European Union Water Framework Directive

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The Water Framework Directive creates a legal framework for the protection and restoration of clean waters across the European Union (the official title is Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy). The Directive, which entered into force in December 2000, provides common principles, approaches and requirements for water management in the European Union; it also leaves broad leeway for Member State individual approaches.

The Directive addresses EU surface waters, including coastal waters, as well as groundwater. By 2015, Member States are to achieve "good water status", a term that incorporates both chemical parameters (i.e. low pollution levels) as well as ecological ones (healthy ecosystems).

Under the Directive, water management is based on river basins. EU Member States set up river basin districts and designate the administrative unit for each district: in many Member States, these are water councils. Where a river basin includes more than one Member State or crosses from the EU to neighboring countries, the Directive calls for the creation of an international river basin district. Both national and international districts should prepare management plans by 2009, and these provide a form of IWRM planning.

OLD VERSION: The EU Water Framework Directive [Directive (2000/60/EC)] was approved by the European Parliament and Council in September 2000 and came into force on 22nd December 2000. The Directive, generally known as the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a legislation to protect and improve the water quality all inland and coastal water-bodies in Europe. A key aspect of the Directive is the involvement of river basin councils in the sustainable management of water bodies.

1 Human rights-based approaches in the Directive
2 Related legislation
3 International cooperation
4 Jurisprudence
5 Upcoming and past events
6 Further Readings, References, Links
7 Links and further readings
8 Source(s)

Human rights-based approaches in the Directive

The Directive includes some wording related to human rights. Its recital to the Directive states that:

"Water is not a commercial product like any other but, rather, a heritage which must be protected, defended and treated as such"

Another recital calls for public participation in decisions on plans and measures for river basin management.

At the same time, the Directive places a strong emphasis on cost recovery. Its Article 9 states that EU countries “shall take account of the principle of recovery of the costs of water services”. Economic analyses should be carried out to ensure adequate contributions by different classes of users, including households. The article does, however, note that Member States can take into account “social, environmental and economic effects” of cost recovery.

Related legislation

The Water Framework Directive is a central element in EU water legislation. Other key legislation includes the 1991 Urban Waste Water Directive (updated in 1985), which calls for treatment of waste waters from all communities of at least 2000 inhabitants. A new directive addressing flood risks entered into force on 26 November 2007. EU countries are also discussing common actions for water scarcity.

The European Commission has proposed a "Marine Strategy Directive" that would require the attainment of good status of the European Union’s marine areas, following a similar approach to the Water Framework Directive.

International cooperation

Under the Water Framework Directive, EU Member States should cooperate with neighbouring countries on shared river basins. The Danube provides the strongest example of this cooperation: the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River acts as the umbrella body for the Directive’s implementation across the 10 EU countries and 8 non-EU countries in the Danube river basin.

Jurisprudence

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Upcoming and past events

targeting North-Eastern border of the EU: Debe (Poland), 18/19 October 2005, at the invitation of the Government of Poland and the European Commission (for the information notice click here).
WFD Workshop targeting South-Eastern Europe will be held in Belgrade (Serbia and Montenegro) at the beginning of 2006, at the invitation of the Government of Italy.