Water Framework Directive

The WFD sets a framework for comprehensive management of water resources in the European Community, within a common approach and with common objectives, principles and basic measures. It addresses inland surface waters, estuarine and coastal waters and groundwater. The fundamental objective of the Water Framework Directive aims at maintaining “high status” of waters where it exists, preventing any deterioration in the existing status of waters and achieving at least “good status” in relation to all waters by 2015. Member States will have to ensure that a co-ordinated approach is adopted for the achievement of the objectives of the WFD and for the implementation of programmes of measures for this purpose. The objectives of the WFD are:

• to protect and enhance the status of aquatic ecosystems (and terrestrial ecosystems and wetlands directly dependent on aquatic ecosystems)
• to promote sustainable water use based on long-term protection of available water resources
• to provide for sufficient supply of good quality surface water and groundwater as need for sustainable, balanced and equitable water use
• to provide for enhanced protection and improvement of the aquatic environment by reducing / phasing out of discharges, emissions and losses of priority substances
• to contribute to mitigating the effects of floods and droughts
• to protect territorial and marine waters
• to establish a register of 'protected areas' e.g. areas designated for protection of habitats or species

The directive rationalises and updates existing water legislation by setting common EU wide objectives for water. It is very broad in its scope and relates to water quality in rivers, lakes, canals, groundwater, transitional (estuarine) waters and coastal waters out a distance of at least one nautical mile.