The report, "10 years of Water Framework Directive: a toothless tiger?", provides an insight into the low level of ambition countries have for implementing plans to improve the state of rivers and lakes.
Based on eight river management plans around Europe, it was discovered that despite eight years of preparation and planning there appears to be little improvement forecast in the coming years.
The findings revealed River Basin Management Plans - national plans for protecting and improving water - are showing little or minimal success.
Indeed, many of the plans delay any improvements until 2027, suggesting a widespread abuse of the exemptions the law provides.
"This is unacceptable given how important water is to our livelihood and how we’re still polluting it", said Pieter de Pous, Senior Water Policy Officer.
Worse still, these minimal improvements are often offset by damaging developments taking place in other areas such as agriculture, transport and energy generation.
The way Europe’s Water Framework Directive is now being implemented is likely to fail to bring European waters to decent ecological standard fast enough.
Based on the findings, the EEB is calling on governments and water management authorities to adopt new measures in addition to what is foreseen in the published River Basin Management Plans.
Pieter de Pous said: "Pollution and waste from agriculture are one of the best known, studied and discussed problems affecting the state of our waters, yet instead of proposing effective new measures most water managers have chosen to simply pass the buck, be it to other countries or authorities or to future generations."
For more info contact: Pieter de Pous, EEB Senior Water Policy Officer, +32 (0) 2 289 1306.
Read the full article
here.
