Die neue EG‐Wasserrahmenrichtlinie: Bewertung der chemischen und ökologischen Qualität von Oberflächengewässern

The New EC Framework Water Directive: Assessment of the Chemical and Ecological Status of Surface Waters The main objective of the draft EC Framework Water Directive is the good quality of all surface waters. The directive provides for an assessment of the chemical status of surface waters (EU‐wide valid environmental quality standards for approximately 30 priority substances) and a five‐stage ecological classification of waters, comprising the stages high, good, moderate, poor, and bad. The starting point for the assessment are the reference conditions, which are defined as corresponding to high water quality and characterising a water status with no significant anthropogenic impact. The reference sites in the various water body types are to be selected using hydromorphological and physico‐chemical parameters and subsequently characterised by means of biological parameters. For surface waters, three groups of characteristics are provided for, namely: 1. with priority the biology – in the case of surface waters – with the four elements phytoplankton, macrophytes/phytobenthos, benthic invertebrate fauna, and fish fauna; 2. supporting the hydromorphology, e.g. flowing waters with the three elements hydrological regime, river continuity, and morphological conditions and 3. supporting the physico‐chemical conditions with the three elements general conditions, specific synthetic pollutants, and specific non synthetic pollutants (other than the priority substances of the chemical status).     

Die EG‐Wasserrahmenrichtlinie: Ausweisung und Bewertung künstlicher und erheblich veränderter Gewässer

Designation and Assessment of Artificial and Heavily Modified Water Bodies under the EC Water Framework Directive The EC Water Framework Directive allows the Member States to designate artificial and heavily modified water bodies under specific conditions. For those water bodies the ecological assessment and the resulting programmes of measures will be based on the “maximum ecological potential” as reference conditions and not on the “high ecological status”, which has to be used for natural water bodies. Such designation is possible only, if the hydromorphology of the water bodies concerned has been substantially changed in character to maintain specified uses. The criteria for the designation are fulfilled, if restoration measures needed to meet the high ecological status would have significant adverse effects on the uses and if no other better environmental options would exist to maintain the specified uses. In late 1999 the EC‐Working Group on Heavily Modified Water Bodies (HMWB) has been established to develop criteria for the designation of artificial and heavily modified water bodies as well as for the determination of the maximum ecological potential. The working group has produced the guidance document “Identification and Designation of Artificial and Heavily Modified Water Bodies” in November 2002, which has been agreed by the European Water Directors on 21 November 2002 in Copenhagen. The guidance document is focusing on two time borders, the provisional identification of heavily modified water bodies until 2004 and the legally binding designation as artificial and heavily modified in the first river basin management plan in 2009 at the latest. The guidance document considered the main findings of 34 case studies for rivers, lakes, transitional and coastal waters carried out in 11 European countries. The results of the case studies as well as a summarizing synthesis were used as a fundamental basis to produce the guidance document. The practical examples given by the case studies were compiled as a toolbox which supplements the guidance for the purpose of its better application.