European Water Framework Directive
In 2000, the European Parliament and the European Council adopted the Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC) aimed at implementing comprehensive water protection in the European river districts. Among others, the ICPR and its Action Programme served as an example of transboundary co-operation within an international river basin district.
The European Water Framework Directive
- modernizes and harmonizes European water legislation
- considers a river basin district as an entity
- requires transboundary, integrated assessment and management
- drafts a list of priority substances
- focuses on indicators given by nature
- defines the good chemical status
- defines the good ecological status
- fixes 2015 as deadline for achieving the good status in all European water bodies.
Among others, the ICPR programme “Rhine 2020“ implements requirements of the EU-Water Framework Directive and of adequate Swiss water policy in the Rhine watershed and embraces the Action Plan on Floods.
