Commission presents strategy for EU water policy
The European Commission has adopted a Communication to the Council and the Parliament, in which it presents a strategy to ensure greater coherence and consistency in EU water protection legislation. While some pieces of existing EU water legislation are best left as free-standing, the Commission proposes that much of the EU legislation on water quality should be drawn together into a Framework Directive on water resources. This new framework would respect the high level of protection already established and ensure a high degree of transparency and public accountability in the management of water resources. In particular, it would include the following provisions: - Water quantity objectives would be included alongside water quality to ensure water abstraction does not lead to shortages and/or environmental damage; - Groundwater management would be included alongside surface water management to ensure a coordinated approach to these interconnected resources; - The management of water as an economic resource (for drinking, industry, agriculture, power generation, leisure activities etc.) would be included alongside the protection of the aquatic environment. This would ensure a rational and sustainable use of the resources without damaging the environment; - Water management would be coordinated throughout river basins or catchment areas rather than within traditional administrative borders. The Water Resources Framework Directive would be designed to stand alongside the various pieces of pollution control legislation and ensure the overall coherence and consistency of the Community's water policy. Existing legislation which would be repealed and replaced by the proposed Framework Directive includes: - The Surface Water Directive (75/440/EEC) and the related Directive 79/869/EEC; - The Fish Water Directive (78/659/EEC); - The Shellfish Water Directive (79/923/EEC); - The Groundwater Directive (80/68/EEC); - The proposed Ecological Quality of Water Directive (COM (93) 680 final). The Communication comes in response to requests from Council and from Parliament in June 1995. Both institutions asked for a clarification of the Commission's overall approach to water policy following the publication of a number of Commission proposals for legislation in this area.