European work to support the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive

Abstract

In the European Union, the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive set a common framework for integrated water resource management and for the protection of associated ecosystems. The application of these directives requires joint and coordinated actions by all Member States. With this objective in mind, a common strategy for the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive was adopted in 2003. It is based on the existence of several technical and strategic working groups, including the ECOSTAT group in charge of issues related to the ecological status of surface waters. In this focus, the author reviews the activities of this group and the main challenges to be faced on the ecological status of surface waters at the European scale in the coming years.