German Guidebook on the Implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive

1. German Guidebook on the Implementation of the EC Water FrameworkDirective Dr. Harald Irmer Germany

2. Table of Contents • 1 Introduction • 2 Who is doing what to prepare the implementation?- 16 states- 10 river basin districts with sub-basins- pilot projects (regional scale)- groups to be involved and coordinated • 3 Handbook: Assistance for the implementation of the WFD • 4 Further actions

3. The 16 States of Germany

4. River Basin District in Germany

5. Implementation of WFD in Germany • 1. Federal Goverment • - basic law, international cooperation • 2. States • - execution • 3. LAWA (Joint Water Commission of the States) • - coordination between the States • 4. Working groups • - working out technical standards/documents for the handbook for technical implementation

6. Groups to be involved • Conference of Environmental Ministers of the 16 States • Plenary session of the Joint Water Commission of the States (LAWA) • LAWA working groups1. Data and GIS2. Surface waters3. Groundwater4. BAT including sewage treatment5. Legal affairs • 10 River Basin Districts (national and international cooperation)

7. River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) • 3 levelsa) whole River Basin District: general planning and coordinationb) important tributaries: regional planning on state‘s levelc) small tributaries: working level, detailed local planning • Result:one RBMP, composed from coordinated regional and local plans

8. Rhine River Basin District - Planned Working Areas

9. Proposed Structure for the RBMP Rhein • Part Ageneral, superior side constraints for the whole river basin district • Part Bdetails of RBMPconcerning each working area, sum of part B covers the river basin district • Part A and Part B form the Management Plan of the River Basin District

10. Implementation of WFD • The WFD cannot be applied directly, • it is a „framework“ directive • Preparatory work deals with all technical and scientific questions important for different levels: european national river basin sub basin

11. Assistance for the Implementation of the WFD in Germany • handbook using a loose leaf guidance system for updating • 4 Parts:1. Introduction and project management plan2. Legal implementation *)3. Guidelines for the technical implementation, preparatory work and steps towards the RBMP 4. Additional technical papers • *) not part of this presentation

12. Handbook Part 1: Project Management Plan (PMP) • The whole WFD was analyzed and more than 150 tasks addressed • Tasks of different charactera) important on European levelb) important for Germanyc) important for the river basin districtd) important for a sub-basin • The tasks of a) and b) within the first 5 years where addressed to special working groups • The PMP will be revised acc. to the steps forward

13. Important tasks/questions •  significant anthopogenic pressures on surface waters •  quantification of diffuse sources •  classification of surface water body types •  establishment of reference conditions •  methods of analysis and evaluation for each of the biological parameters •  monitoring •  „heavily modified water body“ delimitation from „normal“ water body

14. Important tasks/questions •  interrelations between surface water body and groundwater, water management measures and technique •  economic analysis •  public information and consultation •  which measure in which case of deficiency is appropriate •  extrapolation of measures and quality of a water body 

15. Guideline for Technical Implementation of WFD,preparatory work and steps toward RBMP • Important tasks coming out of WFD were analyzed and described as follows: 1. Reference to the WFD2. Description of the task and correlation to other tasks3. What is available and need not be worked work out again4. What has to be done to fulfill the task in detail • - a step by step approach5. Still open

16. Handbook Part 3: Table of Contents • 1. Necessary action/work to be completed until 2004 • 1.1 Surface Waters • 1.1.1 General description  • 1.1.2 Classification of surface water body types  • 1.1.3 Establishment of type-specific reference conditions for surface water body types 2002 • 1.1.4 Establishment of significant anthropogenic pressures Jan.02 • 1.1.5 Assessing the impact of pressures 2002

17. Handbook Part 3: Table of Contents • 1.2 Groundwater  • 1.2.1 Initial characterization • 1.2.2 Detailed description • 1.2.3 Assessing the impact of human activities on groundwater • 1.3 Protected areas  • 1.4 Economic analysis of water use Jan.02

18. Handbook Part 3: Table of Contents • 2. Necessary action/work to be completed until 2006 • 2.1 Monitoring and presentation of surface water status () • 2.2 Monitoring and presentation of the status of groundwater () • 2.3 Additional monitoring requirements for surface waters in protected areas 2002

19. Handbook Part 3: Table of Contents • 3. Environmental objectives based on article 4 for - surface water bodies - groundwater - protected areas, especially in cases of article 4, § 3,4,5 and 6 • 4. Public information and consultation (Art. 14)

20. Public Information and Consultation • Objectives: •  Creation of confidence between planner and public Development of problem- consciousness for the participation in the planning process Joint aims and measures and improvement of public acceptance Information about common targets and measures  Mobilization of active support

21. Public Information and Consultation • Implementation: • schedule of WFD lays down only minimum activities in public information and consultation • public participation has to be practised in different levels (regional, local) • consultation-date necessary • continuous process (initial planning process, up to date activities, implementation) • close to the people • open-result process, continuity • use modern information instruments

22. Handbook Part 4: Working papers on specific topics • 1) When is a pressure and anthropogenic impact significant for the status of a body of surface water? • 2) Significant quantitative water abstraction from surface waters • 3) Significant elements in water flow regulation, including water transfers, in the case of surface waters • 4) When is a morphological alteration in a body of surface water significant to its status review? • 5) List of „other significant anthropogenic impacts on the status of surface waters“

23. Handbook Part 4: Working papers on specific topics • 6) Estimation and extrapolation of the identified pressures on the quality of surface water • 7) Requirements for designation as heavily modified and artificial bodies of water • 8) Other working papers on •  the compiling of protected area registers •  the development of programmes to monitor bodies of water •  criteria for excemptions •  basic maps •  averaging/trend reversal in groundwater sector •  reference conditions for water body types

24. Conclusions • Handbook should • combine all articles and annexes •  lead to a logical step by step approach •  be understood easily •  describe all tasks which are a must for the RBMP

25. Conclusions • The draft of the handbook will be discussed with experts from all levels and pilot projects in Germany and abroad to exchange experience. • The guidance documents of EC-expert groups will be incorporated. • The next edition of the handbook will be available in Jan. 2002.