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WFD and hydropower Introduction

WFD and hydropower Introduction. Water Directors meeting Segovia, 27-28 May 2010. Ursula Schmedtje WFD Team DG Environment, European Commission. Why is Hydropower and WFD on the agenda?.

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WFD and hydropower Introduction

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  1. WFD and hydropowerIntroduction Water Directors meeting Segovia, 27-28 May 2010 Ursula Schmedtje WFD Team DG Environment, European Commission

  2. Why is Hydropower and WFD on the agenda? Need to achieve the objectives of EU climate and energy policies (Directive 2009/28/EC: to develop by June 2010 national action plans) Increasing demands for the development of new (small) hydropower facilities Some stakeholders refer to the WFD as an instrument that prohibits this development

  3. Didn’t we already agree guidance? 2006 CIS Policy Paper on WFD and Hydro-morphological pressures (e.g. chapter 4.1). CIS Guidance Document Nr 20 on Exemptions to the Environmental Objectives (e.g. related to Article 4.7) In addition, conclusions of 2007 CIS workshop on WFD and Hydropower in Berlin are relevant 3

  4. Purpose of prepared ‘note of Water Directors’ To recognise the importance of the development of renewable electricity and the role of the WFD in developing hydropower To recall the agreed principles and recommendations To support wide dissemination of existing guidance To confirm commitment to organise a CIS workshop 4

  5. Summary of earlier relevant guidance Pre-planning mechanisms allocating suitable areas for new hydro-power projects should be developed. In order to minimize the need for new sites, the development of hydropower capacities could be supported by the modernisation and the upgrading of existing infrastructures. The development of hydropower should be accompanied by an improvement of water ecology, A (qualitative) weighing of costs and benefits of the project is necessary. The size of the project is not the relevant criteria to trigger Article 4.7. 5

  6. Request to Water Directors Discuss and endorse the document "Note of the Water Directors on WFD and Hydropower Generation – Recalling relevant CIS guidance" Discuss practices of integrating hydropower development and WFD implementation, e.g. with the help of the following questions: 6

  7. Questions for discussion (1) How does the situation on hydropower development look like in your country? Are there major developments of small/large hydropower facilities on the way, e.g. because of the establishment of the renewable energy action plans? What is the strategy in your country to realize a given increase in hydropower production until 2020? How are environmental protection requirements according to the WFD integrated? For example, how is a balance between the benefits of renewable energy and environmental protection established and how are alternatives assessed? 7

  8. Questions for discussion (2) Are there important guiding principles missing in the document "Note of the Water Directors on WFD and Hydropower Generation"? Are there other ways to disseminate information on guiding principles on WFD and hydropower as agreed in CIS documents? Which topics/issues should be addressed in the 2011 workshop on WFD and hydropower? Besides the already planned CIS activities, could the Water Directors play a more active role in promoting the integration of hydropower development and the protection of the aquatic environment? 8

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