Seminar for Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia Countries (EECCA) on Water Statistics September 2012 Almaty, Kazakhstan The EU Water Framework Directive A short introduction Nihat ZAL Project manager-Pan European Forest Issues

 New approach to water protection  It covers all water categories; rivers, lakes, groundwater as well as coastal and transitional waters  Sets clear objectives  Use of water resources must be sustainable throughout Europe  The protection of all categories of waters  Waters to be managed at river basin level by formulating a River Basin Management Plan  In the case of transboundary water bodies, this needs co-operation between countries The European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 established a framework for Community action in the field of water policy namely Water Framework Directive (WFD)  Ensuring the active participation of all stakeholders, including NGOs and local communities, in water management activities  Requiring water pricing policies based on the “user pays” principle  Balancing the interests of the environment with those who depend on it  Strategy  Time bounding targets  Integrated water resources management  Common implementation strategy (28 different guidelines)

Public Participation (Art.13) Implementation stages of the EU Water Framework Directive

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8)

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8) 1- Delineation of River Basin Districts 2- Inventory of current status -Human activities -Economic analysis of water use

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8) 1- Delineation of River Basin Districts 2- Inventory of current status -Human activities -Economic analysis of water use 141 River Basin Districts river water bodies ( km– average length 11 km) lake water bodies (2/3 in Sweden and Finland) 950 transitional and 2800 coastal water bodies

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8) Set up environmental objectvies (Art.4)

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8) Set up environmental objectvies (Art.4) High Good Moderate Poor Bad Ecological status and potential Maintain high status of waters where it exists Achieve good status by 2015 (provision for exemptions) Prevent deterioration in water status

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8) Set up environmental objectvies (Art.4) Establish monitoring programmes (Art.6) 2006 Implementation stages of the EU Water Framework Directive High Good Moderate Poor Bad Surveillance monitoring (effects of human activities) Operational monitoring (assessment and changes in the status) Invenstigative monitoring (urgent matters)

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8) Set up environmental objectvies (Art.4) Establish monitoring programmes (Art.6) 2006 Gap analysis

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8) Set up environmental objectvies (Art.4) Establish monitoring programmes (Art.6) 2006 Gap analysis 2009 Set up the programme of measures for RBD (Art.11) Develop River Basin Management Plan (Art.13-25, App.VII) Analysis of current status Environmental objectives Program of measures

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8) Set up environmental objectvies (Art.4) Establish monitoring programmes (Art.6) 2006 Gap analysis 2009 Set up the programme of measures for RBD (Art.11) Develop River Basin Management Plan (Art.13-25, App.VII) 2012 Implement the programme of measures for RBD Implementation

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8) Set up environmental objectvies (Art.4) Establish monitoring programmes (Art.6) 2006 Gap analysis 2009 Set up the programme of measures for RBD (Art.11) Develop River Basin Management Plan (Art.13-25, App.VII) 2012 Implement the programme of measures for RBD Submit interm report on the implementation to the EC (Art.15) Review performance

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8) Set up environmental objectvies (Art.4) Establish monitoring programmes (Art.6) 2006 Gap analysis 2009 Set up the programme of measures for RBD (Art.11) Develop River Basin Management Plan (Art.13-25, App.VII) 2012 Implement the programme of measures for RBD Submit interm report on the implementation to the EC (Art.15) 2013 Revised overwiev of significant water issues Evaluate the first and prepare the second period Review performance

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8) Set up environmental objectvies (Art.4) Establish monitoring programmes (Art.6) Gap analysis Set up the programme of measures for RBD (Art.11) Develop River Basin Management Plan (Art.13-25, App.VII) Submit interm report on the implementation to the EC (Art.15) Revised overwiev of significant water issues Evaluate the first and prepare the second period Implement the programme of measures for RBD Update RBMP Review performance

Public Participation (Art.13) 2004 Assess current status, analyse prelinimary gaps (Art.5-8) Set up environmental objectvies (Art.4) Establish monitoring programmes (Art.6) Gap analysis Set up the programme of measures for RBD (Art.11) Develop River Basin Management Plan (Art.13-25, App.VII) Submit interm report on the implementation to the EC (Art.15) Revised overwiev of significant water issues Evaluate the first and prepare the second period Implement the programme of measures for RBD Update RBMP 1 2 3

The role of European Environment Agency (EEA) in the WFD implementation cycle To this end EEA is mandated: to provide the Community and the Member States with the objective, comparable information, for framing and implementing sound and effective environmental policies; to record, collate and assess data on the state of the environment and to draw up regular expert reports on the state, quality, sensitivity and pressures on the environment The European Environment Agency is the EU body dedicated to providing timely, targeted, reliable and independent information on the environment Member states Collaborating countries

The role of European Environment Agency (EEA) in the WFD implementation cycle Water Information System for Europe (WISE) Indicator development on EU-level (Core Set of Indicators-CSI) Link to policy processes in the area of freshwater and marine (WFD and MSFD)-Assessment and Reporting

The current status of WFD implementation Ecological status of WBs by country Ecological status/potential of water categories 23 countries have reported data (not all countries have accepted RBMPs)

The current status of WFD implementation  Regional differences in water use  Water use is stable in southern Europe and, decreasing in western Europe.  This decrease is attributed mostly to behavioural changes, technological improvements and the prevention of water losses in distribution systems, supported by water pricing. A BLUEPRINT TO SAFEGUARD EUROPE'S WATERS RESOURCES A policy response to challenges in water management with the long- term aim ( ) to ensure sufficient availability of good quality water for sustainable and equitable water use in Europe.

Recent activities of EEA in the water area 2012 EEA reports 1.Towards efficient use of water resources in Europe 2.Hydromorphology 3.Vulnerability 4.Status of Freshwater ecosystems and Biodiversity 5.Synthesis

22 BP Blueprint impact assessment Synthesis 2012 EEA report, linking thematic assessments Thematic assessments, details of evaluation WFD, state, pressures analysis, WS&D CC adaptation etc. DG ENV EEA Recent activities of EEA in the water area

Seminar for Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia Countries (EECCA) on Water Statistics September 2012 Almaty, Kazakhstan Thanks for your attention!.. Nihat ZAL Project manager-Pan European Forest Issues