EU Water Framework Directive in Hungary By Adam Maradi & Attila Maradi

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1 EU Water Framework Directive in Hungary By Adam Maradi & Attila Maradi

2 Interesting facts With over 80 million people the Danube is the most the most international river basin in the world 20% of all surface water in the EU is seriously threatened with pollution Groundwater supplies around 65% of all Europe s drinking water 60% of European cities overexploit their groundwater resources 50% of wetlands have endangered status due to groundwater over-exploitation The area of irrigated land in Southern Europe has increased by 20% since 1985

3 History of EU Water Framework Directive Paris Convention Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC): Improvements of the quality of natural waters used for bathing by specifying quality limits on contaminant levels Dangerous Substances Directive (76/464/EEC): Control of the discharge of the most dangerous chemicals into the water environment by limiting the discharge of individual substances Ministerial conference on groundwater at The Hague 1995 European Environmental Agency (EEA 1995) 1992 Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) 1996 Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (96/61/EC) 1999 Landfill Directive (99/31/EC)

4 Objectives of WFD Adoption of high level of protection Adopt the precautionary principle Take preventative actions Deal with pollution at source Adopt the polluter pays principle Integrate water and environmental as part of the sectoral policies Use available scientific and technical data Take account of the variablility of environmental conditions in the regions of the Community Take account of costs and benefits See water policy as a contributory element of a balanced sustainable economy Recognize the need for international collaboration Adopt the principle of subsidiarity

5 Objectives of WFD in Hungary Protecting all waters, surface and ground waters in a holistic way. Good quality to be achieved by Integrated water management based on river basins. Parallel Combined approach of Emission Limit Value (point source discharges, dilution/self-purification) and Water Quality Objective standards, plus phasing out of particularly hazardous substances. Economic instruments: economic analysis, proper water price to promote prudent use of water. Public participation: involvement.

6 Requirements of WFD SURFACE WATER: No deterioration; Good ecological, chemical status; phase out hazardous substances; Restoration. GROUND WATER: No deterioration; Good qualitative and quantitative status; Balance between abstraction and recharge; Restoration of polluted waters. PROTECTION ZONES: Respect all norms and criteria for the protection zones.

7 Measures under WFD Drinking water; Bathing water Urban waste water Nitrates IPPC&Industry discharges Chemicals, pesticides, biocides Landfills; Sewage sludge

8 Implementation of WFD in Hungary (German/French-HungarianTwinning Project) From November of 2002 the Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water is supported in the enforcement and implementation through development of a national accidential water pollution conrol system (Subproject 1, lead by the French Ministry of Environment,) and the development of surface and groundwater monitoring system (Subproject 2, lead by German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety, BMU). PLANNING, REGULATION, REPORTING and INFORMATION

9 Surface water map of Hungary (Danube, Tisza, Dráva, Lake Balaton)

10 Subproject 2. The assistance in the development of a typology for Hungarian surface waters. The definition of reference conditions and reference sites. The delineation of surface and groundwater bodies. The identification of significant pressures and impacts of these water bodies. The development of procedures for adequate monitoring systems.

11 Monitoring New three level (surveillance, operational and investigative) monitoring system Hydro-morphological (Data of daily water output and monthly total precipitation) Biological (Macroinvertebrates, macrophyta, phytobenthos and fish fauna yearly, phytoplankton monthly) Chemical (Basic water quality parameters: temperature, oxygen content, inorganic micropollutants)

12 Monitoring (Galga)

13 Monitoring (Rákos)

14 Implementation Timetable Transposition into national legistlation 2003 Identification of River Basin District 2004 Analysis pressures, impacts, use 2006 Monitoring programs operational 2006 Start consultation with public (big cities first) 2009 River Basin Management Plan 2010 Pricing policies 2012 program of measure operational 2015 Environmental objectives

15 Challenges related to WFD Ambitious objectives and demanding timetable (especially for new EU member countries) Europe s biggest environmental project in Budapest Urban Sewage Treatment Plant (450 million Euros by 2010) Risk of wrong application because of complexity of the technical requirements Large shared river basins Capacity of administrations EU WFD is securely anchored around the establishment of water management bodies at the basin scale, while all the existing political and administrative institutions are anchored around other administrative boundaries. One of the major bottlenecks in HUNGARY is the large number of parties that are involved in implementing this Directive: Ministries, Regional Development Councils, Regional Environmental Inspectorates, Regional Water Authorities+ Open Plan Process. NEW IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY REQUIRED

16 Nearby, fishermen have their lines in this water. They say the outflow from the canal attracts the fish -- though along with the overpowering stench, the plumes of raw effluent, tampons and household waste is anything but attractive. Deutche Welle