1. 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

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

3. River basin districts Diversity of river basins
Many transboundary rivers

4. 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:
participation/map_mc/map.htm
*Updated
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 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.

5. 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)

6. 6

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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).

15. 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.

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. New work programme Common Implementation Strategy
Common Implementation Strategy adopted in November 2009
5th generation work programme
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.

22. New work programme Common Implementation Strategy
Common Implementation Strategy 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

23. Thank you for your attention!23