EU Water Framework Directive

Transcription

1 EU Water Framework Directive Overview and state of implementation TAIEX Seminar on the Water Framework and Urban Waste Water Directive Zagreb, September 2008 Jorge Rodríguez Romero European Commission, DG Environment Unit D.2 Water and Marine, WFD Team 1

2 Contents State of play of implementation Some key elements in WFD implementation 2

3 Implementation: a continuous & transparent process Formal transposition into national law, designation of river basin districts and competent authorities Dec 2003 Environmental analysis, economic analysis Dec 2004 Monitoring programmes operational Dec 2006 Public participation at the latest Dec 2006 Draft river basin management plans Dec 2008 Final river basin management plans Dec 2009 Implementation, assessment, adjustment 2015 and further 3

4 TITLE 170 national RBDs 110 RBDs 40 international 4

5 Implementation Results Article 5 analysis Results: some facts and figures water bodies in 23 MS Average drainage area per water body between 19 km 2 and 312 km 2 Average size of a groundwater body between 300 and 1000 km 2 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 5

6 Implementation Results Article 5 analysis 100% Risk analysis for surface water bodies (average per MS) Percentage of surface water bodies at risk 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% no data no data no data no data NL DE BE IE ES UK FRATDK PT LU FI EL IT SE HU SI CZ LV SK MT LT PL EE CY BGRO at risk insufficient data not at risk 6

7 TITLE 7

8 Implementation Results Article 5 analysis Results: economic analysis Low level of information available When available, cost recovery level vary significantly between 1-100% for agriculture % for industries % for households Few considerations of environmental and resource costs or baseline scenarios 8

9 Follow - up Recommendations for MS Recommendation 1: overcome shortcomings Implement fully basic measure legislation (uwwd, nitrates, ippc) Apply economic instruments more widely Put ecological assessment tools in place Improve methodologies and close data gaps Recommendation 2: 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 Recommendation 3: improve transparency Use public participation as an opportunity Make information available, also through WISE 9

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11 Monitoring programmes Numbers of river plus lake surveillance monitoring sites per 1000 km2 of RBD 25,00 22,88 20,00 17,60 No./1000 km2 15,00 10,00 10,59 11,99 7,34 5,00 0,00 4,99 4,51 4,28 2,36 3,13 3,22 2,69 2,91 3,41 2,53 1,75 1,30 1,53 1,93 0,87 0,98 1,28 0,44 AT BE BG CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR HU IE IT LT LU LV NL PT SE SI SK UK 11

12 RBMP preparations and public participation Significant water management issues published: AT, BE, DE, CZ, DK, FI, FR, IE, NL, SI, UK, ES (not exhaustive) France has published draft river basin management plans Some good examples of public participation 12

13 Some key elements in WFD implementation 13

14 Legal and administrative arrangements / capacity Accurate and timely legal transposition Administrative arrangements and capacity Strong cooperation is needed between various administrations: water managers and administrations dealing with the drivers behind the impacts (industry, agriculture, etc.) Formal and at all levels (from technical to political) At the right geographical scale (RBD) International cooperation 14

15 Establishing a solid technical basis for decision making WFD brought many novelties and challenges from the technical point of view Water body delineation Assessment of ecological status Hydromorphology / HMWB / good ecological potential Economic analysis Monitoring programmes Invest enough at an early stage to develop a solid technical basis it will pay off in the long term! 15

16 River Basin Management Plan Encourage active public participation early in the process Users, stakeholders, general public The level of detail should be sufficient From strategic decisions to concrete measures to solve concrete problems Integration with sectoral policies: energy, transport, agriculture Incorporate climate change considerations (inc. water scarcity and droughts and floods) Be transparent in alternatives and choices (technical and political) 16

17 Setting environmental objectives and using exemptions Establish transparent criteria for the application of key terms Significant physical modification Significant adverse effect on uses Significantly better environmental option Overriding public interest (Transparency again!) 17

18 Designation of HMWB and establishment of good potential Potential source of lack of comparability Large percentage of water bodies in EU CIS guidance document Article 4.3 has two parts: Changes would have significant adverse effects There is no significantly better environmental option CIS Workshop planned for March 2008 on the practical implementation of Designation Good Ecological Potential Setting objectives Measures 18

19 Application of article 4.7 on new modifications The specific impact assessment of the WFD Links to Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment Directives CIS Policy paper (2006) provides guidance Scope of application of article 4.7 o What kind of alterations? o What is considered a deterioration of water body? o Does it apply to temporary effect or to small size projects? Links to EIA and SEA Interpretation of key terms o all practicable steps o overriding public interest o significantly better environmental option 19

20 Programme of measures Basic measures first! These are minimum requirements Full implementation of urban waste water, nitrates, IPPC, etc will be enough to achieve good status in many water bodies Supplementary measures are largely linked to hydromorphology Water pricing policy Basic principles: recovery of costs and polluter pays Inclusion of environmental costs 20

21 CIS Organisation Water Directors Steering of implementation process Chair: Presidency, Co-chair: Commission Strategic Co-ordination Group Co-ordination of work programme Chair: Commission Art. 21 Committee Working Group A Ecological Status Lead: JRC, DE, UK Working Group C Groundwater Lead: COM Working Group D Reporting Lead: COM, FR Working Group E Priority Substances Lead: COM Working Group F Floods Lead: COM, FR Official / permanent Working Groups Temporary Special Groups WFD and Agriculture Lead: FR, UK Chemical Monitoring Lead: IT WFD Climate Change Lead: DE, COM WFD and hydromorphology Lead: DE, UK Objectives/Exemptions Lead: DK, COM Water scarcity and droughts 21

22 CIS Achievements Fifteen Guidance Documents + many other documents, workshops, etc. 1) Economics and the Environment 2) Identification of Water Bodies 3) Analysis of Pressures and Impacts 4) Artificial and Heavily Modified Water Bodies 5) Transitional and Coastal Waters Typology, Reference Conditions 6) Intercalibration Network and the Intercalibration Process 7) Monitoring 8) Public Participation 9) GIS and the WFD 10) Rivers and Lakes Typology 11) Planning Process 12) Wetlands 13) Classification 14) Intercalibration Process 15) Groundwater monitoring 22

23 Some priorities for the Commission 2009 and beyond Comparability of implementation Ecological assessment Exemptions and HMWB Reporting and Water Information System for Europe Integration and financing Climate change / water scarcity and droughts 23

24 Water Framework Directive: Outlook Protection of all waters across Europe, based on comparable principles and objectives Binding objectives, at the same time providing flexibility on the tools how to achieve them Implementation with full participation of all interested and involved parties Long-term planning basis for technical, financial and political decisions 24

25 European Water Conference 2009 RBMP preparation and public participation Brussels, 2-3 April Information campaign on public consultation process The Commission will prepare some background information and discussion documents on key issues based on the documents published by Member States 25

26 More information Water Information System for Europe (WISE): On water policy: WFD CIRCA Information Exchange Platform Thank you for your attention! 26