THE EU WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE

What is it?
The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) came into force in December 2000. The Directive, 2000/60/EC, is a direct response to a decline in water quality and wetland ecosystems throughout Europe. The Directive is a result of five years of discussions and negotiations between a wide range of experts, stakeholders and policy makers.

What is it's objective?
The purpose of the Directive is to establish a framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater's which:
· Prevents further deterioration of and protects and enhances the status of water resources;
· Promotes sustainable water use based on long-term protection of water resources;
· Aims to enhance protection and improvement of the aquatic environment through specific measures for the progressive reduction of discharges, emissions and losses of priority substances and the cessation or phasing out of discharges, emissions and losses of the priority hazardous substances;
· Ensures the progressive reduction of pollution of groundwater and prevents its further pollution;
· Contributes to mitigating the effects of floods and droughts.

In short, the Directive aims at achieving "good water status" for all waters by 2015.

How will it achieve its goal?
The implementation of the Directive will be through plans based on the idea of catchment management. Each member state is required to identify individual river basins lying within their National territory and for the purposes of this Directive, these shall be assigned to individual River Basin Districts (RBDs). Member states are required to ensure that a river basin covering more than one state is assigned to an International River Basin District (IRFB). It is planned for these basins to be finalised by the end of 2003 including the identification of competent authorities to carry out the rules of the WFD. At present, it is proposed to have eight River Basin Districts throughout Ireland, five of which will be in the Republic, one in Northern Ireland and two spanning both i.e. IRBD's. The WFD contains nine separate phases based on commitments by year-ends, commencing with river basin identification up to the final deadline of 2027.

What about existing Directives?
The WFD will supersede and amalgamate a number of existing Directives. These existing Directives will however remain until the relevant provisions of the WFD have been fully implemented.

What is being done to support implementation?
The Department for the Environment and Local Government is now promoting the establishment by local authorities of river basin management projects to address water management in all inland and coastal waters, including groundwaters, and all sources of water pollution including phosphorus. The southeast river basin management project was approved in March 2002. A project in relation to the Shannon River basin began on 6 January 2003. River basin management projects for the east and the west have also been approved in principle. The WFD requires the participation of the general public in an ongoing consultation process during the production, reviewing and updating of river basin management plans before their formal adoption, thereby allowing all stakeholders to influence government policy on water. The Heritage council produced a consultative document and responses were due before 1st June 2003. Following this a discussion seminar was arranged with respondents invited to attend. Visit the website: www.heritagecouncil.ie

Further information?
The Dept. of Environment and Local Government website: www.wfdireland.ie
The environmental protection agency: www.epa.ie (includes also a review of the monitoring and research to meet the needs of the WFD, carried out by the Dept. of Zoology, Trinity College, Dublin)

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