WG 2.9 Best Practices in River Basin Planning WP2 – Guidance on Planning Process Strategic and Coordination Group Meeting Brussels 21st February 2003

Expected outputs according CIS Strategy document (2 May 2001) Guidance in relation to the identification of RBDs (end 2003) Guidance in relation to River Basin Planning and programs of measures (end 2003) Guidance in relation to participatory approach (end 2003) Technical document (tool box) on River Basin Management (end 2004) Expected outputs according progress report presented by the Commission in Water Directors Meeting (Ghent, 8/9 Nov 2001) Guidance document on the identification of RBDs (May 2002) Guidance document on the planning process (end 2002) Guidance document on Public Participation (end 2002) Manual on Integrated River basin Management with group 4.1 (end 2004)

Expected outputs according progress report presented by the Commission in Water Directors Meeting (Ghent, 8/9 Nov 2001) Guidance document on the identification of RBDs (May 2002) Manual on Integrated River basin Management with group 4.1 Guidance document on the planning process (end 2002) Guidance document on Public Participation (end 2002) Status Feb 2003 Version in CIRCA to be discussed in Strategic and Coo. Group meeting (21/02/03) Considered as one of the tasks of Cluster IRBM. To be finished in 2005

Work Programme (1/2)

Work Programme (2/2)

Guidance Main Contents Principles relevant for the water planning and needs for the decision making process Some considerations for a sound planning process. Specific requirements of the WFD regarding the planning process General overview and overall flowchart for the planning process

Principles relevant for the water planning Introduction General scope, functions and types of planning processes Planning of water management and links with other planning processes

Introduction Primary purpose of planning is to provide a Plan as an instrument for making decissions in order to influence the future. It is a process, not an objective by itself The Directive provides a framework for planning. In fact, different planning processes at different scales can be developed in the same RBD simultaneously

General scope, functions and types Planning, in some sense, is a strategic approach ... but not only...

Other functions: Framework to develop institutional arrangements To increase legitimacy and transparency To provide tools for conflict resolution To report on water management policy Different planning types (depending on PP in definition of objectives and means employed) Rational-instrumental (with or without open-eye) Interactive (with or without open eye)

Links with other planning processes Social, economic and environmental aspects One key element: land use planning Anyway, water planning has special characteristics: Precondition for a sound development of some activities. Water is a complex issue: uncertainty Water management is dynamic

Some considerations for a sound planning process Description of prerequisites for a sound planning process: Long term vision for the RBD Knowledge and information management Integration at the operatianal level. Links with other planning policies The right timing Appropriate toolbox

Specific requirements of the WFD This section can be considered as a general description of the activities to be carried out in the planning process In some sense, this is the text explaining the flowcharts. Main aim: To understand in an overall way the entire planning process (its philosophy). Details in the other guidance documents

Specific requirements of the WFD

Flowcharts Objectives Identify different tasks, duration. Identify key products Identify actions required to meet the requirements for the obligatory deadlines Identify critical path and bottlenecks Assess the organisational level at which they should be carried out

Flowcharts

Finalisation of the guidance 20/21 January: Workshop in Madrid Until 24 January: Additional texts and remarks 3 February: New version in CIRCA(including the conclusions from the workshop and new texts) 14 February: “Last round” comments summarized in a separate document in CIRCA

Proposal: To maintain as it is Proposal: To maintain as it is. The present flowcharts and linked footnotes express in an appropriate way the consideration of the non deterioration principle. It is not possible to go beyond without further guidelines Foot note: Task no. 158 is related to the array of measures necessary to meet one of the main objectives of the WFD, which is to prevent further deterioration of the status of aquatic ecosystems (Article 1). Articles 4.3 to 4.7 have to be taken into account for the application of this principle and to define the deadlines. For the moment, an ongoing task is proposed throughout the whole first assessment and planning period until December 2009 although, in any case, details of the time schedule of this issue will be dealt with in a specific document.