What is the directive?
The WFD is the most substantial piece of water legislation ever produced by the European Commission and will provide the major driver for achieving sustainable management of water in the UK and the other Member States for many years to come. It requires that all inland and coastal waters within defined River Basin Districts must reach at least ‘good’ status by 2015 and defines how this should be achieved through the establishment of environmental objectives and ecological targets for surface waters. The result will be a healthy water environment achieved by taking due account of environmental, economic and social considerations. When did the Directive come into force? The Directive came into force in December 2000 and was transposed into UK law in December 2003. It is a complicated issue in the UK since the responsibility for river basin management is generally devolved to the regions. It was necessary to identify the River Basin Districts before transposition, since some transcend reg
The Water Framework Directive (WFD) (2000/60/EC) (http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/water/wfd/index.htm) The WFD is the most substantial piece of water legislation ever produced by the European Commission and will provide the major driver for achieving sustainable management of water in the UK and the other Member States for many years to come. It requires that all inland and coastal waters within defined River Basin Districts must reach at least ‘good’ status by 2015 and defines how this should be achieved through the establishment of environmental objectives and ecological targets for surface waters. The result will be a healthy water environment achieved by taking due account of environmental, economic and social considerations.
