EUROPEAN WATER POLICYEUROPEAN WATER POLICY

An overview

EUROPEAN WATER POLICY:20 YEARS OF A RICH HISTORY

What next?Opening the floor for WFD

Water directives:two different approaches

EU water policy: where does it come from ?

2/14

EUROPEAN WATER POLICY:20 YEARS OF A RICH HISTORY

EU water policy: where does it come from ?

Water directives:two different approaches

What next?Opening the floor for WFD3/14

THE BUILDING OF A COMPLETELY NEW

POLICY1972: a major milestone regarding

environmental policies

public policies hardly addressed environment

before first UN Conference

on the human environmentin Stockholm

Paris Conference initiated the elaboration of an

environmental common policy

preserving public health protecting the environment harmonising the

environmental rules within the Common market

First action programme

for the environment

Paris Conference initiated the elaboration of an

environmental common policy

Origins

4/14

THE BUILDING OF A COMPLETELY NEW

POLICY

A slow process to remove several constraints

environmental issues treated in the frame of economic integration

lack of legal basis for environmental policies

1986: environment becomes an autonomous policy

unanimity of the Council required for decision-making

1992 / 1999: power of decision progressively shared between Council and EP

Origins

5/14

LIMITS APPLYING TO EUROPEAN WATER POLICY

Water policy is an environmental

policy

Only qualitative issues are addressed

Lack of integration in major European

policies

Evolutions rely on society's concern for

environment

Origins

6/14

EUROPEAN WATER POLICY:20 YEARS OF A RICH HISTORY

EU water policy: where does it come from ?

Water directives:two different approaches

What next?Opening the floor for WFD7/14

TWO COMPETING APPROACHES

Two categories of directives in the water sector

Approach

Water quality objectives

Emission limit values

More "pragmatic"standards set with

regards to the natural capacity of dilution of

water at discharge point

More "ambitious"standards set as low as possible based on the

use of the best available technologies

8/14

THE "WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES " APPROACH

Ensure human health

… at the tap: drinking water directives (80/778/EEC - 15/07/1980 revised: 98/83/EC - 3/11/1998 )

… in the environment: bathing water directive (76/160/EEC - 8/12/1975; revision ongoing)

Protect the environment

directive on the quality of surface water intended for the abstraction of drinking water (75/440/EEC - 16/06/1975)

directive on the quality of fish water (78/659/EEC - 18/07/1978)

directive on the quality of shellfish waters (79/623/EEC - 30/10/1979)

to be repealed by WFD

Water quality standards are set to ensure the achievement of two main

goals

First wave of directives re.

water: between 1975 and

early 80'sApproac

h

9/14

THE "EMISSIONS LIMIT VALUES " APPROACH

A set of specific "water directives"

dangerous substances (76/464/EEC - 4/05/1976)

sewage sludge (86/278/EEC - 12/06/1986)

urban wastewater(91/271/EEC - 21/05/1991)

nitrates from agricultural origins (91/676/EEC - 12/12/1991)…

Second wave of directives re.

water: from 1976 to 1991

How to tackle pollution directly?

the quality of water declines in many places

punctual and diffuse emissions spread

Approach

Some"environmental

directives"plant protection products (91/414/EEC - 15/07/1991) IPPC (96/61/EC - 24/09/1996)

10/14

EUROPEAN WATER POLICY:20 YEARS OF A RICH HISTORY

Water directives:two different approaches

What next?Opening the floor for WFD

EU water policy: where does it come from ?

11/14

1990's: ON THE WAY TO WFD...

What next?

A new approach for water policies

concerns have changed a new concept arises: "integrated river basin

management "

An assessment of EU water policy

20 years, 30 directives: a pause is needed have initial goals been achieved? what cost for water policies?

12/14

A DECISION-MAKING PROCESS UNDER

PRESSUREJune 2000: conciliation

procedure

What next?

Mid-90's: intense debates on water policy

Proposal of WFD

Interest groups

Interest groups

European

Parliamen

t

After 1999:co-decision

1998-1999procedural

delay

Member

States

Before 1999:co-operation

6/1998political

agreement

13/14

What next?

14/14

ECONOMICS IN THE DEBATE

WFD combines both approaches

Two different visions

of the use of economics

as an element of the decision-making process ?

as a tool for the achievement of environmental objectives?

The principle of recovery of costs

degree of recovery: full or not?

scope for recovery: what sector?WFD requires to take it

into accountDiscussion opened at district scale on the

degree

GO FURTHER

Presentation of the main water directives

Chronology of WFD elaboration Main issues at stake during the debate

prior to the adoption of WFD

public health: determine common quality criteria and control rules for waters intended for human consumption

imperative quality standards monitoring requirements under member states' responsibility possibility for members states to adopt stricter criteria limited possibilities for temporary derogations

heavy investments in all member states for implementation general improvement of the quality of water distributed

THE FIRST DRINKING WATER DIRECTIVE

80/778/EEC - 15/07/1980

Objectives

Contents

Main results

Approach

integrate technical and scientific better capacities focus on public health

THE REVISED DRINKING WATER

DIRECTIVE98/83/EEC - 3/11/1998

Origins

Main changes

Comment

two types of standards:imperative (31): public health drivenindicative (25): indicators of water treatment plants'

performance several changes legal framework for the management of non conformities

80/778/EEC directive will be fully repealed in December 2003Approac

h

reduction and prevention of the pollution of bathing waters key concern: public health

THE BATHING WATER DIRECTIVE

76/160/EEC - 8/12/1975

Objectives

Contents

Result and Comment

minimum quality criteria sampling and analysis requirements possibility for MS to adopt more stringent values limited derogations

major improvement of the quality of European bathing waters

revision ongoing: more ambitious standards, global approach, better information of citizens...Approac

h

harmonise the legislation of MS take preventive action at source

THE DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES

DIRECTIVE76/464/EEC - 4/05/1976

Objectives

Contents

Result and Comment

monitoring of dangerous substances: list 1 (discharge to be ended) and list 2 (discharge to be reduced)

all discharges are subject to prior authorisation quality objectives and emission standards for list 1 daughter directives to ensure full implementation

derogations reduce the impact on the quality of waters low implementation and limited number of daughter

directives similar directive on groundwater: 80/68/EEC - 17/12/1979

Approach

ensure harmless use of sewage sludge in agriculture

THE SEWAGE SLUDGE DIRECTIVE

86/278/EEC - 12/06/1986

Objective

Contents

Result and Comment

use in agriculture is dependent on agronomic properties limit values for heavy metals in sludge and in the soil and

maximum annual quantities use of sewage sludge is restricted or prohibited where

potentially harmful to the environment frequent sampling and analysis of soil and sludge MS keep records with all relevant information

revision ongoingApproac

h

address one of the main sources of pollution of water

THE URBAN WASTEWATER DIRECTIVE

91/271/EEC - 21/05/1991

Objective

Contents

Results and Comments

tight timetable with ultimate deadline in 2005 the treatment of urban water is to be adapted according to

the sensitivity of the receiving waters MS' responsibility for monitoring both discharges from

treatment plants and receiving waters

very large scope: all areas over 2000 EH significant improvement in water quality but… level of

treatment often underestimated; lots of breaches of deadline debates regarding implementation costsApproac

h

reduce or prevent water pollution caused or induced by nitrates from agricultural sources (intensive livestock farming and crop growing)

THE NITRATES DIRECTIVE91/676/EEC - 12/12/1991

Objectives

Contents

Results and Comments

MS identify water (which could be) affected by pollution and vulnerable zones which contribute to pollution

possibility to set up action programme instead codes of good agricultural practice to be implemented by

farmers on a voluntary basis

ambitious objectives with comprehensive approach no connection with CAP lack of implementation: several cases before ECJ

Approach

setting uniform rules for authorising plant protection products

ultimately put out of the market the most dangerous ones

THE PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS DIRECTIVE

91/414/EEC - 15/07/1991

Objectives

Contents

Comments

list of active substances combined with an autorisation system

procedure for updating the list harmonised rules for labelling, placing on the market, etc.

specific attention paid to water

Approach

prevent or minimise air, water and soil pollution from highly polluting industrial installations

THE IPPC DIRECTIVE96/91/EEC - 24/09/1996

Objectives

Contents

Comments

obligations and procedure based on a licensing system setting of emission limit values transitional period until October 2007

amended in 2003 in order to ensure more public participation

Approach

THE WFD, THE CONCLUSION OF

A 10-YEAR PROCESS (A)Need for a global re-thinkingof the European water policy

Debates onseveral aspects

of EU water policy

implementation costs vs. achievements

too sectorial approach on-going revisions: drinking and

bathing waters, hazardous substances

requests for more subsidiarity concern about ECJ's pressure

Proposal for a directive on

the ecological quality

of water (COM(93)680 final)

no simplification and no clear coherence with the existing legal framework

no integrated approach yet high implementation costs

expectedearly

1990's

1994

What next?

THE WFD, THE CONCLUSION OF

A 10-YEAR PROCESS (B)Adoption

of WFD (2000(60)EC)

legally binding objectives; limited derogations

ambitious environmental objectives (2015) less stringent on pricing & hazardous

substancesProposal

of WFD (COM(97)49)

simplification: repeals several directives based on river basin stringent environmental objectives (2010) full cost recovery pricing of water uses

Abundant criticism Opening of a tough negotiation round

Discussions on the future ofEU water policy public hearings held by EP

Council's call for a framework text Commission's communication, roots of WFD

General agreement on leading principles1995-97

1997

2000

What next?

COMPETING EXPECTATIONS ON KEY ISSUES

European Parliamentfocus on results

Member statesfocus on implementation

Legally binding character of WFD

Regulatory text, "common" approach

Not too strict, high subsidiarity

vs.

Emissions of hazardous substances

Moderate approach Ambitious expectationsvs.

Deadlines for implementation

Close, very limited derogations

Very distant, extended derogations

vs.

Impact of WFD

Concern for all side-effects (social…)

Priority concern for watervs.What next?