Executive summary

Key management challenges for European waters in particular related to the degradation of freshwater ecosystems, pollution from chemicals and nutrients as well as water abstraction and scarcity are addressed by different EU strategies and policies, which are further operationalized in management responses of water and environmental directives. Harmonising the objectives and management responses of different policies to tackle these key water management challenges is one of the ambitions of the European Green Deal and its associated strategies, such as the new Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the Farm to Fork Strategy, the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and the forthcoming Zero Pollution Action Plan. The ambitious targets of these strategies address main pressures on European waters, such as disrupted river continuity by aiming to restore 25,000 free flowing rivers by 2030 or the high nutrients and chemicals discharge from agriculture aiming to reduce by 50% the loss of nutrients and the use and risk of pesticides.

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A key source of information for defining key management challenges for European freshwaters are the river basin management plans (RBMPs) of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The latest (second) RBMPs showed that a large share of European waters still fail to achieve the objective of good status being under significant pressures on their hydromorphology, pressures from diffuse and point sources of pollution and water abstraction.

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The present report aims to give a European overview of the main drivers and pressures that are at the core of key water management challenges and put European water bodies most at risk of achieving key environmental objectives. Identifying the pressures and drivers of key water management challenges at European level can help in shaping priorities of the main issues that should be tackled with measures.

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Based on the analysis of significant pressures and drivers affecting water bodies in the latest RBMPs, ten European key water management challenges have been selected to be presented. Next to describing the main sources and sectoral activities behind key pressures and the main associated impacts, a summary is provided of key measures which are available to tackle these challenges in European countries. Most of the selected pressures and drivers with regard to pollution, hydromorphology and abstractions affect a large share of European water bodies and are reported by a large number of countries. Some others such as mining, navigation, aquaculture and invasive alien species seem to affect a small share of European water bodies, but they can be of high importance and intensity in specific regions of Europe, thus significantly contributing to the failure of achieving good water status on a regional level. The table below summarises the European key water management challenges presented in the report.

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Table: Executive summary

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A broad range of technical and management measures are already available to tackle the selected European key water management challenges. The measures required can be mobilised through better implementation of the existing legislative framework on water and the introduction of supplementary measures that further reduce key pressures.

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Some cross-cutting issues of EU-wide relevance to the implementation of measures for addressing the selected European key water management challenges are highlighted. These cross-cutting issues are discussed with emphasis on their role in improving and accelerating the implementation of measures to achieve the WFD objective of good status for European waters.

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First, to meet EU targets and goals on water resources, greater coherence is needed in the specific objectives and management responses of the relevant EU directives and policies, in particular nature conservation plans, programmes of measures under the WFD and Floods Directive, and management interventions based on other policies such as the Sustainable use of pesticides Directive.

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The use of multi-benefit measures, such as water retention measures, nature based solutions or land use change measures is an effective solution for coordinating management responses and to meet the objectives of different EU policies that target water ecosystems.  Enhancing the use of multi-benefit measures can help to shift focus from single-issue solutions to an integrated management approach, such as ecosystem-based management for the improvement of ecosystem services and using catchment-based approaches.

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Second, water using sectors such as agriculture, energy, mining, aquaculture, and navigation, should adopt management practices that can keep water ecosystems healthy and resilient. The report describes several existing sustainable sectoral initiatives at regional or national level, such as sustainable farming programmes, sustainable hydropower and navigation strategies, and codes of good practice for aquaculture. Such initiatives intend to reduce the pressures and impacts of sectoral activities on water resources and need further upscaling. Water sustainability elements brought into sectoral strategies need to be consistently enforced and implemented on the ground.

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Third, financial support for the implementation of measures needs to be mobilized from all available funding sources on local, regional, national and European levels. Implementation success also depends on using financial instruments beyond water policies including sectoral ones, e.g. from agricultural policy, fisheries policy, biodiversity policy. Further, the report presents innovative financing mechanisms, e.g. including the participation of industry, and some have already been set up in European countries.

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