water framework directive - a framework for community action in the field of water policy
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Water Framework Directive - a framework for Community action in the field of water policy Marieke van Nood WFD Team, DG ENV.D.2, European Commission. Overview presentation. WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE (2000/60/EC) Main WFD objectives Specific links WFD - hydropower - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
water.europa.eu
Water Framework Water Framework Directive Directive - a framework for - a framework for Community action in Community action in the field of water the field of water policy policy
Marieke van NoodWFD Team, DG ENV.D.2, European Commission
Overview presentation
WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE (2000/60/EC)
• Main WFD objectives
• Specific links WFD - hydropower
• Implementation in practice
• Conclusions
Main WFD objectives
Slide 4
WFD – general principles
• Protecting all water bodies, including transitional waters and coastal waters.
• Covering all impacts on waters.• Achievement of good status in all water bodies and no
deterioration of status.• Good status:
– Ecological status– Chemical status– Quantitative status
• Water quality defined in terms of biology, chemistry and morphology
• Attention paid to socio-economic impacts, e.g. through a process of duly justified exemptions
Diversity of uses, aspirations, pressures and impacts
Nature protection
Industry
Tourism
Waste Water
Agriculture
Navigation & hydropower
Drinking water
Flood protection
Slide 7
Transposition into national law Dec 2003Administrative arrangements Dec 2003Environmental analysis:
Analysis of characteristicsAssessment of human impacts
Economic analysis of water use Dec 2004 Monitoring programmes Dec 2006Public Participation starts Dec 2006Significant water management issues Dec 2007Draft river basin management plans Dec 2008Final river basin management plans Dec 2009Measure to be applicable at the latest Dec 2012Implementation, adjustment 2015 till
2027
WFD Timetable
Slide 8
Principles1-flexibility in WFD objective setting
2-integration with other policies
3-consider a wide range of measures
4-transparency in decision making
5-6 year cyclic approach
River Basin Management Plans
WFD and hydropower
Slide 10
Heavily modified water bodies
• In case changes to the hydromorphological characteristics of that body which would be necessary for achieving good ecological status would have significant adverse effects on (e.g.) power generation, and
• In case the beneficial objectives served by the artificial or modified characteristics of the water body cannot, for reasons of technical feasibility or disproportionate costs, reasonably be achieved by other means, which are a significantly better environmental option:
A water body can be designated as heavily modified and good ecological potential can be achieved instead of GES.
Slide 11
Exemptions• Time derogation (art 4.4)
• Phased implementation to 2021 or even 2027 depending on technical feasibility and disproportionate costs
• Lowered objectives (art 4.5)• Depending on technical infeasibility, disproportionate costs and/or
natural condition
• New modifications for sustainable human developments or physical alterations of surface water bodies, or alteration level of ground waters (art 4.7)• Benefits overriding public interest, consideration of
alternatives – better environmental option
New modifications
• WFD allows for deterioration by new modifications under strict conditions:
• No better environmental options• Project is of overriding public interest/outweighing water
protection benefits• All mitigation measures are taken• Project and reasons are reported in RBM Plan• Other water bodies are not impacted/other objectives not
impaired
Often related to Habitats Directive Article 6.3
New modifications
• What do we expect in plans:
• Assessment of project on all biological quality elements• Use WFD monitoring data and/or expert judgement• Assess alternatives and describe whether there are no
better environmental options (e.g. type of measure, location of measure)
• Describe overriding public interest/comparison to foregone water protection benefits
• Describe assessment of mitigation measures
-> Article 4.7 assessment in early stage
Good examples and guidance
Good examples and guidance exist
WFD:• Guidance on application of exemptionshttp://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/
guidance_documents&vm=detailed&sb=Title
• Guidance on pressures from navigation, hydropower, flood protection
http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/thematic_documents/hydromorphology&vm=detailed&sb=Title
and
• CIS workshop outcomeshttp://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/
implementation_conventio/workshop_hydropower/hydro-morphology/_EN_1.0_&a=d
16
EC Guidance documents Natura2000
+ important guidance on compensation (Art. 6 (4)
How to integrate both
• Early consideration of requirements WFD (&Habitats directive)
- Planning at river basin level, for e.g. consideration of alternatives
- Exchange information about mitigation measures
- Early involvement stakeholders and public
More information
Water Information System for Europe: www.water.europa.eu
DG ENV webpages: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water
WFD - Circa webpage: http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive&vm=detailed&sb=Title
Or contact us:
Thank you very much!