4.2 Coherence of EU policy targets and management responses

The degradation of freshwater ecosystems, water abstraction and scarcity, as well as nutrient and chemical pollution are key European water management challenges which affect a large share of European water bodies as described in section 3. 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 18.

Figure 18          Overview of key European 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.  

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 relevant EU directives and policies. To implement the Green Deal, better harmonization and more effective coordination is needed between management responses, planning and implementation of measures in particular nature conservation plans, programmes of measures under the WFD and FD and other management plans and strategies with implications for pressures on water.

comments (0)

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.

comments (0)

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).

comments (1)

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.

comments (0)

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.

comments (0)

To sum up, European key water management challenges 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 challenges 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.

comments (0)