This presentation was given on 17 July 2020 as part of the EPA's online Water Conference by Dr Leanne Roche, DG Environment, EU commission.

1. Update on Water Policies
in European Commission
Leanne Roche
Unit ENV C1, Clean Water, DG Environment
EPA National Water Event – 17th June 2020

2. Presentation Overview
• Water Policy in the EU
• Current State of Play of EU water
• Fitness check of the WFD
• CAP post 2020
• European Green Deal
• Biodiversity Strategy
• Farm to Fork Strategy

3. Water Policy in the EU
Water Framework Directive
 To protect all surface and ground water bodies
including transitional and coastal waters
 Covering all pressures and impacts on waters
Objectives
 No deterioration of waters
 Achievement of good ecological and chemical
status by 2015
 Exemptions in place until 2027

4. Current State of Play of EU surface waters
Ecological status
 Around 40% of surface water bodies in good or high ecological status (38% for chemical status)
 Pressures:
 Hydromorphological 40%
 Diffuse source pollution 38%
 Point source pollution 18%
Chemical status

5. Current State of Play of EU ground water
 74% of groundwater in good chemical status and 89% in good quantitative status
 Pressures: Agriculture is the main pressure through pollution from nitrates and pesticides

6. Fitness check of the WFD
 Is the WFD ‘fit for purpose’?
 Goal is to assess:
 Effectiveness – still performing as expected?
 Efficiency – costs justified given the benefits?
 Coherence – coherent with wider EU policy?
 Relevance – Objectives still relevant?
 EU added value – additional value from
Directives?
 Methodology
 Literature Review
 Ongoing/recent studies
 Stakeholder consultation
 Public consultation
Efficiency
Effectiveness
RelevanceCoherence
EU-added value

7. Fitness check of the WFD
 Is the WFD ‘fit for purpose’?
 Goal is to assess:
 Effectiveness – still performing as expected?
 Efficiency – costs justified given the benefits?
 Coherence – coherent with wider EU policy?
 Relevance – Objectives still relevant?
 EU added value – additional value from
Directives?
 Methodology
 Literature Review
 Ongoing/recent studies
 Stakeholder consultation
 Public consultation
Efficiency
Effectiveness
RelevanceCoherence
EU-added value
Overall Conclusion – The WFD is broadly fit for purpose
(with scope for improvements)

8. Public consultation showed agriculture with highest rate of incoherent replies
• Often a lack of cooperation between agricultural and water authorites
• Integration of agricultural and water policy processes at MS level has often been unsuccessful
Agriculture is one of the main pressures on water quality and quantity
• Main legal interaction is with the CAP
• WFD has helped facilitate integration of water issues in the CAP
• Good level of consistency between RDPs and RBMPs is needed
• Strategic Plans of CAP offer important tool for further integration
No explicit reference to agriculture within Floods Directive
• Agricultural practices can have a significant impact on flooding events
• EAFRD for ‘Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Prevention’ ~€21 billion 2014-2020
• Such measures could also be beneficial for flood risk management if properly designed
On Agriculture

9. Water Framework Directive – Fitness Check
• Slower progress than expected (2027 just over 7 years
away)
• Long-standing problems: agriculture, hydromorphology,
persistent chemicals
• Uneven implementation, uneven monitoring
• New problems: pharmaceuticals, micro-plastics, climate
change
• The price for water is still not ‘right’
• Legislation could be more efficient
• Water deterioration halted
• Only 40% of surface water bodies and 74% of
groundwater bodies in good status
• Significant progress in reducing pressures
• Better monitoring, more transparent
information
• More integrated water management in place
• Significant investments made

10. Common Agricultural Policy

11. CAP post 2020
• In 2018 legislative proposals on new CAP were presented
• 9 specific objectives (three directly linked with climate and environment)
• Contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as sustainable energy
• Foster sustainable development and efficient management of natural resources such as water, soil and air
• Contribute to the protection of biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services and preserve habitats and
landscapes
• Improved system of conditions to be met by farmers
• Set of voluntary tools to be offered to farmers

12. THE NEW GREEN ARCHITECTURE
Voluntaryforfarmers
Eco-schemes in
Pillar I
Climate/Env.
Measures in Pillar II
(AECM, Forestry measures,
investment measures… )
Cross-compliance
(on Climate/Env, 7 GAEC standards (water, soil, carbon stock,
landscape) and requirements from Nitrates Directive and Natura
2000 Directives)
Greening
(3 detailed obligations on crop diversification,
permanent grassland and EFA)
Level of
requirement
Climate/Env. measures in
Pillar II
(AECM, Forestry measures,
investment measures… )
New, enhanced conditionality
(on Climate/Env, 14 practices built upon EU minima (climate
change, water, soil, biodiversity and landscape) and
requirements from Nitrates Directive, Water Framework
Directive and Natura 2000 Directives)
Current architecture New architecture
Mandatoryfor
farmers
Mandatory
forfarmers
Voluntaryforfarmers
Mandatoryfor
farmers
+
Farm
advisory
services
Knowledge
transfer Innovation Cooperation

13. CAP Strategic Plan
• MS required to develop a CAP strategic plan with both pillars which includes:
• The current situation in terms of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT)
• Related needs in respect of the objectives (Needs assessment)
• Set quantified targets on the basis of the needs assessment
• Design measures for achieving them and achieving the specific objectives
• Consultation with national stakeholders
• CAP plans will be approved by the Commission

14. European Green Deal

15. The European Green Deal
The
European
Green
Deal
Mobilising industry
for a clean and circular economy
Preserving and restoring ecosystems
and biodiversity
Leave no one behind
(Just Transition)
From ‘Farm to Fork’: a fair, healthy
and environmentally friendly food
system
Building and renovating in an energy
and resource efficient way
Accelerating the shift to sustainable
and smart mobility
Increasing the EU’s Climate ambition
for 2030 and 2050
Supplying clean, affordable
and secure energy
Financing the transition
A zero pollution ambition
for a toxic-free environment
A European
Climate Pact
The EU as a
global leader
Mobilising research
and fostering innovation
Transforming the
EU’s economy for a
sustainable future
And leave
No one behind

16. EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 – Bringing
nature back into our lives
• Restore Nature
• Protect Nature
• Enabling transformative change
• EU for an ambitious global agenda
Lets take better care of nature so it can take better care of us

17. Key targets related to water policy
• 30% of EU land and sea protected, a third of which under ‘strict protection
• Restoration of freshwater ecosystems:
• Increased efforts to restore freshwater ecosystems and the natural functions of rivers
• Restore at least 25,000km free flowing rivers
• Member States review water abstraction and impoundment permits to restore and preserve
ecological flows
• Focus on implementation and enforcement of EU environmental legislation
• Biodiverse landscape features >10%
• Enabling actions to transformative change:
 Inter alia – promotion of Nature-Based Solutions

18. Addresses challenge of sustainable food systems.
New approach to ensure agriculture, fisheries and
aquaculture contribute appropriately.
GettyImages
Farm to Fork Strategy for a
fair, healthy
and environmentally-
friendly food system

19. Reduce the overall use & risk of chemical
pesticides by 50% and the use of more
hazardous pesticides by 50% by 2030
• Revision of the Sustainable Use of Pesticide
Directive & enhance provisions for Integrated
Pest Management
• Facilitate the placing on the market of
pesticides containing biological active
substances
• Propose changes to 2009 Regulation
concerning statistics on pesticides
Reduce nutrient losses by at least 50%, while
ensuring no deterioration in soil fertility
• Reduce use of fertilizers by 20% by 2050
• Develop with Member State an Integrated
Nutrient Management Action Plan
Reduce overall EU sales of antimicrobials for
farm animals and aquaculture by 50% by
2030
Objective to have at least 25% of EU land under
organic farming
Key targets related to water policy

20. The transition must be supported by a CAP
that focuses on the EGD
• The capacity of Member States to ensure this
must be carefully assessed in CAP Strategic
Plans
• Eco-schemes in CAP offer funding to boost
sustainable practices
• Commission supports introduction of minimum
ring-fenced budget for eco-schemes
Farm advisory services
• Commission will promote effective
Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation
Systems (AKIS) involving all food chain
actors
• Member States will need to scale up support
for effective Agricultural Knowledge and
Innovation Systems (AKIS) and strengthen
resources to develop appropriate advisory
services for EGD
Additional targets of relevance

21. Zero Pollution Action Plan for air, water and
soil - scope
Prevent and reduce
pollution to waters
and oceans and
facilitate remediation
Prevent and reduce
air and noise pollution
Prevent and reduce
soil pollution and
facilitate remediation

22. Leanne Roche
Leanne.roche@ec.europa.eu
European Commission
DG ENV C.1 – Clean Water
Thank you!