EN    EN EN 
 
EN    EN  EUROPEAN COMMISSION  
Brussels, 21.3.2011 
SEC(2010) 338 
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER 
Accompanying document to 
the Third Follow up Report to the Communica tion on Water Scarcity and Droughts in 
the European Union COM (2007) 414 final 
 
COM(2011) 133 
 
 
EN 2   EN Follow up of the work of the Member States wi th respect to the implementation of the 
measures in the Communication on water scarcity and droughts  
1. INTRODUCTION 
As announced in the first follow-up report to the Communication1 the Commission assesses 
on an annual basis the progress towards implem entation of the set policy options at both EU 
and national levels. The first report was accompan ied by a work programme that was also to 
be monitored regularly. The annex to the third follow-up report presents the progress made by 
Member States based on the reports they have submitted to the Commission2 during the last 
reporting period (May 2009 to May 2010). The s ections below follow the structure of the 
work programme.  
2. INTRODUCTION:  /WATER  SCARCITY  AND  DROUGHT  IN THE  RECENT  
PAST 
Over the last reporting period, several Member States reported that they faced mild or 
relatively strong droughts (ES, FR , PT, HU, UK) and water scarc ity situations (ES, FR, RO, 
SE and NL) although these were sometimes limited to local areas and sometimes had a short duration.  
In several countries re strictions were applied in order to limit various water uses (FR), 
irrigation (ES, RO, SE, CY, HU ) and shipping (NL). Others re ported that had not taken any 
measures to mitigate the impact, since the durat ion of the event was limited (PT) or continued 
the mitigation actions that had started the year before (IT). 
In countries continuously faced with water scarcity (CZ, CY, MT), water conservation 
measures are a national priority and restrictio ns (e.g. in irrigation or household uses) were 
applied in the affected sect ors during the past year.  
Mediterranean countries were not the only ones affected, as water scar city situations were 
also reported in central Europe  (CZ, HU) and in the context of over-exploited aquifers in 
more northern parts of Europe (BE).  
3. PUTTING
 THE  RIGHT  PRICE  TAG  ON  WATER 
In most of Member States water tariffs  have been applied in order to ensure the cost recovery 
of water services. Such tariffs  are already in place (AT, BG, BE, EE, ES, NL, SE, UK) or 
their introduction is ongoing (C Y, CZ, IE, RO, SK). Prices are established taking into 
consideration volumetric consumption (AT, HU, LU, MT, RO for domestic users, IE for non-
domestic users, ES for irrigation uses) and en vironmental costs (BG, BE, EE, RO, SK). In 
CH, it was reported that water is not price d, only the service related to its supply. 
                                                 
1 COM(2008) 875 final, 19.12.2008 
2 21 countries (AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DK, EE, ES, FR, HU, IE, IT, LU, MT, NL, PT, RO, SE, SK 
and UK) replied to the questionnaire for the annual report (sent to the 27 Member State and Norway 
and Switzerland). The list of MS in  brackets within the text of th e annex are examples and not an 
exhaustive list.  
 
EN 3   EN In some countries groundwater taxes have been u pdated according to the quantitative status of 
the groundwater bodies (BE). Th ese taxes are higher for groundwater bodies in a poor 
quantitative status, and will in crease in the coming years. 
In the same context, regarding the regulation of water taxes, PT promotes a water resource 
levy with different components. One of the components depends not only on the volume of 
abstracted water but also on the scarcity coefficient associated with the river in question. This 
will be applied from 2010 on and is collected by the recently created River Basin Authorities.  
IT reported a local incentive for the use of storm-water for toilet flushing and washing 
clothes. Citizens don’t have to  pay tax for wastewater deri ved from reusing storm-water 
instead of drinking water for toile t flushing or washing clothes. 
Regarding the efforts to improve the spread of metering programmes  in the water sector, in 
some Member States practi ces and measures have been recently included in water 
management acts (BE, BG, ES, HU, IR, MT) or  water resource management plans (UK) or 
the introduction of new measures  is ongoing (CY). PT reported th at no signifi cant progress 
has been made since last year. In CH the introduction of meteri ng (only for drinking water) is 
the responsibility of the water supply companies.  
Control of surface water (BG, EE, IT, NL) and groundwater (BE, BG, IT, LU) abstractions is 
reported to be enforced in many countries. Regul atory measures have been included in the 
programme of measures of RM BPs (BG, CY, IT, RO) and speci fic acts (IE, SK), although in 
some local areas these are not fully implemented (CY). 
4. ALLOCATING  WATER  AND  WATER-RELATED  FUNDING  MORE  
EFFICIENTLY 
4.1. Improving land-use planning 
Attempts have been made to integrate  water scarcity and droughts in to sectoral policies. The 
issue of sustainable water use was addressed in  many Member States (AT, BG, BE, CY, CZ, 
ES, FR, HU, IT, MT, RO, SK, NL , LU, PT, RO). Most of Member States integrate water 
scarcity and drought issu es into RBMPs (BE, CY, ES, HU, IT, MT, RO, SK, NL) and specific 
national programmes (BG, LU, UK, PT) concer ning several sectors such as industry, 
agriculture (LU, RO) and households. Consultati on with sectors was carr ied out, e.g. for the 
implementation of water audits 3(BE). 
PT issued a national programme with a specif ic focus on water efficiency and minimizing 
water scarcity risks with meas ures destined for urban, industr y and agricultural sectors. Two 
MS reported that integration of water scarcity an d drought into sectoral policies is an issue to 
be implemented in the future (AT, CZ). CH ha s several programmes preparing the integration 
of WS&D into sectoral policies. EE and IE re ported not having taken any measures regarding 
this issue, as there have b een no drought occurrences or wate r scarcity situ ations in the 
country. 
                                                 
3 A water audit is a key tool to assess the breakdown of water losses and to develop a program for water 
losses reduction. 
 
EN 4   EN As far as Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)  is concerned, the procedure was 
reported as having already been implemented in  most Member States. In most MSs the SEA 
is applied at national level (AT, CY, CZ, EE,  ES, HU, IE, IT, MT, PT, NL) and several MS 
reported that RBMPs were subject to SEA (A T, CY, HU, IT, MT, PT). The SEA was also 
applied to new water infrastruc tures (UK), hydroelectric dams (PT) and desalination plants 
(CY). One Member State reported that the inco rporation of the SEA into legislation is 
ongoing (RO). In other Member States the st rengthening of SEA implementation has not 
taken place yet (BE, BG, LU, SK, SW). 
Regarding biofuel  development and its potential impact  on water availability, three Member 
States reported that this was not an issue (PT, RO, EE), seven Member States have not 
investigated potential interli nkages (BE, BG, CZ, HU, LU, MT , SE) and two Member States 
considered no key developments since last yea r’s report (UK, AT). IT reported that it has 
identified an impact, which needs to be ta ken into account in planning water resources 
management and ES adopted technical guidan ce on net water allocati ons for crop groups in 
each river basin district, which includes wate r intake estimations for biomass. Further 
research and assessment on the issue is ongoing in CY and FR. 
Regarding water abstractions , the authorization procedure is  a widespread practice among 
Member States. When abstracting over a specifi ed water volume, water users have to apply 
for a permit in order to be allowed to withdr aw water (AT, BE, CZ, ES, FR, IT, LU, PT, RO, 
SE, UK, NL, EE). Water authori ties are responsible for carrying out the compliance check of 
water using facilities in most cases. Restrict ions on water use can also have a preventive 
effect (AT): in case of obvious loss of water from irrigation, the quantity of water permitted 
for use is reduced by the water authority. 
In some Member States (MT, IE), within th e framework of new Wate r Framework Directive 
(WFD) compliant legislation that includes a modernised system of registration, prior 
authorization requests and tack ling unauthorized abstractions are being considered. Several 
countries adopted prosecution pro cedures addressing illegal abstractions (PT, AT, RO), others 
reported that a strategy to enhance controls is still needed (BE).  
Strategies to address the impacts  of climate change were reported either as having already 
been included in RBMPs (AT, BG, ES, IT, UK) and specific national programmes (SK, PT) 
or are having been planned to be part of na tional strategy in future programmes (CZ, BE, FR, 
IE, NL, RO). CH reported that it will address these issues in a National Adaptation Strategy which will be finalized by 2011. Measures to cope  with climate change include alternative 
water supply options such as wastewater re-u se and desalination (CY,  FR, HU, IT, PT). In 
some countries water re-use aims at genera ting water to cover agricultural and industrial 
demand (IT, CY) as well as groundwater recharge (CY).  
4.2. Financing water efficiency 
In general, national budgets (BG, EE, ES, FR , LU, MT, PT, SK), EU funds (CY, CZ, HU, 
MT, SK) and private funds (IT, PT) were used to  implement water cycle integration, domestic 
rainwater management, agricultura l sector development, control of water losses, protection of 
surface and ground water bodies, water supply network and sanitation.  
Fiscal incentives with the aim of encourag ing the use of water-saving devices will be 
introduced in some Member States in the near future (CZ, EE, MT, UK). Examples of 
 
EN 5   EN possible incentives are the reduction of water tariffs for companies introducing water savings 
devices and practices (BG, ES),  and the use of eco-cheques for buying water saving devices 
(BE). Subsidies for collec ting rain water (in households) were  reported as being granted in BE 
and FR, and in CY the instal lation of greywater treatment and re-use systems in houses, 
public buildings, playgrounds, army camps were  financed from a national fund for water 
resources. 
5. IMPROVING  DROUGHT  RISK  MANAGEMENT 
5.1. Developing drought risk management plans 
At the European level, as well as in CH, re strictions on water use were reported as having 
been applied to preserve aqua tic life and the ecologi cal status of water bodies (AT, CY, CZ, 
ES, FR, HU, IT, NL, PT, RO, SK, SE, UK). In CY  an index of pressures on river ecosystems 
is calculated in order to monitor the eff ects of droughts on the environment. Only few 
Member States reported that the minimum wa ter flow and groundwater level conservation 
have not been taken into account yet (EE, IE , LU, MT) or are planned but not implemented 
yet (BE, BG). 
With respect to specific drought management pl ans, several Member States reported not to 
have separate plans. These are in most cases co nsidered as part of RBM Ps or regional plans 
(AT, BE, HU, NL, RO, SK), emergency manageme nt (LU) or specific early warning systems 
(PT). Three Member States reported that th eir drafting process fo r these plans is ongoing 
(MT, CZ, CY), and in others the need for such a plan is under discussi on (EE), or they have 
regional plans (IT) or do not have such a plan at all (IE, SE, BG). FR, ES and UK are the only 
Member States who reported th at separate drought management plans are already in place.  
5.2. Developing an observatory and an early warning system on droughts 
Concerning the identification of areas  of water scarcity and drought over the country, 
almost all Member States reported that the a ssessment has been carried  out (AT, BE, BG, CY, 
CZ, EE, ES, FR, UK, NL, IT, RO, SK) or is ongoing (PT). As a result of this assessment, 
some Member States reported that there are no permanent or quasi pe rmanent water scarcity 
situations in the country (AT, EE, IE, and NL). CY and MT identified the w hole country as an 
area at risk from water scarcity. In RO a high pe rcentage (40%) of all river basins are affected 
by water scarcity, while UK and BG identifi ed only local area s being at risk.  
Legislative and other measures to tackle poor st atus of water bodies and to restore sustainable 
balance in water basins are included in land us e planning and restoration programmes (such as 
adaptation of current permitting system, groundwat er taxes, implementation of water audits, 
incentivizing rational water use, regulating water intakes, or, like in CY, the development of a national drought observatory and a drought inde x system as well as establishing minimum 
ecological flow establishment, incentives to re duce irrigation water use,  identification of non-
authorised abstractions and threshold values of permitted water abstractions). CH reported that the political will to introduce legal measur es for the appropriate di stribution of water is 
now in place. 
 
EN 6   EN 5.3. Further optimising the use of the EU Solidarity Fund 
There have been no changes in  the applications for aid from the EU Solidarity Fund for 
drought impacts under the current regulation. The di fficulty in applying for funding lies in the 
10 week deadline for presenting the application following the first damage and the limitation of eligible operations. The other issues it that  in the agricultural sector droughts cause mostly 
damage to private property and, as private damage is not covered by the fund, the EUSF may 
not compensate the damage. A Communication on the future of the EU Solidarity Fund is 
expected to come out in the first half of 2011. It will also address the issue of slowly 
unfolding disasters.  
6. CONSIDERING
 ADDITIONAL  WATER  SUPPLY  INFRASTRUCTURES 
The planning and construction of new water supply  networks or reservoirs  were considered in 
several Member States (BG, CZ, EE, IE, MT, RO, SE, SK). In ES four new desalination 
plants have been built. In CY an additional mo bile desalination plant has been completed and 
two additional permanent desalination plants ar e in construction or pl anning phase, in addition 
to the construction of an off-stream dam. The UK opened a desalination plant in June 2010 
and FR will assess the need of new infrastruc tures requested by some economic actors. PT 
reported only the planned construction of hydr oelectric dams. All th ese infrastructure 
developments were reported to have underg one a SEA or/and are re gulated by national 
environmental legislation. 
7. FOSTERING  WATER-EFFICIENT  TECHNOLOGIES  AND  PRACTICES 
Many Member States reported not having introduced legislation in terms of water efficiency 
in buildings  (BE, ES, HU, LU, PT, RO, SE) and/or water using devices (BE, EE, ES, HU, 
LU, MT, PT, RO, SE, NL).  
CY reported having introduced general measures  on buildings' water performance included in 
the RBMPs, and FR reported to have adopted of new national measures. In other cases 
national legislation exists (IE, NL, CZ and SK) and adopted standards are mostly EU ones.  
Measures regarding water saving devices were reported to be in place in several Member 
States (BG, IE, SK, CY) and to have been included in RBMPs.  
UK introduced new water efficiency target s on water companies and a new building 
performance standard of 125 litres per person per day for new homes. A detailed calculator provides the means to estimate consumption based on the efficiency of water fittings and average assumptions of durati on and frequency of use.  
As far as reduction of leakages  is concerned significant step s ahead have been taken. AT 
reported that a low level of leakages is ensured by periodical maintenan ce works, and that the 
guideline for detection, quantific ation, and reduction measures for leakages in drinking water 
supply systems was updated. FR introduced new legislation promoting action plans and multi-
annual work programmes to improve the network where leakages exceed a fixed percentage. 
Other Member States (BG, CY, ES, IE, IT, PT , RO, SK, UK) have integrated measures to 
restore water networks in RBMPs and Nati onal Programmes. In one MS water supply 
companies are directly responsible for monitoring, improving and restoring obsolete 
 
EN 7   EN infrastructure (CZ). In some Member States , network renewals are ongoing (BE, SE, MT) 
while in others the planning has not started yet (CZ, EE, HU, LU).  NL stated that the leakage 
in the water supply network for drinking water is low (<5%) thus no measures to reduce 
leakages are necessary.  
Most of Member States did not initiate voluntary agreements  in terms of efficient use of 
water (AT, BE, BG, CY, CZ, EE, HU, IE, MT, RO, SE, NL). However, many Member States 
reported that they consider such initiatives us eful (CZ, EE, FR, IT, PT, RO, RO, NL, UK). IT 
reported the implementation of regional measures  to restore a sustai nable balance and LU 
reported that it had concluded voluntary ag reements with agricultural sector.  
Regarding water markets , the vast majority of Member States stated that they have not 
envisaged setting up such markets. During episode s of water scarcity, Member States focused 
on restrictions on water us e rather than on sharing the resource.  In ES a decree allows dealers 
or owners of a water right to te mporarily transfer it to another d ealer or holder of such a right. 
UK reported that will consider the creation of water markets for England and Wales. 
8. FOSTERING  THE  EMERGENCE  OF A WATER-SAVING  CULTURE  IN 
EUROPE 
Educational programmes and awareness-raising campaigns  were reported to have been 
initiated across the EU. These covered online info rmation about current status of water bodies 
and water resources (AT, BG, RO, CZ, EE, IT ), special communication platforms addressed 
mostly to young citizens (AT, CY, CZ, ES, IT), educational programmes focused on schools 
at various levels (primary and high school, unive rsity) (CY, LU, SK, UK, NL) as well as other 
dissemination tools such as press, “blue phones” , columns, water audits, reports, projects, 
consultation campaigns or initiatives by NGOs.  
9. IMPROVING  KNOWLEDGE  AND  DATA  COLLECTION 
9.1. Water scarcity and drought information system throughout Europe.  
The majority of Member States reported that they have not performed forecasts of water 
scarcity and drought events for the following year. However, indi rect previsions have been 
performed on the basis of monito red precipitation events, which can lead to an estimation of 
the current water storage and availability.  
Many Member States reported that they are not expecting significant water scarcity situations 
or drought occurrences until next autumn (AT, EE, FR, IE, IT, NL, PT, UK, RO), while other 
Member States are aware that a water scarci ty problem is possibl e occurrence during the 
2010-2011 period (ES, SK) although, as SE as well as CH reported, this might only be limited 
to small areas. This information reported by th e MS should be seen in  relation to the 2010 
State of the Environmen t report from the EEA4 which states, that " Except in some northern 
and sparsely-populated countries that possess abundant resources, water scarcity occurs in 
many areas of Europe, particularly in the south,  confronted with a crucial combination of a 
severe lack of and high demand for water".  
                                                 
4 http://www.eea.europa.eu /soer/europe/water-resources-quantity-and-flows 
 
EN 8   EN A drought early warning system aiming to im prove preparedness an d response to drought 
situations has been created in PT, and IT re ported the elaboration of a regional model for 
forecasting. FR is setting up a national database of all water abstractions. 
9.2. Research and technological development opportunities  
Research on best practices and programmes fo r sustainable water management are ongoing in 
many Member States (BE, BG, CY, CZ, ES, HU,  IT, LU, MT, NL, RO). Most Member States 
are enhancing this research thr ough research on adaptation strategies to climate change (BE, 
AT; CZ, UK). CH has several activities a nd programmes for enhanc ing research (NFP61, 
CCHydro and Water Supply 2025). The participa tion in EU financed projects (i.e. 
INTERREG, FPs) is one of the tool s to enhance these activities.