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Water Framework Directive
The Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) is the most significant piece of European water legislation to be produced for over twenty years.
The WFD will rationalise and update existing water legislation and introduce an integrated and co-ordinated approach to water management in Europe based on the concept of river basin planning.
The Directive takes a holistic approach to water management and will update existing EC Water legislation through the introduction of a statutory system of analysis and planning based upon the river basin. The Environment Agency is the sole competent authority charged with implementation of the Directive in England and Wales.
The major aims of the Directive are:
- To prevent further deterioration and protect and enhance the status of aquatic ecosystems and associated wetlands;
- To promote the sustainable consumption of water; to reduce pollution of waters from priority substances;
- To prevent the deterioration in the status and to progressively reduce pollution of groundwaters; and
- To contribute to mitigating the effects of floods and droughts.
The overall requirement of the Directive is to achieve "good ecological and good chemical status" by 2015 unless there are grounds for derogation. There is also a general "no deterioration" provision to prevent deterioration in status. These will require the management of the quality, quantity and structure of aquatic environments. The Directive also requires the reduction and ultimate elimination of priority hazardous substances and the reduction of priority substances to below set quality standards.
Within the Agency work on the Directive is being organised in the WFD Programme, which is supported by a number of key work areas.
> Water Framework Directive - The UK situation
Tyne Rivers Trust played an active role in the consultation period for the generation of the Northumbria River Basin Management Plan. We took the salient points to each of our River Watch groups, consulted with TRT associates and hosted an evening for the 'Our Rivers' campaign. This work helpd to ensure that important local knowlege fed back into the plan and earned us a place at the Northumbria Basin Liaison Panel as a representative of environmental-NGOs. Now we have entered the delivery phase of the management plan and along with other rivers trusts in the basin are busy improving the rivers to ensure good ecological status for all our rivers.
September 2011 - The Environment Agency is consulting on their proposed changes to Heavily Modified and Artificial Water Body, HMWB / AWB designations. TRT is informing this process by working with other River Trusts on the basin to check the suggestions. Work is also being done to redraw boundaries for some water bodies. This will take better account of how water bodies impact on each other and should lead to more sensible decisions on prioritising improvements.
To understand more about the role of third-sector rivers trusts in co-delivery of the EU Water Framework Directive and what TRT are doing click here to read a paper by our Director.
