Warsaw, 07/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European directors in charge of water and the sea will hold an informal meeting from today until 9 December in Warsaw. Periodically, the experts of the member states exchange their experiences, plans and expectations in “back-to-back” meetings.
The Warsaw meeting has set itself the priority of reviewing the recent activities of the CIS, the Common Implementation Strategy, a stakeholder in the water framework (WFD, 2000/60/EC) and the marine strategy framework directive (2008/58/EC).
“In the case of these two directives, we have set up implementation platforms which, under the direction of the water directors and the marine directors, are responsible for coordinating actions undertaken in the member states related to the issue of water and the sea, in cooperation with the Directorate General of the Sea of the European Commission”, states the Polish Presidency, adding: “in particular, we need to draft a joint position and guidelines, to carry out cooperation at expert level, carry out research and achieve projects.”
The aim of this is solely to serve the member states. The group EURO-INBO, the International Network of Basin Organisations, is responsible for implementing the concept of the water framework directive in interested countries which are not members of the European Union, to allow the application of its principles and methods.
“The integrated and balanced management of water resources per basin is needed everywhere, that much is clear. The catchment areas of rivers, lakes and aquifers are the ideal natural geographical areas to organise this integrated and balanced management”, reads a press release of the EURO-INBO group (our translation). “The WFD is an incomparable example of co-ordinated management of water resources at the level of as diversified a region as Europe. Its methodology, its process and its approach remain extremely relevant in seeking a solution to the problems of water.”
Nevertheless, major challenges are still central to the discussions. Many member states are still receiving letters of formal notice for points of non-compliance concerning the application of the framework directives. One example, for instance, shows that the percentage of water masses achieving the correct state in 2015 is set to vary enormously, between 25% and 75%. (VW/transl.fl)