WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE

The specific quality objectives allowing water bodies to be so characterised reflect both pollution prevention and the quest for a “good” water status with certain nuances for surface waters and for groundwater. As mentioned above, groundwater pollution is the subject-matter of Directive 2006/118/EC on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration and the strategy with respect to the pollution of surface water was set forth in Directive 2008/105 on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy.

The objective which had to be reached by 2015 consisted, for groundwater, of a good quantitative and chemical status (Article 2(20)). Directive 2006/118 sets forth the criteria and procedures permitting the determination of the chemical status of groundwater. The criteria are called “groundwater quality standards” and constitute “environmental quality standards” for the purposes of the WFD. A groundwater body is deemed to have a good chemical status in several situations. Firstly, this is obviously the case where quality standards and limit values are complied with. Second, good chemical status may also be established through an “appropriate investigation” which confirms, inter alia, that the concentrations of pollutants therein do not present a significant environmental risk nor that of saline or other intrusions in the body of the groundwater. In addition, they must not be such as to prevent the relevant objectives from being achieved, or to cause a significant deterioration in the ecological or chemical quality, or to cause important damage to terrestrial eco-systems which depend directly on the groundwater body. The ability of the water body concerned to support human use must also not be “significantly impaired by pollution” (Article 4(2) and Annex III). Member States must implement the measures necessary to “reverse any significant and sustained upward trend in the concentration of any pollutant, resulting from the impact of human activity” on groundwater. It is also provided for the prevention or limitation of the input of pollutants into groundwater in an effort to fight adverse impacts on all groundwater bodies (Article 4(1)).

For surface water bodies, the 2015 objective consisted of having both their ecological status and their chemical status “at least ‘good’” (Article 2(18)). Water used for the abstraction of drinking water or intended for such future use must comply with the requirements for surface water bodies (Article 7(3)). The Member States must implement the necessary measures to prevent deterioration of the status of all bodies of surface waters, in particular with the aim of progressively reducing pollution from priority substances and ceasing or phasing out emissions, discharges and losses of priority hazardous substances (Article 4(1)(a)(iv)). Directive 2008/105 sets quality standards for pollutants, the reduction or suppression of which is a priority.