Transcript Slide 1

Water Framework
Directive
- a framework for
Community action in
the field of water
policy
Marieke van Nood
WFD Team, DG ENV.D.2, European Commission
water.europa.eu
Overview presentation
WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE (2000/60/EC)
• Main WFD objectives
• Specific links WFD - hydropower
• Implementation in practice
• Conclusions
Main WFD objectives
WFD – general principles
• Protecting all water bodies, including transitional waters
and coastal waters.
• Covering all impacts on waters.
• Achievement of good status in all water bodies and no
deterioration of status.
• Good status:
– Ecological status
– Chemical status
– Quantitative status
• Water quality defined in terms of biology, chemistry and
morphology
• Attention paid to socio-economic impacts, e.g. through a
process of duly justified exemptions
Slide 4
Diversity of uses, aspirations,
pressures and impacts
Nature protection
Tourism
Industry
Agriculture
Flood protection
Waste Water
Drinking water
Navigation &
hydropower
WFD Timetable
Transposition into national law
Administrative arrangements
Environmental analysis:
Analysis of characteristics
Assessment of human impacts
Economic analysis of water use
Monitoring programmes
Public Participation starts
Significant water management issues
Draft river basin management plans
Final river basin management plans
Measure to be applicable at the latest
Implementation, adjustment
Slide 7
Dec 2003
Dec 2003
Dec 2004
Dec 2006
Dec 2006
Dec 2007
Dec 2008
Dec 2009
Dec 2012
2015 till 2027
River Basin Management Plans
Principles
1-flexibility in WFD objective setting
2-integration with other policies
3-consider a wide range of measures
4-transparency in decision making
5-6 year cyclic approach
S
WFD and hydropower
Heavily modified water bodies
• In case changes to the hydromorphological characteristics of
that body which would be necessary for achieving good
ecological status would have significant adverse effects on (e.g.)
power generation, and
• In case the beneficial objectives served by the artificial or
modified characteristics of the water body cannot, for reasons of
technical feasibility or disproportionate costs, reasonably be
achieved by other means, which are a significantly better
environmental option:
A water body can be designated as heavily modified and
good ecological potential can be achieved instead of GES.
Slide 10
Exemptions
• Time derogation (art 4.4)
• Phased implementation to 2021 or even 2027 depending on
technical feasibility and disproportionate costs
• Lowered objectives (art 4.5)
• Depending on technical infeasibility, disproportionate costs and/or
natural condition
• New modifications for sustainable human developments
or physical alterations of surface water bodies, or
alteration level of ground waters (art 4.7)
• Benefits overriding public interest, consideration of
alternatives – better environmental option
Slide 11
New modifications
• WFD allows for deterioration by new modifications under
strict conditions:
• No better environmental options
• Project is of overriding public interest/outweighing water
protection benefits
• All mitigation measures are taken
• Project and reasons are reported in RBM Plan
• Other water bodies are not impacted/other objectives not
impaired
Often related to Habitats Directive Article 6.3
New modifications
• What do we expect in plans:
• Assessment of project on all biological quality elements
• Use WFD monitoring data and/or expert judgement
• Assess alternatives and describe whether there are no
better environmental options (e.g. type of measure,
location of measure)
• Describe overriding public interest/comparison to
foregone water protection benefits
• Describe assessment of mitigation measures
-> Article 4.7 assessment in early stage
Good examples and guidance
Good examples and guidance exist
WFD:
• Guidance on application of exemptions
http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/guidance_do
cuments&vm=detailed&sb=Title
•
Guidance on pressures from navigation,
hydropower, flood protection
http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/thematic_doc
uments/hydromorphology&vm=detailed&sb=Title and
•
CIS workshop outcomes
http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/implementati
on_conventio/workshop_hydropower/hydro-morphology/_EN_1.0_&a=d
EC Guidance documents Natura2000
+ important guidance on compensation (Art. 6 (4)
1
How to integrate both
•
Early consideration of requirements WFD (&Habitats
directive)
- Planning at river basin level, for e.g. consideration of alternatives
- Exchange information about mitigation measures
- Early involvement stakeholders and public
More information
Water Information System for Europe: www.water.europa.eu
DG ENV webpages: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water
WFD - Circa webpage:
http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive&vm
=detailed&sb=Title
Or contact us:
[email protected]
Thank you very much!