Taking over 10 years to develop, the new EU Water Framework Directive is the most significant legal instrument in the water field to emerge from Brussels for some time and will have a profound effect on how water is managed in Europe over the next 25 years. The book outlines its basic features. It explains how the current approach to water management will have to change in order that European Member states and those countries currently in accession negotiations can meet the requirements of the directive, describing a number of examples of current practices as possible systems which could be used in the new approach. The concept of river basin management is outlined, and the potential institutional problems associated with implementing such a system are discussed including the problems associated with cross-border river basins, a common situation in Europe. Examples of existing river basin authorities and international collaboration are given as possible models. The directive requires the establishment of programmes of measures to improve water status. Some countries already use such a concept, and examples are quoted. As a result of its implementation, the directive aims to achieve good water status in all natural surface waters and groundwater in 15 years. For surface waters, the definition of 'good' is based on a new concept of 'ecological quality' taking into account biology, chemistry and their physical features. For groundwater, it includes quantitative status. The approach taken is an integrated one which has to consider all the naturally occurring and human factors which affect the waters. The difficulties of interpretation of the new concept of 'ecological water status' are discussed and some of the examples of current biological and chemical classification schemes that are used in Europe are examined. The directive also alters the way in which pollution is to be controlled - the 'combined' approach. This concept is explained. The EU Water Framework Directive: An Introduction is an invaluable source of guidance on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive for all those concerned with water management including water quality planners and scientists, pollution control and environmental staff in the water and wastewater industries and environmental regulators who all have to adapt to the new approach to their work. Contents Introduction The EU Water Framework Directive Principal Obligations of the Directive Implementation of the Directive River Basin Districts River Basin Characteristics Environmental Objectives Programme of Measures River Basin Plans Groundwater Waters Requiring Special Protection Priority Substances Monitoring Economic Instruments Recording and Reporting Summary Timescales and Future Developments

Special Offer: Water Framework Directive Series Set. To buy all four titles including Volume 3 and save £100, visit: http://iwapublishing.com/books/9781780400013/water-framework-directive-series-set Modelling Aspects of Water Framework Directive Implementation: Volume 1 is a concrete outcome from the Harmoni-CA concerted action as part of a 4-volume series of Guidance Reports that guide water professionals through the implementation process of the Water Framework Directive, with a focus on the use of ICT-tools (and in particular modelling). They are complementary to the Guidance Documents produced by the EU Directorate General for Environment. Water resources planning and management and the development of appropriate policies require methodologies and tools that are able to support systematic, integrative and multidisciplinary assessments at various scales. It also requires the quantification of various uncertainties in both data and models, and the incorporation of stakeholders participation and institutional mechanisms into the various tools and risk assessment methodologies, to help decision makers understand and evaluate alternative measures and decisions. The other three volumes in the Water Framework Directive Series are: Water Framework Directive: Model supported Implementation - A Water Manager’s Guide edited by Fred Hattermann and Zbigniew W Kundzewicz Integrated Assessment for WFD implementation: Data, economic and human dimension - Volume 2, edited by Peter A. Vanrolleghem Decision support for WFD implementation - Volume 3, edited by Peter A. Vanrolleghem. Visit the IWA WaterWiki to read and share material related to this title: http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/IntegratedAssessmentforWaterFrameworkDirectiveImplementation

Deals with new EC legislation – the Water Framework Directive; the main driver within Europe for groundwater monitoring which addresses integrated water resource management across 27 different countries Provides comprehensive approach and guidance on the theoretical and practical aspects for implementing the directive Edited by EC representatives involved in the setting up of the framework, along with colleagues in various water institutions who have the task of implementing the legislation Part of the Water Quality Measurement Series

Dieses Buch vermittelt die notwendigen volkswirtschaftlichen und privatwirtschaftlichen Grundlagen zur Beurteilung wasserwirtschaftlicher Projekte. Es vermittelt die unterschiedlichen Perspektive, ohne deren Berücksichtigung die Ergebnisse leicht falsch verstanden werden. This book provides the necessary fundamentals for assessing water management projects in public economics and in the private-sector. It conveys the different perspectives to the readers, that are needed to prevent missinterpretation of results.

This book compares the lessons learned from a wetland-perspective approach to the changing climate and the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) with regard to environmental conservation. Examples from Germany and Poland are discussed due to the efficiency of their respective implementations of water conservation policies. Although the general scientific interest in specific issues such as wetlands, climate change, nature conservation and the WFD enjoy a well established position in international environmental research, these four elements are rarely considered together due to the complexity of the processes, biased scenarios of global change and subjective policy background. Major challenges involved in carrying out environmental conservation actions that assess the potential impacts of climate change and management plans on water bodies are identified. The results of this approach are addressed to practitioners in the field of adaptive management in a wetlands context.

Proceedings of a conference on "Integrated River Basin Management under the Water Framework Directive", held at Le Nouveau SiÞcle, Lille, France on 26th-28th April 2010. The book reviews technical challenges faced by EU Member States, stakeholder organisations and scientists while developing the first River Basin Management Plan under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). It focusses on aspects of multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary integration and how emerging issues such as adaptation to climate change will be considered in the future.

This book analyses the Habitats Directive; one of the most prominent piece of EU environmental legislation of the past decades. Seen by some as the cornerstone of Europe’s nature conservation policy, among other measures the Directive established the so-called "Natura 2000" ecological network, which covers more than 18% of the surface of the EU. However, despite the fact the Directive was adopted over twenty years ago only 17% of the protected habitats and species in Europe are being adequately protected while 10-60 % of animal species remain under threat. In light of the limited success and the contested nature of the Habitats Directive so far this book examines the successes and failures of the Habitats Directive from a legal and political angle. The book brings together international experts to consider the application, implementation and future of the Habitats Directive in order to assess whether the Habitats Directive is resilient enough to tackle biodiversity loss in the twenty- first century. Particular emphasis is put on the legal regime attached to the Natura 2000 network and its possible impact on land development and the relationship between the Habitats Directive and other topics including liability for ecological damage and transboundary nature conservation.

An Introduction to European Intergovernmental Organizations provides an up-to-date and accessible reference to European intergovernmental organizations other than the European Union. The EU is so dominant that people often overlook the multitude of older and newer, smaller and larger intergovernmental organizations rooted in the history of contemporary Europe which continue to help shape its future. The specialized character of these organizations adds value to cooperation in Europe as a whole, creates permanent channels of communication regardless of EU membership and allows the possibility for non-European involvement through organizations such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and NATO. It also allows sub regional groups of states, such as the Nordic countries or the Benelux countries to exist and express their own identity via their own organizations. This book looks at the history of Non-EU organizations, their decision-making characteristics, membership policies, legal powers actions and interactions with each other and the European Union. A uniform scheme of analysis is used to make European intergovernmental organizations comparable and by studying them we gain a deeper understanding and insight into European affairs.