The EU Water Framework Directive Essay Example for Free

The EU Water Framework Directive Essay The EU Water framework directive was adopted on 23rd October, year 2000. This water framework directive aims at protection as well as management of the European waters. It also includes the adoption of plans to manage and appropriate measures that apply for each water mass. Through this water framework directive, the EU is able to manage inland surface, coastal waters, ground water as well as transitional waters with an aim of preventing and reducing pollution, promoting sustainable use of water, protecting of the aquatic environment, improving the aquatic ecosystem status as well as mitigating the effects of droughts and that of floods. The EU water framework directive has some demands that all the member states must meet. One of these demands is that of pricing. If water is adequately priced, it acts as a major incentive for sustainable and better use of the water resources. The member states are therefore required to see to it that the prices charged to the water consumers for example for the distribution of water is fresh or collection and treatment of dirty water, reflects or rather shows true costs. However, some EU member states have a very stiff challenge in meeting this demand. The EU water framework directive also demands that there should be full public participation so as to achieve the goal of having clean water. In order to port public participation in place, rallies and seminars must be conducted so as to educate the public on the need for having clean water. The EU member states should also exercise greater transparency during establishment of objectives, when imposing measures and when reporting standards (www. dhigroup. com/). If these things are practiced, then higher number of citizens tends to influence and participate in overall environmental protection. Most EU states however have had a challenge in engaging their citizens in participating or working towards having clean water. Lack of sufficient funds to hold conferences and seminars with the citizens so as to create awareness has been a major challenge. Another demand for EU water framework directive is that there should be coordination of objectives. These objectives include protection of the aquatic ecology, protection of water resources for drinking and protection of water used for bathing. All these are objectives that must be integrated as far as each river basin is concerned. However, most EU member states have a challenge in integrating these objectives for each river basin. The EU member states have also been faced with a challenge of business pressures. In meeting the demand of the EU water framework directive, most large water consumptive abstractors such as water companies, food as well as drink manufacturers. These firms are likely to be affected in the process of licensing the ground water, which may be identified as a chief cause of poor ecology. In addition, the EU member states face a challenge of maintaining clean water in rivers. This may occur if Environment Agency has water bodies that are small in the river basin, hence sewage treatment works that discharge into small rivers tend to be vulnerable. The EU water framework directive also should have a criteria against which ecological status have to be assessed. However, this criteria has not yet been achieved and hence it is a challenge to the EU member states to bring foist it is criteria. The member states are also having a challenge of ensuring that the methods that are adapted to measure impacts are comparable. The EU Water framework directive has a demand that the standards for water protection must be laid down as well as setting down the organizational aspect of water management. It also demands that the core objectives of the environment are to prevent aquatic ecosystems’ deterioration and restoration of polluted waters within a given timescale. The challenge to the EU member states is how to take into account the economic considerations so as to ensure that the improvements that are planned are not unnecessarily expensive as well as technically infeasible. EU member states are also faced with a challenge of cost uncertainties. In spite of thorough preparation and pilot testing that has taken place, many crucial decisions on how to implement and carry out the directive and measures as well as legal instruments that will be required have not yet been made. This uncertainty and short of information is shown in the wide range of values of the associated costs as well as benefits contained regulatory impact assessment that was published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Conclusion. The EU water framework directive is one of the most important directives adopted by the EU member states. It aims at adopting and maintaining way of ensuring that clean water is obtained through ensuring that all water masses are kept free from pollution. To achieve this, all the member states have to put I place all the necessary requirements as well as provide awareness to its citizens. It is through the awareness and cooperation of the citizens that water pollution can be achieved.