The Water Framework Directive as an approach for Integrated Water Resources Management: results from the experiences in Germany on implementation, and future perspectives

The implementation of the EU-Water Framework Directive (WFD) might also be considered an approach for the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management in Europe. The WFD outlines the ambitious goal of attaining “good status” for Europe’s rivers, lakes, groundwater bodies and coastal waters by 2015 in accordance with clearly defined time lines and legally binding programmes of measures. EU member states submitted their WFD river basin management plans to the European Commission in March 2010. Almost all member states accomplished the formal implementation, but nations like Germany are far from achieving the “good status”. For Germany, exemptions have been claimed for 82 % of all surface water bodies and for 36 % of all groundwater bodies. According to the identified significant pressures and impacts, the German Federal States, the Federal government and the European Union will have to significantly increase the coordination and coherence of the policies in the field of agriculture, energy generation, transport (shipping) and production or use of chemicals. The next generation of river basin management plans may be used for the harmonisation of these topics and extend to the polluter-specific characterization of water body pressures and impacts, structures and methods of monitoring, allowing the differentiation of multiple stressors, the designation of heavily modified water bodies and the determination of good ecological potential, exemptions and their justification, coherent transregional management objectives and reporting issues. The present study focuses on the assessment of the status of German water bodies, the achievement of environmental objectives and the necessary measures required to meet the goals.