Source: European Parliament
The Water Framework Directive (WFD)[1] already sets the obligation for Member States to characterise water bodies and monitor and assess their status on a regular basis. This information is essential to adopt appropriate measures to prevent deterioration and achieve good water status of all water bodies, at the latest by end of 2027.
This characterisation should be carried out following the guidance documents[2], established in the context of the ‘Common Implementation Strategy’ under the WFD. The latter establishes the need to set, on a site-specific basis, the water table level necessary to secure the good status of groundwater bodies taking into account inter alia climate change and extractions.
The WFD does not specify how water resources should be allocated between different users within a Member State. However, it requests that the current and future requirements of the users be incorporated into a system of controls that guarantees the achievement of the objectives of the law. This requires water allocations to be regularly reviewed to ensure withdrawals are consistent with the goal of achieving good quantitative water status.
- [1] Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1-73.
- [2] Guidance document No 15. Guidance on Groundwater Monitoring: https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/9ab5926d-bed4-4322-9aa7-9964bbe8312d/library/d98ae176-3e4f-4aa8-a9a0-877814cec19b/details