Fewer than half of the EU’s water bodies are in good condition, even if the deadline set by European legislation to achieve this was 2015, according to the ‘fitness check’ of the water directives, published on Thursday 12 December by the European Commission.
This mixed record shows that EU legislation is adequate to achieve the objectives pursued and more relevant than ever: tackling water pollution, reducing the loss of freshwater biodiversity and increasing resilience to the effects of climate change.
However, despite improvements in protecting bodies of water and flood risk management, the assessment reveals an insufficient level of implementation by Member States and by sectors with a significant impact on water, such as agriculture, energy and transport.
The Water Framework Directive, the associated Directives (Directive on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration, Directive on water quality standards) and the Directive on the assessment and management of flood risks were under discussion.
“The challenges for Member States are more than substantial. We now need to accelerate the implementation of what we have agreed. The momentum of the European Green Deal will allow us to make such a leap forward”, says EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius in a statement.
The Water Framework Directive has certainly established a governance framework for integrated water management in more than 110,000 bodies of water in the EU, thereby slowing down the deterioration of water status and reducing chemical pollution. But the implementation of the Directive has been considerably delayed. Insufficient funding and insufficient integration of environmental objectives into sectoral policies have also been highlighted.
However, the evaluation points out that this Directive is flexible enough to take into account new challenges such as climate change, water scarcity and emerging pollutants such as microplastics and pharmaceuticals. Chemicals is a key area where there is room for improvement and better results, according to the Commission.
The Floods Directive, under which the very first management plans began to be implemented in 2016, has improved risk management, but more efforts are needed to raise awareness and ensure better and better coordinated prevention, adapted to climate projections. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)