The EU Water Framework Directive - integrated river basin management for Europe

On 23 October 2000, the "Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for the Community action in the field of water policy" or, in short, the EU Water Framework Directive (or even shorter the WFD) was finally adopted.

Please find below the text of the Directive which was published in the Official Journal (OJ L 327) on 22 December 2000 and entered into force the same day:

(pdf ~855KB)

However, even after reading the Directive, you may have still questions, such as: What is this Directive about? What do I need to know about the Directive? What is currently happening in relation to the Directive?

A number of "Water information notes" intend to give an introduction and overview of key aspects of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive :

Waternote 1 : Joining forces for Europe's shared waters - Coordination in international river basin districts
Waternote 2 : Cleaning up Europe's waters - Identifying and assessing surface water bodies at risk
Waternote 3 : Groundwater at Risk - Managing the water under us
Waternote 4 : Reservoirs, Canals and Ports - Managing artificial and heavily modified water bodies
Waternote 5 : Economics in Water Policy - The value of Europe's waters
Waternote 6 : Monitoring programmes - taking the pulse on Europe's waters
Waternote 7 : Intercalibration - a common scale for Europes waters

If you still have questions you will below find links to pages providing you with more detailed answers to these and other questions!

The subsequent pages intend to provide you with answers to these and other questions. You will find further information about the following issues:

General information

• WFD - introduction and overview
  The key issues of this new Directive
• Decision-making process
  A long way...
• Timetable for implementation
  Clear deadlines and milestones
• Transposition and Reporting
  Overview of the obligations on the Member States
• Information Exchange Platform
  The WFD CIRCA system in support of the implementation
• WFD links
  List of webpages of the national autorities responsible for the implementation the WFD and of some international river basins

Specific legislation

• Groundwater
  The Groundwater Directive 2006/118/EC has been developed in response to the requirements of Article 17 of the Water Framework Directive
• Strategy against chemical pollution of surface waters
  • Commission proposal setting environmental quality standards for priority substances.
  • Decision 2455/2001/EC: List of priority substances established in a separate Decision under Article 16 of the Water Framework Directive
• Ecological Status
  The environmental objectives are the core of the Directive and the definition of “good ecological status” is essential. The intecalibration process is comparing the national classifications and Decision 2005/646/EC sets out a network of intercalibration sites. The results are expected to be published in late 2007.

Implementation

• Common Implementation Strategy
  The Common Implementation Strategy for the EU Water Framework Directive - a unique process
• Implementation Report 2007
  First report by the Commission on the progress in implementation
• Facts, figures, maps
  Factual information on the implementation

European Water Conference 2007

On 22/23 March 2007, the Commission (DG Environment) organised a conference where more than 400 participated were discussing the first implementation report and the launch of the Water Information System for Europe (WISE). The material related to the European Water Conference is still available.

More information

This website is, so far, only available in English. Additional information about European water policy in all Community languages can be found in the following leaflet and brochure:

• Leaflet "Water is life - Water Framework Directive"
  
  (pdf ~75KB)
  
  
• Brochure "The Water Framework Directive - Tap into it !"
  
  (pdf ~220KB)

Feedback

If you have any questions about the EU Water Framework Directive or if you have any ideas about how to improve this site, please send us an email to the "Water Mailbox" of Environment DG.