The first River Basin Management Plans are here !!

Following extensive consultations on Water Framework Directive River Basin Management Plans should since 22.12.2009 be available in all River Basin Districts across the EU. Click on this map to find out of Plans are available in your country and river basin district !

There are however serious delays in some parts of the EU, and in several countries consultations are still ongoing, or the river basin management plans have not yet been established ! By clicking this map you can also find out more about if consultations are still going on in your river basin district. If they are, seize the opportunity and Plunge into the debate !

The Water Framework Directive
- What is it all about

Read more in our Water notes!

Your water, your life
- Plunge into the debate!

By 2015, all water in the European Union should be of good or high quality. Proposals are still being discussed in some Member States on how to reach these goals for the rivers, lakes and coasts. The Water Framework Directive gives all interested parties the right to influence the future River Basin Management plans across the EU. This public consultation is taking place now so make sure you are involved. Water is life!

Why participate?

Water is essential for life – we use it every day and much of what we do has an impact on water. Managing water resources is therefore a complex issue and many different actors have a stake in the future of our water courses.
Read more

Do you want to know more
about the status of water
in your River Basin District?

Go to the WISE (Water information System in Europe) for more information!
WISE website

The 2nd European Water Conference

This event took place on 2-3 April 2009 in Brussels, Belgium! The key event was a mile stone in the European debate on the preparation of the River Basin Management Plans! To revisit the event, download the programme with links to videos of each session in 5 languages and all presentations. To find out who spoke, read the speakers biographies.

The background document for the conference was prepared by consultants to the Commission, and gives a first informal overview of the draft RiverBasin Management Plans available early this year. It addresses the public participation process, the ambition of draft plans, use of exemptions and key issue such as agriculture, hydromorphology and Available in English.

The report of the conference is now available ! [PDF, 3 MB] A summary of key findings are also available in all EU languages!

The view expressed in these documents do not necessarily represent the views of the Commission, but the aim of the process was to encourage the debate and show different viewpoints from a variety of stakeholders in water management at the EU level - to Plunge into the debate !!

New Flash Eurobarometer on Water shows large concern about the water environment among EU citizens !

The survey shows that as many as 2/3 of EU citizens say that quality and/or quantity of water is a serious problem. As many as 85 % of the population believe that there will be impact on water from climate change, but the feared threats vary across the EU. The activities of most concern to citizens are industrial and agricultural water use and pollution. On a positive note many EU citizens try to limit their own impact on the water environment. Although on average few of the citizens polled were aware of consultations on the draft River basin mangement plans, many expressed a wish to be active and express their opinions !

Read the press release (23/03/2009)

Summary of the Eurobarometer on Water (pdf, 315 Kb) (March 2009)
Entire Eurobarometer report on Water (pdf, 6 Mb) (March 2009)

Individual Member State information sheets on the Eurobarometer results (Zip file, 6,5 Mb) (March 2009)

Resources

Find postcards and posters in all EU languages !