How are UK’s environmental standards and conditions set?

The Water Framework Directive requires us to protect the ecological status of water bodies from deterioration and, where necessary and practicable, restore water bodies to good ecological status. To work out what would need to be done to achieve these objectives, we have to identify environmental standards and conditions that support healthy aquatic plant and animal communities.

To do this, the environment and conservation agencies from across the UK, under the guidance of the UK Technical Advisory Group (UKTAG), have collaborated on a major review of existing environmental standards. This review has been designed to identify standards and conditions that represent the environmental quality needed to achieve good ecological status. In addition a system for assessing the structure and condition of the beds and banks of rivers has been proposed.

This review is the first of its kind and has involved many of the UK's leading independent experts in ecology, hydrology, geomorphology and chemistry. Monitoring results from literally thousands of sites across the UK and scientific literature from around the world has informed the process. It has provided us with the best view science can provide of the environmental standards and conditions needed to support healthy aquatic plant and animal communities.