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Agricultural production has become increasingly intensive with high inputs of fertilisers and pesticides, leading to high pollutant loads to the water environment. In northern Europe, many lowland agricultural streams were straightened, deepened and widened to facilitate land drainage and to prevent local flooding. Water storage and abstraction for irrigated agriculture have changed the flow regime of many river basins and lowered groundwater levels, particularly in southern Europe. To achieve good status, it will be essential to address agricultural pressures, while maximising the beneficial effects of good land management.
It is recognized that poorly planned and managed forests can exert a pressure on the water environment. Environmental problems can arise if woodland is poorly managed or planted in unsuitable locations. Well planned and managed forest can be of significant benefit to the local and global environment and may play an active role in rehabilitating degraded and contaminated land, act as a sink for or protect against potential sources of diffuse pollutants and, arguably, reduce flood risk.
Some activities related to energy production such as hydropower, use of cooling water and growing energy crops result in pressures on water management.
<This section will be further updated based on results from Commissions WFD implementation reports>
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in the Para on managed forests we propose to explain why managed forests could exert pressures on water ecosystems….
It is unclear why hydropower is underlined as it is only one out of several energy/electricity generating technologies. The last sentence is very strange to read because one very new possible pressure maker is introduced: energy crops. Energy crops might be used to generate electricity and also to produce heat (CHP). Sector coupling will increase significantly in EU' energy future and hereby need of all forms of flexibility. A profound discussion on all energy issues is necessary but takes time. The report/ this part should not be ended like this.
The last part of the report is full of generalities and statements which are not really linked to the data on the status. It opens the discussion on interesting subjects for the future of the WFD but which are not deducted from the report itself. Some affirmations are quite discouraging (idem to 6.3) as they could have been written 20 years ago when the WFD was adopted.
We suggest that political issues about policy integration, integrated water management etc. should stay open for discussion through the upcoming European consultation of the WFD involving all stakeholders.
BE-WAL (EC): p. 76 §2
What is the source of the 1st sentence?