative study and the Commission staff working document in Q2/
Publication of the roadmap
Q4 '17
Start of open public consultation
Q2 '18
Finalization of study and publication of SWD
Q2/3 '19
Stakeholder conference
Q3/4 '18
Launch evaluation study
Q1 '18
Thematic workshops
Q3/4 '18

10. Thank you for your attention http://water.europa.eu/policy