1. EU Water Framework Directive
The first implementation report of the European Commission
Water Framework Directive Team
Unit D.2 – Water and Marine
DG Environment, European Commission

2. European Water Policy Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC):
overall framework for integrated management
ambitious objectives (e.g. good status by 2015)
basic measures (directives on urban wastewater, nitrate pollution, industry pollution and others)
protected areas (directives on bathing water, habitats, drinking water and others)
Completing the framework:
Groundwater (2006/118/EC)
Priority Substances (negotiations ongoing)
Intercalibration (2005/646/EC, results end 2007)
Extending the scope:
Floods Directive (negotiations ongoing)
Marine Strategy Directive (negotiations ongoing)
Communication on Water Scarcity and Droughts

3. Implementation Report
Communication ‘Towards Sustainable Water Management in the European Union’ (COM(2007) 128 final)
Supported by Annexes 1) WFD 1st Impl. Report (SEC(2007) 362) 2) UWWD 4th Impl. Report (SEC(2007) 363)
Snap-shot of the situation reported in
Based on reports from Member States
Assesses 3 components:
Legal transposition into national law (Art. 24)
Administrative arrangements (Art. 3)
Environmental/economic analysis (Art. 5)

4. Implementation Results -1
Legal Transposition: MS with major shortcomings
Administrative Arrangements:
110 different RBDs, 40 are international
>60 % of EU territory is international
RBD size between and km2
Economic analysis:
Low level of information on cost-recovery in different sectors

5. TITLE

6. Implementation Results Legal transposition - 2
Art. 4 (7) not transposed

7. Implementation Results Article 5 analysis - 8
Information available on cost recovery

8. Implementation Results -2
Environmental analysis
water bodies in 23 MS
Average drainage area per water body between 19 km2 and 312 km2
Average size of a groundwater body between 300 and 1000 km2
25% of water bodies is heavily modified or artificial (average of 24 MS)
29% of surface water bodies NOT at risk (average of 23 MS)
43% of groundwater bodies NOT at risk (average of 24 MS)
NOT at risk means that they meet or will meet WFD objectives

9. Implementation Results Article 3 arrangements - 5*
Results of performance assessment
“Good practices”
“Distance from minimum target”
EU27 average
Preliminary assessment

10. Implementation Results Article 5 analysis - 12
Overall performance Article 5
range between different national RBDs * *

11. Implementation Results - 3
Main shortcomings:
lack of data and no follow up identified
variability of approaches and methodologies (e.g. size of water bodies)
designation of heavily modified water bodies
diffuse source pollution of surface water (incl. lack of inventory)
diffuse and point source pollution of groundwater (incl. lack of inventory)
assessment of overexploitation and salt intrusion in groundwaters
(analysis of) current levels of cost recovery and consideration of environment and resource costs

12. Follow - up Recommendations for MS: -overcome shortcomings
Implement fully basic measure legislation (uwwd, nitrates, ippc)
Improve methodologies and close data gaps
-enhance integration
Transpose and apply 4.7, the WFD impact assessment, to new infrastructure projects
Match financing priorities (national and EU) better with WFD analysis and implementation
-improve transparency
Make information available, also through WISE:

13. Main messages
Implementation well advanced with some positive examples – it is possible to implement the WFD well and in time!
Significant shortcomings – Member States have to do better!
Still time to rectify situation – decisive milestone is 2009 RBMP!

14. Reporting of Monitoring Networks
Article 8 requires establishment of monitoring network – deadline 22 March 2007
First WFD reporting only supported electronically through new WISE input portal (REPORTNET hosted by EEA)
Reports to date
- In time through WISE: AT, CZ, DE, DK, FI, FR, IE, LU, LT, LV, NL, PL, SI, SP, SE, UK
- Later reporting (WISE or other): BE, BG, CY, HU, RO
- Not reported: EE, GR, IT, MT, PT, SK
Check out the latest state-of-play yourself at
Overall very successful exercise - no major problems report – new WISE operates well
Commission report latest by end 2008

18. More information The reports are available at:
water-framework/report2007.html
Data from WFD reports and much more on WISE:
Thank you for your attention!