Environmental protection

Water Framework Directive - Common Implementation Strategy

Implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) raises a number of scientific, technical and practical challenges within an extremely demanding timetable. While implementation of the WFD resides fully within the competence of individual Member States it was recognised that a common approach to some of these challenges would allow the sharing of expertise, information, experience and resources whilst facilitating, as far as possible, a coherent and harmonious implementation of the Directive.

A Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) was thus agreed in May 2001 between Member States, Norway and the Commission. Under the CIS a series of Community working groups have developed informal and non-legally binding guidance on how to action the technical parts of the WFD. These groups were led by one or more Member States, with most other Member States participating together with other non-governmental stakeholders and, more recently, candidate countries. The Commission co-ordinated the overall work programme.

The Department, the devolved administrations and the UK Environment Agencies participated very actively in the development of the CIS and co-lead on the development of guidance on estuarial and coastal waters, heavily modified water bodies and the impact of human activity on surface and groundwater. The adopted guidance documents are available from the Commission's website.

A key element of the CIS is the integrated testing of guidance in pilot river basins. This testing of guidance is being undertaken through an EU Pilot River Basin network, comprised of fifteen river basin projects.

The UK participates in this network through the Ribble Pilot River Basin project, located in the North West River Basin District, which was formally launched on 10 June 2003.

Further information

See also

 

 

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

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs