4.2 EU strategies, policy targets and management responses

4.2 EU strategies, policy targets and management responses

Four main management challenges for European waters are the degradation of freshwater ecosystems, water abstraction and scarcity, and nutrient and chemical pollution. To address these management challenges, targets and goals are set in European strategies as part of the Green Deal and of other major EU policies previously adopted. The set EU targets and goals are linked to a number of management responses and measures, which are required by a broad set of EU environmental directives. These linkages are illustrated in  Figure 19.

 Figure 19          Overview of water management challenges, defined EU goals and targets as well as management responses addressing the challenges

Notes: HD=Habitats Directive, BD=Birds Directive, IAS=Invasive Alien Species, FD=Floods Directive, ND=Nitrates Directive, WFD=Water Framework Directive, BWD=Bathing Water Directive, UWWTD=Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, DWD=Drinking Water Directive, PD=sustainable use of pesticides Directive, IED=Industrial Emissions Directive. 

Main EU strategies with targets relevant to water include the Green Deal (EC 2019b) with its related policy initiatives of the Farm to Fork Strategy (EC, 2020b), the new Biodiversity Strategy (EC, 2020a) and a Zero Pollution Action Plan. Further EU strategies with high-level targets for water are the 7^th Environmental Action Program (EEA 2018a), but also the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (EC 2016) (see Table 2).

 Table 2   Overview of EU policies and strategies and key targets related to water

The targets and actions in the above EU strategies are in general implemented via specific environmental directives and policies such as the WFD, Floods Directive, Habitats and Birds Directives, but also Directives related to specific issues, like the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD), the Nitrates Directive or the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive. The water-related contributions of these directives to the EU strategies are briefly described in the following.

The WFD (EU 2000) aims to achieve good status of all surface waters and groundwater in Europe. With its programme of measures, the WFD addresses most of the above-mentioned targets and goals and is therefore key for water management. The goal of the Floods Directive (EU 2007) is sustainable management of flood risks to reduce negative consequences of flooding on human health, the environment and other issues. Member States are requested to develop a program of measures, which inter alia includes win-win measures in coordination with WFD measures implementation (see also section 4.5).

Targets for the restoration of aquatic ecosystems are also considered by the Habitats Directive (EEC 1992), aiming at the conservation of rare habitat types and threatened or endemic animal and plant species, and the Birds Directive (EEC, 1979) on the protection of 500 wild bird species including their respective habitats in form of protected areas. These areas are part of the Natura 2000 network set up in the Habitats Directive.

The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) (EU 1991a) specifically addresses the reduction of nutrient and chemical pollution to waters. Other Directives and legislations related to chemicals in waters are the REACH Regulation (EU 2006b) on registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals and the Directive on industrial emissions for integrated pollution prevention and control (IED). Furthermore, the Nitrates Directive (EU 1991b) as well as the Directive on the sustainable use of pesticides (EU 2009) aim to avoid nutrient and chemical pollution from agriculture into soil and waters and are specifically linked to the Farm to Fork Strategy. For both directives, Member States are obliged to establish National Action Plans including mitigation measures to fulfil the Directives’ requirements. 

Furthermore, the Regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species (IAS) and the Eel Regulation support targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy. The Bathing Water Directive (EU 2006a) and the Drinking Water Directive (EU 1998) set quality standards for waters, relevant for human health. For safe use, sources of pollution on a catchment scale need to be considered. However, a link to directives addressing chemical or nutrient pollution (see above) is crucial.      

To meet EU targets and goals on water resources and aquatic ecosystems, greater coherence is needed in the specific objectives and management responses of the above-mentioned directives and policies. To implement Green Deal, better harmonization and more effective coordination is needed between management responses, planning and implementation of measures of the above-mentioned policies such as nature conservation plans, programmes of measures under the WFD and FD and other management plans and strategies with implications for pressures on water.

For better harmonization multi-benefit measures should be better used, such as nature-based solutions or natural water retention measures addressing the goals of different policies (see section 4.5). The planning of multi-benefit measures also considers different water uses and socioeconomic issues. Those issues are also addressed by an ecosystem-based management approach, which is a tool for focusing on the full array of the ecosystem, like the provision of high-quality drinking water, the reduction of flood risks or recreation rather than on reaching environmental objectives of specific directives (Grizzetti, et al., 2016; Hornung, et al., 2019). This would be best practice of water management under the specific directives.

Catchment-based approaches, which encourage the integration of all water and land uses on catchment scale, are also in line with the goals of European strategies. This requires engagement and delivery by stakeholders at the catchment as well as local level in coordination with responsible authorities. At the same time, engagement of all stakeholders in the catchment increases the acceptance for measures implementation. This is particularly important when trying to address multiple stressors for both water and land (DEFRA, 2013).

Land management and land-use planning are essential to the management of water resources in water-scarce areas. Important wetlands, which help to store water, have been drained throughout Europe. One priority should be to retain rainwater where it falls, enabling water infiltration, through the re-establishment of wetlands and increased recharge of aquifers. Spending on maintaining and increasing soil organic matter would enable soils to absorb more water, as would planning and regulating the crops grown within a river basin, including changing to crops more adapted to dry conditions or growing different crops that require water at different times of the year.

There are several European water related directives that require national action plans or implementation programmes to address specific issues for the protection of surface waters and groundwater. The implementation of those national plans with management solutions, like the action plan to avoid water pollution with pesticides from agriculture, are a prerequisite to achieve European targets and goals, if their activities are adapted to the respective country conditions.

To sum up, key management challenges for European waters are addressed by targets of EU strategies and policy initiatives, which are further operationalised in management responses of different water and environmental directives. Management responses to tackle key water management issues need to become more coherent and harmonised and this is one of the ambitions of the European Green Deal. To achieve this, clear links need to be established between EU strategy targets and binding requirements for implementing environmental directives on the ground.