DOI: 10.15468/ht67bx
title: NDFF European Water Framework Directive (KRW)

description: The European Water Framework Directive (EWFD) focuses on protecting all bodies of water and aims for all European waters to meet a 'good status' in 2015 and to encourage Europeans to use water sustainably. The term can be extended with 2 periods of 6 years at the most, which puts the farthest date at 2027. The protection of all waters encompasses rivers, lakes, coastal waters and groundwater. Assessment program The European Water Framework Directive (EWFD) focuses on protecting all bodies of water and aims for all European waters to meet a 'good status' in 2015 and to encourage Europeans to use water sustainably. The assessment by the EWFD is determined by a large number of assessments of chemicals, physico-chemical parameters and the presence of species in 4 biological groups: macro fauna, fish, water plants and algae. The ‘Ecological Status’ is a combination of the assessments of specific biological quality, the physico-chemical quality, other relevant polluting agents and hydromorphology. The biological quality usually determines the ecological quality. Only if that quality is high will the assessments of the physico-chemical quality and other relevant agents be considered to differentiate between high, good and fairly good ecological quality. Only if the hydromorphology is good, can the level of very good quality be achieved. The quality of other relevant polluting agents refers to substances that are determined per river basin. The ‘one out, all out’ principle applies to the measurement tools; when one chemical or one biological measurement does not meet the criteria, the overall quality is assessed as unsatisfactory. By applying this principle, the EWFD gives a stringent assessment of the Dutch quality. Types of water A distinction is made between 3 types of water in these reports based on the configuration: natural, highly changed and artificial bodies of water. The last 2 types are most common to the Netherlands, with the exception of the Waddenzee. Only a few streams, small rivers and the Naardermeer are categorised as natural waters; the other bodies of water are marked as highly changed. Canals and ditches are artificial waters, since they are man-made. Aims for a biological and physico-chemical quality. A scale with 5 classes has been developed to determine biological and physico-chemical quality. The aim is to make sure a body of water is assessed as good or extremely good. Regarding natural waters, these aims have been established in relation to the natural reference point, the Very Good Ecological Status (ZGET), when the surface water is in a natural condition. The aim for good quality is the Good Ecological Status (GET). When waters are highly changeable, due to a different configuration of the water system, this natural reference point is not feasible, of course. Bodies of water can also be given a lower aim: Good Ecological Potential (GEP). Of course, there is no natural reference point for artificial bodies of water, but there is a Maximum Ecological Potential (MEP), with the aim of attaining the GEP. Individual artificial bodies of water can be given a lower GEP. Dataset available via https://www.ndff.nl/english / serviceteamndff@natuurloket.nl Positive observations without zeros 24,501 records (March 2018) https://www.ndff.nl/overdendff/validatie/protocollen/102-003-kaderrichtlijn-water/