WFD and Agriculture Activity under the CIS 2005/2006 Work Programme

The Water Directors recognised in 2004 that…….. Agriculture will significantly impact upon, and be impacted by, the WFD objectives. WFD characterisation – a high proportion of water bodies at risk of failing to meet the WFD ‘good status’ objectives due to agriculture. Recent Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms – increased opportunities to support farmers in addressing their environmental responsibilities

Overall nature and scale of agricultural pressures in Europe BUT that UNCERTAINTY over ……… Overall nature and scale of agricultural pressures in Europe Degree to which existing measures, including CAP, will contribute to achieving WFD objectives Additional action required under WFD

Therefore in order to …….   Fill the INFORMATION GAP MANAGE THE UNCERTAINTY and RISK of not meeting WFD objectives Encourage better joining-up of WFD and CAP Consider the IMPACTS OF WFD on AGRICULTURE

UK and Commission prepared a mandate and are co-leading this activity Water Directors decided to establish EU Strategic Steering Group involving water managers and agriculture and rural experts

Mandate Output   Will be targeted at : Member States, the Commission, farmers, organisations involved in the implementation of CAP and WFD, and other interested parties. Will be …… - Improved evidence base to inform decision making and identification of evidence gaps. - More strategic thinking on how to maximise the value of links between WFD and CAP agendas – including better links between the EU water, Agriculture and Rural agendas. - Information sharing between Member States (e.g. best approaches for RD programmes).

First steering group meeting : 25th April 2005 The work is going on …….. First steering group meeting : 25th April 2005 UK conference on water and agriculture (twinned with the second steering group meeting) : 20-21st Sep

WORK PROGRAMME 2005 Assessing the gap extent between the agricultural activities and the WFD: use of article 5 reports, integration of EEA &JRC projects about nutrients source apportionments in EU, costs and benefits? Focusing with the preparation of RD programmes: recommendations to help MS in using RD programmes to implement the WFD. Draft documents to be ready for the UK conference in September and to be approved in November by the Water Directors.

WORK Programme 2006   On the basis of the recommendations of the London conference, in two directions CAP&WFD: use of current instruments, further evolutions needed in the future Other approaches: information exchanges on 2 other instruments selected by the SSG

LONDON CONFERENCE 20-21st September 2005   Key milestone in the activity Structured in three parts: challenges/solutions/reconciliation between CAP&WFD objectives in the future Target public: MS water and rural development directions, stakeholders, SSG members (200 people).

FINAL REPORT by 2006   Scale of the challenges: pressures and impacts on water resources, potential costs and benefits of the programmes of measures regarding agriculture CAP&WFD: use of the RD programmes, use of cross-compliance standards, further evolution for the future Other approaches based on information exchanges.