Lourdes AlvarellosEuropean Commission
DG Environment, D.1 Water
2012 State of water stakeholder
and Eionet Workshop29-30 March 2012
• A Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s waters
• Comparative Study on Pressures and Measures
water.europa.eu
What is the Blueprint?
• The Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources will present the policy response to the challenges presented in the State of Water Report,
long-term aim: to ensure sufficient availability of good quality water for sustainable and equitable water use
• Closely linked to EU 2020 Strategy and Resource Efficiency Roadmap
Why a Blueprint?
• Improving the implementation of current EU water policy
• Fostering the integration of water and other policies
• When necessary, seeking the completion of the current policy framework
Synthesis of policy recommendationsbuilding on on-going assessments
Nov 2012Blueprint
ToSafeguardEU Waters
Report on 2009River BasinManagement Plans
ReviewWater Scarcity& Droughts Strategy
Climate ChangeVulnerability& Adaptation
Report on 2009River BasinManagement Plans
ReviewWater Scarcity& Droughts Strategy
Report on 2009River BasinManagement Plans
Climate ChangeVulnerability& Adaptation
ReviewWater Scarcity& Droughts Strategy
Report on 2009River BasinManagement Plans
ReviewWater Scarcity& Droughts Strategy
Report on 2009River BasinManagement Plans
Climate ChangeVulnerability& Adaptation
ReviewWater Scarcity& Droughts Strategy
Report on 2009River BasinManagement Plans
Outlook of sustainability and
vulnerability of EU water resources
« Fitness Check» EU water
policy instruments
Policy Options
Impact Assessment
Assessment of RBMPs Commission’s report
November 2012
WFD timetable
Transposition into national law Dec 2003Administrative arrangements Dec 2003Environmental analysis:
Analysis of characteristicsAssessment of human impacts
Economic analysis of water use Dec 2004 Monitoring programmes Dec 2006Public Participation starts Dec 2006Significant water management issues Dec 2007Draft river basin management plans Dec 2008Final river basin management plans Dec 2009Measures implemented at the latest Dec 2012Implementation, adjustment 2015 till 2027
Commission‘s 3rd implementation report
• To be published in November 2012 - integral part of the Blueprint
• Communication on the implementation of WFDAnalysis based on WFD main principles
• Commission Staff Working DocumentAnalysis based on 17 topics of assessmentMore detailed information on the assessment of RBMPsAnnexes by MS (fiches)
8
Assessment RBMP: some general preliminary findings
• A lot of effort put into preparation of the plans
• High uptake of the common framework and common language on water management provided by the WFD
• Integration of ecological perspective into water management
• Enhancement of international cooperation
• Public participation, stakeholder involvement
• Impressive improvement in the knowledge base
• All plans not submitted in 4 Member States
• Low ambition in many of the plans (extensive use of exemptions)
• Lack of concrete measures and expected achievements
• Lack of comparability in some issues (e.g. chemical status!)
• Dressing “business-as-usual” as WFD
Review Water Scarcity and Droughts policy
• Communication 2007 and follow-up:
• Council conclusions - review & further develop WS&D policy by 2012
• EP report – new initiatives including pilot projects preparatory actions
• Annual follow up reports
• GAP Analysis
• Overview of problem & existing measures
• Identification of gaps
• Proposal of new measures
• Assessment of impact of new measures
• In-depth studies on:• Water Supply Infrastructure • Buildings • Agriculture• Indicators for water stress and
water efficiency
Climate Change Vulnerability & Adaptation
• Thorough assessment of drivers of vulnerability and potential adaptation measures at EU level in the ClimWatAdapt project
Combination of different scenarios: socio-economicregional climate
• On-going in-depth assessment of effectiveness of specific measures (natural water retention, water efficiency)
Fitness Check of EU Freshwater Policy (1)• Part of European Commission Smart Regulation policy
• Objective: Assess the relevance, coherence, effectiveness and efficiency of the EU freshwater policy
• Process: scoping study, stakeholder and public consultation
• Scope• Water Framework Directive
o Groundwater Directiveo Directive on Environmental Quality Standards (EQS)
• Urban Waste Water Directive• Nitrates Directive• Floods Directive • + quantitative and adaptive water management issues, for which there
is currently no legislation at EU level
Fitness Check of EU Freshwater Policy (2)• Most important issues:
• Improvements in implementation of EU water policy are required
• Need for a stronger legal basis for tackling the problems of water scarcity and droughts
• Ecosystem services not systematically addressed within water policy
• More coherence needed with the CAP, regional, renewable energy and transport policies
• Potential to enhance coherence with chemical, pesticides, pharmaceuticals policies on issues such as risk assessment methods
• Improved analysis of the costs and benefits of water protection measures is needed
Baseline, scenarios and indicative targets
water resource balanceswater resource balances
use of water by the different economic activities, and impacts
use of water by the different economic activities, and impacts
measures affecting water availability and water use
measures affecting water availability and water use
climate, land-use, demographic and socio-economic scenarios
climate, land-use, demographic and socio-economic scenarios
baseline scenario / sensitivity analysis
optimisation model
baseline scenario / sensitivity analysis
optimisation model
indicative targets at EU
level for reducing the
vulnerability of water
resources
indicative targets at EU
level for reducing the
vulnerability of water
resources
• (natural) retention, • efficiency,• re-use
EnvironmentalConstraints(E-flows)
linked to achievementGood Ecological Status
(WFD)
EnvironmentalConstraints(E-flows)
linked to achievementGood Ecological Status
(WFD)
From Objectives to Policy Options
AdressingWater Stress
Resilience to Extreme Events
AchievementGood Ecological Status
Target Setting
Unlocking measures
Improving Implementation
Policy Options (1): Targets
• Targets for efficient water resources allocation including the basic needs for nature (environmental flows) and sectoral allocation
• Drought management instruments
• Support better management of water resources in third countries
Policy Options (2): Unlocking Measures
• Support to land-use measures (natural water retention)• Improve water efficiency in building and water using
appliances• Address leakage in water infrastructure• EU standards for waste water re-use• Tackle metering / illegal abstraction• Water pricing levels and structure to provide sufficient
incentives to increase water efficiency • Costs and benefits of inaction and of water related
measures to be properly understood and quantified
Policy Options (3): Governance and Knowledge base
• Improve coordination in river basin shared between different administrative entities within Member States, between Member States and with third countries
• Improve knowledge provision and accessibility
Next Steps
• 12-weeks public consultation on Policy Options (15 March to 7 June)
• April: Publication Fitness Check
• Discussion of policy options at 3rd EU Water Conference on 24-25 May
• November: Publication Blueprint
Comparative Study on Pressures & Measures
• Top down assessment of RBMPs
• In-depth analysis of certain identified subjects, including• Governance• Development of methodologies• Integration of other policies• Economic aspects
• To analyse and compare the collected information in order to provide conclusions at European level
• Outcome of assessment: will support 2012 Blueprint to Safeguard Europe’s Waters
Comparative Study on Pressures & Measures
TASK 1 - Governance and Legal Aspects
TASK 1
1a – Administrative Arrangements
1b – International coordination mechanisms
1c – Enforcement, control, inspection and sanction systems
1d – Analysis of nature of RBMPs
Information sources
MS RBM Plans and COM assessments WISE reporting MS – legislation literature MS – SCG members EEA
Milestones
Final report 30 April
TASK 2 – Methodologies for ecological status classification and specific pollutants
TASK 2To examine and analyse methods (used by MS) to assess and classify the ES of SWB and if appropriate to achieve a comparable assessment across Europe
2a – Comparison of Typologies
2b – Intercalibration – scientific peer review
2c – Comparison of specific pollutants and EQSs
2d – Reality check of the results obtained in assessing ES across EU (comparison of ES on transboundary WB)
Information sources
RBMPs Reporting
2a: EEA, JRC (support)
2b: JRC (Technical IC report), Peer review
2c: WG A Report on specific pollutantsEuropean Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry (releases of substances to the aquatic environment)All relevant matrices (water, sediment, biota) and all water categories
2d: Selected data sets from MS (special request)
Milestones
Technical Report 30 April Intercalibration final report 15 July
Final report on specific pollutants, analyses of potential implications for ecological status assessment, comparability and best practices 30 April
TASK 3 - Integration
TASK 3
- Horizontal task: storylines connecting pressures, measures and status 2009, 2015- Integration of sectoral policy in WFD PoMs
3a – Agriculture
3b – Hydromorphological alterations
3c – Drinking Water Protection Resources
3d – Water abstraction and water use (quantitative issues DMPs and e-flows)
3e – Mining
Thematic assessment on GW quantitative status
Information sources
WISE (RBMPs screening) Expert meetings Consultation with MS Expert workshop on 21 March in Brussels – on measures agriculture, hydromorphology and drinking water
3c:EUREAU Questionnaire to MS
3d: Expert Group WS&D & Technical papers
Milestones
PSIR (measures-impacts-measures-status) 30 April
Effectiveness of selected measures (3a, 3b, 3c, 3e) 31 March
Catalogue of measures (3a, 3b, 3c, 3e) on database 31 October
Thematic assessment on GW quantitative status 15 June
TASK 4 - Innovation and development of technology
TASK 4
4a – Innovation and development of technology(opportunities for urban, rural and industrial water management sectors)
4b – Costs and benefitsKnowledge base on the economic dimensions and economic impact of WFD (first cycle)
Information sources
RBMPs RBMP accompanying technical reports WISE Existing studies in MS Research reports Thematic studies (EEA, COM…)
Expert group meetings
Milestones
Report on initiatives July 2012
Assessment of costs & benefits of WFD
Assessment of current financing of RBMPs
Guidance note on how to assess and report costs & benefits of water related measures
Knowledge gaps on costs & benefits of water management
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