Current legislative framework

Groundwater in the Water Framework Directive

The components of the Water Framework Directive dealing with groundwater cover a number of different steps for achieving good (quantitative and chemical) status by 2015. They require Member States to:

• Define groundwater bodies within River Basin Districts to be designated and reported to the European Commission by Member States. They must classify them by analysing the pressures and impacts of human activity on the quality of groundwater with a view to identifying groundwater bodies presenting a risk of not achieving WFD environmental objectives. Member States were obliged to carry out this classification between 2004 and 2005 and report the results back to the European Commission. A report giving a synthesis of Member States’ reports was prepared by the European Commission and is now available on the Commission website.
  
  
• Establish registers of protected areas within each river basin districts for those groundwater areas or habitats and species directly dependent on water. The registers must include all bodies of water used for the extraction of drinking water and all protected areas covered under the following directives: the Bathing Water Directive 76/160/EEC, the vulnerable zones under the Nitrates Directive 91/676/EEC, and the sensitive areas under the Urban Wastewater Directive 91/271/EEC, as well as areas designated for the protection of habitats and species including relevant Natura 2000 sites designated under Directives 92/43/EEC and 79/409/EEC. Registers shall be reviewed under the River Basin Management Plan updates.
  
  
• Establish groundwater monitoring networks based on the results of the classification analysis so as to provide a comprehensive overview of groundwater chemical and quantitative status. Member States are also obliged to design a monitoring programme that had to be operational by the end of 2006.
  
  
• Set up a river basin management plan (RBMP) for each river basin district which must include a summary of pressures and impacts of human activity on groundwater status, a presentation in map form of monitoring results, a summary of the economic analysis of water use, a summary of protection programmes, control or remediation measures, etc. The first RBPM is scheduled to be published at the end of 2009. A review is then planned by the end of 2015, and every six years thereafter.
  
  
• Take into account by 2010 the principle of recovery of costs for water services, including environmental and resource costs in accordance with the polluter pays principle.
  
  
• Establish by the end of 2009 a programme of measures for achieving WFD environmental objectives (e.g. abstraction control, prevent or control pollution measures) that would be operational by the end of 2012. Basic measures include, in particular, controls of groundwater extraction, controls (with prior authorisation) of artificial recharge or augmentation of groundwater bodies (providing that it does not compromise the achievement of environmental objectives). Point source discharges and diffuse sources liable to cause pollution are also regulated under the basic measures. Direct discharges of pollutants into groundwater are prohibited subject to a range of provisions listed in the Article 11. The programme of measures has to be reviewed and if necessary updated by 2015 and every six years thereafter.

link to The new Groundwater Directive (2006/118/EC) | link to other directives