EU Directives

The Water Framework Directive

Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy

(http://forum.europa.eu.int/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/legislative_texts/wfd_en_pdf/_EN_1.0_&a=d)

The Groundwater Directive (WFD Daughter Directive

Directive 2006/118/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration

(http://forum.europa.eu.int/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/legislative_texts
/groundwater_2006-118-ec/_EN_1.0_&a=d)

The Priority Substances (WFD Daughter Directive)

Directive 2008/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy, amending and subsequently repealing Council Directives 82/176/EEC, 83/513/EEC, 84/156/EEC, 84/491/EEC, 86/280/EEC and amending Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council

(http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:348:0084:0097:EN:PDF)

National Legislation

England and Wales

The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003 Statutory Instrument 2003 No. 3242

(http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20033242.htm)

The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (Northumbria River Basin District) Regulations 2003
Statutory Instrument 2003 No. 3245

(http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20033245.htm)

The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (Solway Tweed River Basin District) Regulations 2004
Statutory Instrument 2004 No. 99

(http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2004/20040099.htm)

Other WFD transposition publications for England and Wales:

(http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/water/wfd/transposition.htm)

Scotland

Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 (WEWS Act)
2003 asp 3

(http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/acts2003/20030003.htm)

The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 (CAR)
Scottish Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 348

(http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2005/20050348.htm)

Policy Statement and Regulatory Impact Assessment accompanying the Controlled Activities Regulations

(http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/05/0995747/57481)

Wales

The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003
Statutory Instrument 2003 No. 3242

(http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20033242.htm)

Northern Ireland

The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003
Statutory Rule 2003 No. 544

(http://www.opsi.gov.uk/sr/sr2003/20030544.htm)

Ireland

S.I. No. 722/2003 — European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003
Published by the Stationery Office, Dublin

(http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2003/en/si/0722.html)

S.I. No. 413 of 2005
European Communities (Water Policy) (Amendment) Regulations 2005
Published by the Stationery Office, Dublin

(http://www.wfdireland.net/Documents/RBDACs/SI%20No.%20413%20of%202005%20.pdf)

WFD Guidance

EU CIRCA WFD Guidance Documents

Guidance documents prepared under the Common Implementation Strategy for the WFD (CIS)
Available at CIRCA - Communication & Information Resource Centre Administrator:

(http://forum.europa.eu.int/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/guidance_documents&vm=detailed&sb=Title)

WFD UKTAG Technical Guidance

UKTAG prepares technical guidance designed to facilitate consistent implementation of the Water Framework Directive in the UK and to assist in developing a coordinated approach to implementation in the river basins shared between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

(http://www.wfduk.org/tag_guidance/)

England and Wales

River Basin Planning Guidance, 2006
Defra and Welsh Assembly Government

Principles and key steps for the river basin planning process. Focuses on the nine river basin districts in England and Wales, and one of the two cross-border river basin districts in England and Scotland.

River Basin Planning Guidance volume 2, 2008

Further covers the approach the Environment Agency should take in carrying out its river basin planning functions. In particular, it will help the EA to develop the River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) which it will submit to Ministers for approval.

River Basin Management Planning in the Solway Tweed River Basin District – Guidance, 2007

This guidance sets out the expectations for the joint delivery of the WFD in Solway Tweed, a cross-border river basin district shared between England and Scotland.

(http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/water/wfd/management.htm)

Water strategy - Future Water, February 2008

This strategy sets out the Government’s long-term vision for water and the framework for water management in England.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/water/strategy/publications.htm

Scotland

The Water Environment (Controlled Activities)
(Scotland) Regulations 2005
A Practical Guide, 2008

This guide provides practical advice on the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 – more commonly referred to as the Controlled Activities Regulations or CAR. It details which activities are regulated by SEPA, and the conditions of each authorisation.

(http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/water_publications.aspx)

Ireland

Managing Our Shared Waters - Joint North South Consultation Paper - March 2003

(http://www.wfdireland.net/documents-wfd.html)

River Basin Management Planning,
A Practical Guide for Public Authorities
Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, June 2008

(http://www.wfdireland.net/docs/River%20Basin%20Planning%20Guidance%20-%2027%
20June%202008.pdf)

Official WFD Reports

WFD Articles
3 and 5

Article 3 UK Reports:

(http://forum.europa.eu.int/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/implementation_documents_1/wfd_reports/member_states/uk/article_3&
vm=detailed&sb=Title)

Summary UK reports of the Article 5 analysis

Summary reports of the Article 5 analysis reported to the Commission in March 2005

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/water/wfd/characterisation.htm

The Characterisation and Analysis of Ireland’s River Basin Districts

(http://www.wfdireland.net/wfd-charreport.html)

Links to Member States’ Article 3 and Article 5 Reports:

(http://forum.europa.eu.int/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/implementation_documents_1/wfd_reports/member_states&vm=
detailed&sb=Title)

WFD Implementation Documents

EU WFD Implementation reports

Article 18

The Commission has to assess the progress in the implementation of the WFD in certain intervals and to inform the European Parliament, the Council and the public about the results of its assessments.

The first implementation report : 1st stage of implementation  of the Directive (22 March 2007)

This report addresses three aspects: the transposition into national law, the set-up of administrative structures (Article 3 WFD) and the environmental and economic analysis of river basin districts (Article 5 WFD)

The second implementation report : Monitoring networks (1 April 2009)

The second implementation report addresses the establishment of monitoring programmes for surface waters and groundwater (see Article 8 and Annex V WFD)

(http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-framework/implrep2007/index_en.htm)

Work Programme for the Production of the first RBMPs

WFD Article 14

Water for life and livelihoods - A framework for river basin planning in England and Wales (available in English and Welsh).
The framework has been developed by the Environment Agency in collaboration with Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government and is consistent with their draft guidance for river basin planning. (2006).

(http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/33244.aspx)

River Basin Planning Strategy for the Scotland River Basin District, 2005

River Basin Planning Framework for the Solway Tweed River Basin District, 2006

These Strategy documents describe planned actions within three key areas necessary for the development of effective river basin planning:

• Establishing administrative arrangements and working principles to support RBMP production;
• Delivering opportunities for participation and consultation; and
• Integrating and coordinating the RBMP with other plans and planning.

In the Solway Tweed RBD, the SEPA and the Environment Agency must work jointly to deliver a coordinated approach to river basin planning in the District.

(http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/water_publications/river_basin_planning.aspx)

Environmental Quality Standards (EQSs) for Surface Waters

WFD Article 16

UK Environmental Standards and Conditions

UKTAG, UK Technical Advisory Group on the Water Framework Directive has produced several reports after developing a range of environmental standards and conditions to underpin the implementation of the WFD.

(http://www.wfduk.org/UK_Environmental_Standards/)

Commission Decision of 30 October 2008:

Establishing, Pursuant to Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, the Values of the Member State Monitoring System Classifications as a Result of the Intercalibration Exercise

(http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:332:0020:0044:EN:PDF)

Significant Water Management Issues

(SWMI)

SWMIs in River Basin Districts in England and Wales

A consultation took place between 24 July 2006 and 24 January 2008. This consultation set out what we believed were the most significant issues for each River Basin District in England and Wales. Consulting on these issues is a necessary step towards a River Basin Management Plan, and is a requirement of the Water Framework Directive.The documents, supporting information and the Environment Agency’s responses to comments for each RBD can be found below:

(http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/33252.aspx)

Water resources in England and Wales - current state and future pressures, December 2008  

This Environment Agency’s report summarises work which has assessed the current and future pressures on water resources in England and Wales. This has included our Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies , Water Resources Management Plans produced by water companies, river basin and other studies to support the Water Framework Directive and the Habitats Directive, plus work to assess the possible impacts of climate change.

(http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/library/publications/100582.aspx)

SWMIs in the Scotland River Basin District and in the Solway Tweed River Basin District

A report on the pressures acting on the water environment that SEPA thinks put their ability to achieve the environmental objectives of the Water Framework Directive most at risk.

(http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/water_publications/swmi.aspx)

Water Matters - Have Your Say Booklets for Northern Ireland RBDs and IRBDs

(http://www.ni-environment.gov.uk/water/wfd/significant_water_management_issues.htm)

Water Matters – Have Your Say Booklets for Irish RBDs and IRBDs

(http://www.wfdireland.net/docs/13_Water%20Matters%20-%20Have%20your%20say!%20Significant%20Water%20Management%20Issues/)

Classification of water bodies

UKTAG Recommendations on Surface Water Status Classification
(updated October 2008) 

(http://www.wfduk.org/UKCLASSPUB/)

Water Framework Directive - Directions to the Environment Agency on Classification of Water Bodies, October 2008

This is a consultation document issued by Defra and Welsh Assembly Government. This consultation is the final stage in a process of developing the environmental quality standards and other criteria recommended for use in classification in the first river basin planning cycle. It also includes recommendations on methodologies for the use of those standards and criteria to classify all WFD water bodies.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/water/wfd/classification.htm

Environmental Monitoring Programmes

WFD Article 8

The Environment Agency has developed a monitoring programme for the ten RBDs in England and Wales. This was reported to the European Commission through the WISE website in March 2007. Maps of monitoring networks, maps of classification results, maps of surface water body types, surface water body types and reference conditions, and information on confidence and precision of monitoring are given in Annex A of each draft River Basin Management Plan (see below).

Scottish monitoring strategy

SEPA has developed a Scottish monitoring strategy with partners such as Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Water, British Waterways, Environment Link and Fisheries Research Services. The strategy is risk-driven (ie it focuses on assessing the greatest risks on water bodies) and uses an ecological classification system to classify each surface water body.

(http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/monitoring_and_classification/scottish_monitoring_strategy.aspx)

EU Water Framework Directive Irish Monitoring Programme

(http://www.epa.ie/whatwedo/wfd/monitoring/programme/)

River Basin Management Plans

The River Basin Management Plans were published on 22 December 2009 following responses to the 6 months consultation on the draft plans which were published on 22 December 2008. The documents and Annexes are available at the following websites:

England and Wales:
Each RBMP consists of the main document accompanied by a number of supporting Annexes

• – Current state of waters
• – Objectives for waters
• – Actions
• – Protected areas
• – Actions appraisal
• – Mechanisms for action
• – Pressures and risks
• – Climate Change
• – Artificial and heavily modified waters
• – Other Planning processes
• – Economic analysis
• – Consultation and engagement
• – Competent authorities
• – Glossary

In addition the following documents are included for each RBMP.

• A Response document dRBMP consultation
• An Impact Assessment of the RBMP for the X  River Basin District , revised   November 2009
• A Habitats Regulations Assessment
• A Strategic Environmental Assessment of the dRBMP for the X River Basin District
• A link to What’s in your backyard connects to interactive maps with information on current and predicted water quality and monitoring points.

(http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/33106.aspx)

Scotland:

The RBMPs for Scotland and Solway Tweed districts, the two River basin districts in Scotland, consist of the following main components:

• Non technical summary
• The main document:
• Chapter 1 – State of the water environment (+ Appendices)
• Chapter 2 – Environmental objectives (+Appendices)
• Chapter 3 – Achieving the environmental objectives (+ an Appendix)
• Chapter 4 – Heavily modified and artificial water bodies (+an Appendix)
• Chapter 5 – Protected areas (+ Appendices)
• Annex 1 Competent authorities
• Annex 2 Consultation and engagement
• Annex 3 Cost recovery
• Water body sheets
• Interactive map application
• Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
• Habitats Regulations Appraisal and Appropriate Assessment

Details of the draft plans, a summary of consultation responses and the changes made to the final plans can also be accessed from the SEPA website:

(http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning.aspx)

Northern Ireland:
River Basin Management Plans and supporting documents have been produced for the  North Eastern River Basin District and the two International RBDs,  the Neagh Bann and the North Western IRBDs.

A plan has also been produced for the Shannon International River Basin District (IRBD).  Only a small portion of this district lies within Northern Ireland.  Consequently the drafting of this plan was led by the authorities in Ireland.

(http://www.ni-environment.gov.uk/water/wfd.htm)

Ireland:
Copies of the plans and details on how to respond to the public consultation are available at the RBDs’ websites and can be accessed from the WFD Ireland website (Water Matters – ‘Help us Plan!’). Additional background or reference documentation is also available on this site.

(http://www.wfdireland.net/index.html)