EU Water Framework Directive

The EC Water Framework Directive, which came into force on 22 December 2000, establishes a new, integrated approach to the protection, improvement and sustainable use of Europe's rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal waters and groundwater.

The Directive introduces two key changes to the way the water environment must be managed across the European Community.

The first relates to the types of environmental objectives that must be delivered. Previous European water legislation set objectives to protect particular uses of the water environment from the effects of pollution and to protect the water environment itself from especially dangerous chemical substances. These types of objectives are taken forward in the Directive’s provisions for Protected Areas and Priority Substances respectively.

However, the Directive also introduces new, broader ecological objectives, designed to protect and, where necessary, restore the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems themselves, and thereby safeguard the sustainable use of water resources. Future success in managing Europe’s water environment will be judged principally by the achievement of these ecological goals.

The second key change is the introduction of a river basin management planning system. This will be the key mechanism for ensuring the integrated management of: groundwater; rivers; canals; lakes; reservoirs; estuaries and other brackish waters; coastal waters; and the water needs of terrestrial ecosystems that depend on groundwater, such as wetlands.

The planning system will provide the decision-making framework within which costs and benefits can be properly taken into account when setting environmental objectives, and proportionate and cost-effective combinations of measures to achieve the objectives can be designed and implemented. It will also provide new opportunities for anyone to become actively involved in shaping the management of river basin districts – neighbouring river catchments, together with their associated stretches of coastal waters.

• The key requirements of the Directive;
• Updates on forthcoming daughter directives

In addition, you can find information on:

• The European Common Implementation Strategy

	Title	Type	Size	Modified	Status
	Common Implementation Strategy	Document	2 K	17-06-2005	visible
	Daughter Directives under WFD	Document	2 K	09-02-2004	visible
	Daughter legislation - Priority Substances	File	145 K	06-10-2005	visible
	Related European Directives	Document	2 K	02-02-2004	visible
	Text of Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC	File	870 K	02-03-2004	visible
	WFD Provisions	Document	26 K	17-06-2005	visible