1. From Water Scarcity & Droughts to Water Accounts
Henriette Faergemann
Water Unit
Directorate General for Environment
European Commission 1 1

2. Water Quantity in WFD implementation
Previous CIS phase – water scarcity & droughts EG:
Agreeing definitions of WS & D
Starting up work on e-flows
Development of WS & D indicators
SPI,
fAPAR,
Soil Moisture,
SRI,
Snowpack,
WEI+
This CIS phase: activities related to quantity in several groups
e-flows
PoM: Leakage reduction, Water re-use
Water accounts

3. Why is water quantity a concern in EU?
Balance between demand and availability has reached a critical level in many areas of Europe (water scarcity)
More and more areas are affected by weather changes, in particular less rain (droughts)
Climate change will almost certainly make the situation worse
More frequent and severe droughts expected across Europe and the neighbouring countries
Total water abstraction in EU 247 billion m³/year
44% for energy production,
24% for agriculture,
17% for public water supply
15% for industry
Business as usual scenario:
Total abstraction will increase by 16% by 2030 3 3 3 3

4. Droughts in Europe Reservoir, Sicily Reservoir, Cyprus
River Elbe, Dresden
Spring. 2007 4 4 4 4

5. Water Exploitation Index
Increasing
stress 5 5 5 5

6. Climate change is already here6 6 6 6

7. Increasing impacts of water scarcity & droughts
in the past 30 years
Water scarcity
Droughts
Cost to the EU economy:
Min € 100 billion in past 30 years
In 2003:
Min 100 Mio inhab., 1/3 of EU territory
Cost of € 8.7 billion to the EU economy
33 EU river basins affected so far
Min 100 Mio inhab., 17% of EU territory
Significant extension in past 30 years 7 7 7 7

8. And it is getting worse…..8 8 8 8

9. Predicted impacts of climate change and economic development
Proportion of severe water stress
EU river basins likely to increase
from 19% today to 35% by 2070.
Areas affected by droughts
will increase.
If t° rises by 2 to 3°C, water
scarcity would affect 1.1 to 3.2
billion people
Southern Europe
Eastern Central Europe

10. What have we done about it so far?
Water Framework Directive – not so strong on SW quantity
Commission Communication WS&D policy options
Putting the right price tag on water
Improving drought risk management
Fostering water efficient technologies and practices
Fostering the emergence of a water-saving culture
Allocating water & water-related funding efficiently
Considering additional water supply infrastructures
Improve knowledge and data collection
Annual implementation reports
Launch of Policy Review in 2010
Blueprint in 2012
CIS mandate 10 10 10 10

11. Blueprint objectives
Voluntary
Regulation
Conditionality
Funding
Efficient incentive water pricing
CIS Guidance on trading schemes by 2014
Enforcement of Art. 9 WFD (ongoing)
Ex-ante conditions under RD&C policy funds 2014
Metering take up
Water use reduction in agriculture
Precondition for some irrigation projects under RD as of 2014
Reduction of illegal abstraction/impoundments
Apply GMES as of 2013
Possible EU initiative on inspections
Cross-compliance under CAP
Awareness of water consumption
Support voluntary labeling & certification schemes
Maximisation of the use of NWRM (Green Infr.)
CIS Guidance by 2014
Greening of CAP pillar I as of 2014
S&C Funds & EIB loans
Efficient water appliances in buildings
EU Ecolabel & GPP criteria 2013
Eco-design Working Plan in 2012
Reduction of leakages
Best practice/tools on SELL in 2013
Maximisation of water reuse
Possible Regulation in 2015
Improvement of governance
Peer review of RBMPs (2013 – 2016) 11

12. Blueprint objectives
Voluntary
Regulation
Conditionality
Funding
Implementation of water accounts, e-flows & target setting
CIS Guidance on WAs / E-flows & Target setting by 2014
Reduction of flood risk
Through Green Infr. European Flood Awareness System
Flood Risk Management Plans by 2015
Reduction of drought risk
Through Green Infr. European Flood
EDO in
Enforcement of WFD requirements (ongoing)
Better calculation of costs and benefits
CIS Guidance by 2014
Better knowledge base
Upgrading WISE by 2015
Support to developing countries
Tackling pollution
Report on pharmaceuticals & the environment 2013
Targeted enforcement of WFD, EQS/PSD, NID, UWWTD, IED …
Cross-cutting
EIPs on Water and Agriculture as of 2013
Overall enforcement of WFD, EQS/PSD, NID, UWWTD, IED
Possible European Semester Recomm. 2013
CAP, S&C Funds & EIB loans 12

13. In conclusion
Better integration of water quantity in the WFD is needed
Possible tools:
Eflows
Water efficiency
Hydro-economic models
Water accounts
This group will
Facilitate the use of water accounts in River basins by developing the guidance
Follow the work on-going at EU level on WA and modelling 13 13 13 13

14. Thank you for your attention. http://ec. europa
Blueprint Communication COM(2012)673+ Impact Assessment SWD(2012) 381 & 382
Report on River Basin Management Plans COM(2012)670
Commission Staff Working Document, European Overview on River Basin Management
Plans, Volumes 1 and 2 SWD(2012) 379
Commission Staff Working Document, River Basin Management Plans, Volumes 3 to 30
(All Member States + Norway) SWD(2012) 379
Communication on the Review of the European Water Scarcity and Drought Policy
COM(2012)672 + accompanying Commission Staff Working Document SWD(2012)380
Fitness Check SWD (2012)393 14