Introduction
Achieving the ambitious objectives of the WFD also requires implementing different EU environmental legislation and strengthening the integration of water requirements into EU policies. This part offers a brief overview of certain EU specific water legislation in connection with the WFD. The recent EAA reports shows a contrasted assessment of the quality of water bodies in the Member States.
Improvements in water quality are noted, such as the improvement in bathing water quality. Similarly, the prevention and reduction of water pollution from point-sources has led to overall encouraging results. In spite of this, diffuse pollution, the emergence of new pollutions, water resource scarcity, the increasing flood risks (…) raise questions about the efficacy of the obligations set out in EU water legislation and the respect of water directives by the Member States. Following the WFD Fitness Check (2019) and the recent EU strategies linked to the Green Deal, a process of review of several specific water directives has been launched by the Commission.
The phenomenon of eutrophication constitutes a serious health, ecological and economic problem in several Member States. Two specific EU directives aim to address it, among others objectives, but their implementation faces several difficulties in the Member States (A). The quality of water intended for consumption is a priority which was already set out in the first Environmental Action Programme (1973). The new Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184/EU aimed to strengthen the protection obligations and contribute to achieving sustainable development goal n°6 (B). The Bathing Waters Directive is a success story of EU water policy as regards the last report of the EEA in 2022 (C). Floods are now a serious common concern at EU level; Floods Directive 2007/60/EC provides a minimum set of risk management obligations (D). The numerous human pressures on the availability of water resources requires us to rethink our water use in terms of sobriety and circularity. The recent regulation 2020/741/UE on minimum requirements for water reuse is one of the first legislative initiatives in this transition (E). The phenomenon of algal blooms, the extent of pollution of micro-plastics, and other water pollution flows, show the importance of considering the land-sea continuum. The Marine Strategy Directive 2008/56/EC with the WFD are supposed to contribute to this consideration (F).