Environmental protection

Water Framework Directive - Common Implementation guidance

Copies of CIS guidance documents are available on the Commission's website.

Analysis of pressures and impacts

Pressure and impact analyses have a central role in the river basin planning process, in particular in the identification of where, and to what extent, human activities may place the achievement of the Directive's environmental objectives at risk.

This guidance document looks at the analysis of pressures and impacts that is required under Article 5 of the Directive. It provides a common understanding of how to identify significant human pressures on surface and ground waters and assess their likely impact on water status. It also identifies a range of tools to help with the analysis.

Economic analysis

The Directive requires Member States to take into account the costs and benefits of possible actions and under Article 5 Member States are obliged to carry out an economic analysis to underpin cost recovery requirements of the WFD.

This guidance document outlines a common approach to planning, developing and reporting the analysis and sets out relevant methodologies.

Identification and designation of heavily modified (HMWB) and artificial (AWB) water bodies

Article 4(3) of the WFD allows Member States to designate surface water bodies, which have been physically altered by human activity, as artificial or heavily modified, subject to a number of provisions. Good ecological potential is the environmental objective for these water bodies.

This guidance document provides a step-by-step approach to the identification and designation process. It sets out guidance on how to implement the different steps: provisional identification of HMWBs; designation of HMWBs and AWBs; and identification or reference conditions and environmental quality objectives for these water bodies. There is an accompanying toolbox to aid interpretation and application of the guidance.

Reference conditions and ecological status boundaries for inland surface waters

Member States are required to identify, for each type of body of water, reference conditions for the purpose of identifying a reference biological community, in accordance with Annex II of the Directive. The reference conditions must satisfy certain chemical and hydromorphological criteria set out in annex V for each category of body of water (rivers, lakes, transitional waters and coastal waters).

This guidance provides a protocol for identification of reference conditions for inland surface waters, and for identification of key class boundaries for the application of the classification regime for ecological quality.

Typology, reference conditions and classification of transitional and coastal waters

Member States are required to identify, for each type of body of water, reference conditions for the purpose of identifying a reference biological community, in accordance with Annex II of the Directive. The reference conditions must satisfy certain chemical and hydromorphological criteria set out in annex V for each category of body of water (rivers, lakes, transitional waters and coastal waters).

It provides guidance on how to differentiate coastal and transitional (estuarial) water bodies according to type (typology) and how to develop a classification system based on biological reference conditions.

Intercalibration

The intercalibration exercise will help to ensure that consistent and comparable assessment systems are in place across the EU. The process must be completed by end 2006.

The guidance addresses the technical process required by the Directive (intercalibration) to make sure that Member States have a consistent approach in assessing good status.

Monitoring

Article 8 of the Directive establishes the requirements for the monitoring of surface water status, groundwater status and protected areas. Monitoring programmes are required to establish a coherent and comprehensive overview of water status within each river basin district. The programmes have to be operational at the latest by 22 December 2006, and must be in accordance with the requirements of Annex V.

This guidance document proposes an overall methodological approach to monitoring for the implementation of the WFD. This guidance, therefore, provides a framework within which Member States can either use/modify their existing methods, or where no appropriate monitoring and assessment systems exists, develop new systems that will incorporate all the requirements of the WFD.

Geographical information systems

Spatial data will be required for much of the characterisation work and preparation of the river basin management plans. The Directive also requires a substantial part of the information required to be sent to the Commission in the from of maps. While there are only a few provisions specifying that the maps should be available for introduction into a GIS, it is recognised that maps in the format of GIS layers would be preferable.

This guidance addresses how this should be done and what the technical requirements of any system should be. It should help Member States with the preparation of the GIS layers in such a way that they follow a common and agreed standard.

Tools for the assessment and classification of groundwater

Under Article 4 of the Directive Member States must achieve good status for groundwater and implement measures to reverse any significant and sustained upward trend.

This guidance document identifies suitable statistical tools to identify pollution trends in groundwater.

Best practices in River Basin Planning

There are three work packages under this heading.

(i) Identification of River Basin Districts

Under the Water Framework Directive the base unit for water management will be river basin districts. Their identification is thus a key stage in implementation of the Directive.

This guidance document considers the definition of river basin districts; the assignment of groundwaters and transitional and coastal waters to river basin districts; the definition of international and cross-border river basin districts; and the identification of competent authorities in water management and planning.

(ii) Public Participation

Article 14 of the Directive requires Member States to encourage active involvement and ensure consultation and access to background information.

The guidance aims to create a common understanding of public participation and its role in the Directive, in particular in the river basin planning process. It identifies relevant techniques, tools and methodologies that can be used.

(iii) River Basin Planning process

Under Article 13, Member States must produce and publish River Basin Management Plans for each river basin district by 2009.

This guidance looks at the concept of a planning process, presents a general overview of the whole planning cycle, provides flowcharts that summarise the key tasks to be done, and looks at good practice on water planning

Identification of Water Bodies

Water bodies are the units for which environmental objectives will be set under the Directive. Thus one of the first tasks in implementing the Directive is to identify water bodies.

This guidance document develops a common understanding of the definition of water bodies and provides practical suggestions for the identification of them.

Horizontal Guidance on Wetlands

Wetlands are not included under the definition of water bodies, nor specifically defined in the Directive. While the Directive does not set objectives for wetland management it is recognised that wetland protection and restoration can contribute to good water status, in an effective and sustainable manner.

This guidance document explores the links between wetlands and the achievement of the Directive's objectives. It also provides examples of how wetland creation, maintenance and enhancement can be employed to achieve the environmental objectives of the Directive.

Further information

See also

 

Page last modified: 23 March 2005
Page published: 23 March 2001

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs