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The Directive aims to safeguard a variety of water uses through cost-effective management of pollution sources within river basins. This will require the active co-operation of those who live, work or in some way have an impact on the water environment or have particular concerns about protecting the water resources.
The Directive encourages interested parties (also called stakeholders) to get involved in water management activities through Article 14.
Interested parties will typically encompass water consumers, recreational water users, industry (from small businesses to large organisations), the water industry, the agricultural industry, local government, planning authorities, educational organisations, landowners and special interest and environmental groups.
The Environment Agency website has information on a number of activities and related topics under the heading ‘How will your sector be affected by the Water Framework Directive’:
(http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/waterquality/955573/1622216/?lang=_e)
This includes:
- Agriculture and the WFD
- Catchment abstraction management strategies and the WFD
- Diffuse pollution and the WFD
- Fisheries and the WFD
- Industry and the WFD
- Spatial planning and the WFD
- England-Scotland cross border River Basin Districts
- England-Wales cross border River Basin Districts
Working Together and Plan of Action consultations
The Environment Agency consulted on the Working Together documents, prepared for each River Basin District (RBD) in England and Wales, between 22 December 2006 and 22 June 2007. The documents were issued to help stakeholders to understand what the river basin planning process would be in each RBD and how and when they could get involved. They described proposed approachs prepared in collaboration with each RBD liaison panel, which represents the main sectors within the RBD involved in river basin planning.
For each RBD the consultation documents also listed the following:
- Main public, private and voluntary sector organizations whose activities and interests are likely to be affected by the River Basin Management Plan
- Plans and strategies relevant to river basin planning
- Potential channels for stakeholder engagement on river basin planning
The documents are available on the Environment Agency website:
(http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/waterquality/955573/1001324/1321809/1603386/1794077/?lang=_e)
The Agency is now analysing the results and will post response documents on this website shortly.
Summary of Significant Water Management Issues (SSWMI) consultations
This second Environment Agency’s consultation runs from 24 July 2007 to 24 January 2008. For each RBD the consultation and supporting documents have been prepared together with the RBD’s liaison panels and set out what they believe to be the most significant issues that face the particular RBD. These are raised early in the process to give the stakeholders time to consider how best to address them. The information and proposals may affect environmental interests or businesses. It gives examples of what is already in place to tackle these issues, as well as additional measures that may be needed.
The consultation and supporting documents are available on the Agency’s website:
(http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/consultations/1830617/?lang=_e)
‘Water Matters “Have your say”’, the SWMI reports for the four RBDs in Northern Ireland, are available for comments (before 22 December 2007) and can be accessed at the Environment & Heritage Service website:
(http://www.ehsni.gov.uk/water/wfd/significant_water_management_issues.htm)
The documents on SWMI in the Scotland RBD and the Solway Tweed RBD (available for comments until 08 April 2008) can be accessed at the SEPA website:
(http://www.sepa.org.uk/consultation/)
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have produced ‘A Practical Guide to The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005’ (CAR).
The document can be viewed on the SEPA website: (http://www.sepa.org.uk/wfd/regimes/index.htm)
In 2006 Scottish Ministers designated the following public bodies as ‘responsible authorities’ in relation to those of their statutory functions that have an impact on the water environment:
- Local Authorities
- Scottish Water
- Scottish Natural Heritage
- Forestry Commission
- British Waterways
- Fisheries Committee
- National Parks Authority
- Salmon Fishery Board
The key requirements which responsible authorities must take into consideration when carrying out their functions are:
- Avoid carrying out their functions in a way that is contrary to the aims and objectives of WFD
- Have regard to the objectives set out in the River Basin Management Plan
- Seek advice from SEPA where there may be potential implications for the water environment
- Aim to achieve the most appropriate balance between protection of the water environment and social and economic impacts when exercising a function that may impact on the water environment
- Comply with policy and advice on sustainable flood management
- Keep each other updated throughout the development of plans and on work-in-progress, and resolve any possibility of conflict or duplication at the earliest possible opportunity
Details on the designation of responsible authorities can be found in the Policy
Statement on the Scottish Government website:
(http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/03/08143009/0)
For further information see also web pages on the implementation of the WFD in Scotland on this website:
(http://www.euwfd.com/html/scotland_s_approach_to_impleme.html)
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