Meeting of the EG on WFD&Agriculture Update on the implementation of the EU water policies Seville, 6-7 April 2010 Andrea NÁM Unit for “Protection of Water Environment” DG ENV.D.1, European Commission

Timetable of the River Basin Management Plans Consultation on the draft RBMPs: start at the latest 22.12.2008, run for 6 months Deadline of the approval of the RBMPs 22.12.2009. Deadline for the reporting of RBMPs to COM 22.03.2010.

River basin districts Diversity of river basins Many transboundary rivers

Consultations on draft river basin management plans GREEN - River Basin Management Plan established ORANGE - consultations finalised, but plans not yet published. BLUE - consultations ongoing PURPLE - consultations not started or ongoing in a part of the country RED - consultation have not yet started .* Link: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/ participation/map_mc/map.htm *Updated 25.03.2010 This Conference is held in the middle of the consultation period foreseen in the WFD for the draft river basin management plans, that should have been published by 22 December 2008. 16 countries have published their draft plans to date, 3 more for some RBDs only. 9 countries have not published the draft plans yet. According to the survey made by the consultants, draft plans published in HU, RO and SK show important gaps and are incomplete on important aspects. Some like HU indicate the intention to publish a more complete draft plan later on.

RBMP assessment - principles WFD obligations Member States report river basin management plans (Art. 15.1) by 22 March 2010 Commission prepares assessment report (Art. 18) by 2012 Principles Member States agreed to report on WISE + electronic versions of the plans + relevant background documents Analysis should cover legal, technical and strategic issues (policy effectiveness)

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RBMP assessment - methodology Concept paper developed in December 2009, in consultation with Member States We will assess WISE electronic delivery and RBMPs ‘Readable’ WISE summaries will be extracted over summer and mainly be used for screening In-depth assessments will focus more on the RBMPs For this, assessment templates are under development 7

Topics for in-depth assessments Governance (administrative arrangements, public participation, international cooperation) Characterisation of the river basin district Monitoring of surface waters and groundwater Classification of surface water status Designation of heavily modified water bodies and definition of good ecological potential Assessment of groundwater status Environmental objectives and exemptions Programme of measures – general Measures related to agriculture Measures related to hydromorphology Measures related to chemical pollution Measures related to groundwater Additional measures in protected areas Measures related to article 9 (water pricing policies) Strategy to deal with water scarcity and droughts Adaptation to climate change in RBMP 8

New Communications/Reports Second follow-up report to the Communication on Water scarcity and droughts (2007) – spring 2010 EU report on groundwater quality standards – March 2010

River Basin Management in a changing climate - a Guidance document Guidance document covering WFD and the Floods Directive including the Water Scarcity & Droughts strategy Lead by Strategic Steering Group on Climate change and water (Co-chaired DE/COM) Adopted in Dec 2009

New legislation Priority substances (PS) are chemical pollutants which have been identified as posing significant risk to or via the aquatic environment throughout the EU due to their widespread contamination of the environment and ecotoxicity Priority hazardous substances (PHS) are a subset subject to more stringent environmental objectives due to high persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity or similar concerns.

New legislation – Priority Substances 2000 – Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC Article 16 and Annex X list of PS 2001 – Decision No 2455/2001/EC establishing list of 33 PS 2008 – Directive 2008/105/EC establishing environmental quality standards (EQS) for those PS Currently – review (as required by WFD) of the list of PS, of the EQS values and of control measures Next - Impact Assessment (IA) -2010 2011 – Commission proposal on PS due January 2011

Content of 2011 Commission proposal on PS? For existing priority substances Revision of EQS values, possibly to include EQS values for sediment and/or biota in addition to water Identification of any existing Priority Substance as Priority Hazardous Substance Assessment of effectiveness of control measures and proposals as appropriate For newly identified priority substances EQS values for the additional substances (water, sediment or biota) Identification of Priority Hazardous Substances

Conclusions of the EU report on groundwater quality standards 25 member states have set up environmental groundwater standards (threshold values) have set up environmental groundwater standards for 158 pollutants and indicators Five countries established more stringent standards for nitrate (Austria, Ireland, Hungary, Latvia and the UK) with standards ranging from 18 to 50 milligram per litre (the standard required in the 2006 groundwater directive). The report also shows 7 countries have more stringent standards for pesticides (UK, IE, IT, Cz, SK, FI, BE). Groundwater quality standards vary greatly across the EU because the directive provide certain flexibility in establishing them. The standards reflect local characteristics such as hydrogeological factors and environmental risks. All 27 member states except Greece have met reporting requirements. Denmark submitted incomplete information. Portugal did not establish groundwater quality standards, reporting that none of its ground-water bodies are at risk (except for nitrates).

Draft conclusions of the WS&D report Many measures have been implemented and actions carried out but much more effort is needed The priorities of the Communication remain valid The Yearly report will be part of the basis for the 2012 policy review and the yearly reporting exercise is therefore of main importance In 2009 only CZ, IT, FIN, AT, LI, DE, PT, UK, BE, PL, FR, MT, CY, ES and LT submitted reports to COM. To be able to have a clear picture of the situation and needs at EU level COM needs reports from all Member States. The Commission is concerned that implementation of the Water Framework Directive in the Member States which are most affected by water scarcity is delayed (consultations on the draft RBMPs had not started by December 2009, inter alia in PT, CY, MT, EL and in 22 out of 24 RBD in ES). The main areas which will be further studied at EU level between now and 2012 are planned to be water efficiency with regards to agriculture, water supply infrastructures, buildings and products, water savings and improved water retention through changes in land use and management, and measures related to early warning for droughts.

2012 Policy Review WS&D– Vision to introduce a water saving culture in Europe and achieve a drought resilient society to ensure demand management allowing to provide water for all essential uses even under aggravated climatic conditions Original policy options remain valid – and new to be identified

Water Scarcity and Droughts 2012 Policy Review - components Annual reports on the follow-up of the 2007 Communication Main report Overview of problem & existing measures Identification of gaps Proposal of new measures Impacts assessment of measures Building Blocks & Studies Water Efficiency - Water Supply Infrastructure (pilot project) Water Efficiency in buildings Water Pricing and Water Savings in agriculture Land use planning (water retention) Alternative water supply, waste water re-use… Water consumption in products (Eco design, Green Public Procurement……) Drought observatory Indicator development & possibly more to be identified…….. 17

WS & D Analysis Overview of problem & existing measures Where is WS&D a problem & how big is the problem? What are the driving forces? What & how big are the pressures? What are the impacts? Which measures are already in place? Identification of gaps Proposal of new measures Assessment of Impact of new measures

Adaptation to Climate Change Follow up White Paper Establishment of an ‘Adaptation Clearinghouse – Sharing of good practice in the EU’ - scoping study and further preparations in 2010 Integrated Assessment Modelling of water-related scenarios, sectoral impacts and adaptation measures 19

Water Strategy in 2012 - Blueprint for water In 2012, the Commission will publish a “Blueprint to Safeguard European Waters ”: Review of the implementation of the WFD Review of the Water Scarcity and Droughts policy Review of strategy on environmental resources vulnerability (adaptation ) In the RBMPs, the WFD aspects related to water scarcity and droughts and to adaptation to climate change will be assessed In addition, separate studies are currently under preparation 20

New work programme Common Implementation Strategy Common Implementation Strategy 2010-2012 adopted in November 2009 5th generation work programme http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/implementation_documents/final_2010-2012/_EN_1.0_&a=d The Strategic Steering Groups on Agriculture and Water and on Climate Change and Water, and the Expert Network on Water Scarcity and Droughts were renamed to expert Groups. The Expert Groups work on the basis of a mandate with well-defined activities. When the tasks are fulfilled the Expert Group will be dissolved.

New work programme Common Implementation Strategy Common Implementation Strategy 2010-2012 adopted in November 2009 5th generation work programme Continued work on agriculture, ecological status, chemical status, groundwater, floods, reporting… New activities on biodiversity, economics … 22

Thank you for your attention! 23