EC Reports More Effort Needed to Achieve Good Water Quality

March 23, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS

While the results of the March 22 report were mixed, the EC said that member states must do more to reach the directive's 2015 goal, a goal the EC still feels is achievable.

To help further that goal, the EC is also launching the Water Information System for Europe (WISE), a web portal developed with the European Environment Agency that will gather a wide range of water-related data from across the EU.

Stavros Dimas, EC environment commissioner, said, "Sustainable water management is vital to protect biodiversity, the well-being of citizens and the competitiveness of European industries. The Water Framework Directive and other directives on water are part of an ambitious policy to protect and manage this vital natural resource. Water management is increasingly important as we adapt to the inevitable consequences of climate change."

Research commissioner Janez Potočnik added, "I am delighted that our scientists responded to the challenge of developing the first operational system that enables actors in member states to accurately deliver environmental and geospatial data to the European Commission and its partners. Robust science is indispensable for policy-making that serves the best interests of European citizens."

Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of the European Environment Agency (EEA), said, "European citizens have the right to know about the status of European waters and how well EU water policy delivers. The new Water Information System for Europe bundles data that was previously unavailable or fragmented. Today's launch is only the start. By 2010, we want to make WISE the most comprehensive water information system in the world."

Achieving good water quality
The aim of the 2000 Water Framework Directive is to achieve, by 2015, good water quality for all waters across the EU. Under the directive, member states are obliged to adopt river basin management plans by the end of 2009. The new EC report documents member states' progress to date in adapting their legislation and putting in place the structures for good water quality management.

The reports submitted by all 27 member states show that significant progress has been made. However, they also indicate a number of shortcomings. One of these is the inappropriate transposition of the directive into national law and another is the considerable lag by a number of member states in incorporating economic instruments into water management systems.

Cooperation on cross-border issues, such as water pollution between member states and countries like Russia and Turkey, also needs to be improved.

The EC also published two other related reports. The first is the latest implementation report of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. This directive requires member states to build adequate treatment facilities for municipalities over a certain size. The EC found that only 51% of all treatment plants in the EU - before the EU's 2004 enlargement - met the standards under that directive.

The second report is on implementation of the Nitrates Directive, which aims to reduce and prevent nitrate pollution from agricultural sources in surface water and groundwater. The implementation of that directive remains incomplete in a number of member states and the pollution trends vary considerably across the EU.

Other water issues
A number of other directives form part of the EU's policy on water. These include the directives on bathing water, groundwater and drinking water, as well as other forthcoming directives on the marine environment and flood management, which are at the proposal stage of the decision-making process.

Water Information System for Europe
The Water Information System for Europe is a web portal that provides the public with a wealth of information on water and water-related topics, such as bathing and other water quality data plus information on urban waste water treatment sites. The portal is a collaborative effort between the EC (Directorates-General for Environment and Research, Joint Research Centre and Eurostat) and the EEA.

European Water Conference
On World Water Day (March 22, 2007), the EC started a two-day conference opened by EC environment commissioner Stavros Dimas and attended by the German and Portuguese environment ministers Sigmar Gabriel and Francisco Nunes Correia. The conference was open to the public via web streaming.

For more information
- Water Framework Directive
- Water Information System for Europe
- European Water Conference (22-23 March 2007)
- Questions and answers on European water policy

Source: European Commission.