Water Framework Directive Establishing Environmental Objectives

1. Water Framework DirectiveEstablishing Environmental Objectives Kevin Forde Assistant Principal Water Quality Seminar on Surface Waters and Groundwater Regulations Athlone, 14 April 2010

2. Summary • WFD Overview • Implementation in Ireland • Key progress to date • River Basin Management Plans

3. WFD Overview • Directive adopted in 2000 • New approach to water protection • Objectives: • Achieve good status by 2015 (provision for exemptions) • Maintain high status of waters where it exists • Prevent deterioration in water status • River Basin Management Plans and Programmes of Measures in 6 year cycles

4. Key aspects of the Directive • Catchment-based • Holistic • Ecological • Integration with other plans and policy areas • Public participation • River Basin Management Plans and Programmes of Measures

5. Classify their status Set objectives Programmes of Measures Implement Reviewperformance Monitor water bodies River Basin Planning Process

6. 2nd River Basin Plan 3rd River Basin Plan 1st River Basin Plan Identify Risks 2009 2005 2006 2015 2021 2027 Monitor Water Status WFD – Planning Cycles

7. Measures Required by WFD • Existing EU Directives • Bathing Waters • Birds • Drinking Water • Environmental Impact Assessment • Habitats • Integrated Pollution Prevention Control • Major Accidents (Seveso) • Nitrates • Plant Protection Products • Sewage Sludge • Urban Waste-water Treatment • Additional Specified Measures • Cost recovery of water services • Efficient and sustainable water use • Protection of drinking water sources • Abstractions and impoundments Supplementary Measures Additional measures necessary to achieve environmental objectives

8. Implementation of WFD in Ireland

9. WFD Regulations 2003 • Transposition of Directive • River Basin Districts • Coordinating local authorities • Duties on public authorities • Monitoring • Reporting • Public participation • Coordination with Northern Ireland

10. Surface Waters Regulations 2009 • Give further effect to provisions of WFD • Classification of surface waters • Give legal effect to standards • Basis for setting environmental objectives • Legal obligation to achieve objectives • Requirement for pollutant inventories and pollution reduction plans and programmes

11. Adoption of River Basin Management Plans • Plans to be adopted by Councils • by 30 April by reserved function • or by 14 May by executive function • Adopted so far by 23 of 34 local authorities • EPA to report to the Minister on plans by 31 May indicating any amendments considered necessary • Minister to make amendments (if any) by 30 June

12. Public consultation on Draft Plans Over 300 Submissions received High Level Issues • Objectives overly ambitious (unachievable) • Plans too vague re objectives and measures • Exemptions need to be adequately justified • Need to specify future administrative and coordination arrangements Responses • Objectives reviewed in terms of technical feasibility and natural recovery • More detail on measures provided in Water Management Unit Action Plans • Administrative arrangements to be reviewed

13. River Basin Planning Outputs • North-South Coordination Document - ‘Managing our Shared Waters’ • River Basin Management Plan • Water Management Unit Action Plans • Online Water-Maps tool (www.wfdireland.ie) • Background Documents • Sub-basin plans (Freshwater Pearl Mussel)

14. Environmental Objectives in Plans

15. Achievements • WFD Monitoring programme • River Basin Management Plans • Continued high priority to WSIP • Alignment of WSIP with objectives in RBMPs • More comprehensive legal framework

16. Thank You