WRITTEN QUESTION E-0459/00

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(24 February 2000)

Subject: Catchment area management ESDP

In its recent publication entitled ESDP European Spatial Development Perspective (Potsdam unofficial council, May 1999)(1) the Commission writes (p. 68) that the proposal for a directive which inter alia covers integrated catchment area management is currently under negotiation.

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. What is the exact title of the proposal, when was it drawn up and by whom?

2. At what stage are the discussions on this proposal for an EU directive?

3. What positions have the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council adopted?

4. What is the Commission's approach in this directive, and what implications will the directive have for countries with adequate water supplies?

5. What precisely does integrated catchment area management mean?

6. What action has the Commission taken so far to counter the problem of leaking public water supply grids in some Member States?

7. Does the Commission have data and information on water quality and water shortages in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and what is the gap between them and the data for EU Member States?

(1) ISBN, 92-828-7656-X.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(23 March 2000)

This is the Commission proposal for a European Parliament and Council directive establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy(1). The Parliament in its plenary session of 16 February 2000 finalised the second reading(2),(3). On the majority of issues there is agreement between the points of view of Parliament, Commission and Council. There are divergent points of view on some issues, in particular deadlines, derogations, hazardous substances and charges for water and waste water. A detailed evaluation will be part of the amended Commission proposal to be adopted by the Commission in March 2000.

The main objectives of the new Community water framework directive will be to expand water protection to all waters; to achieve and maintain good status within a set deadline; to base water management on river basins; to combine the approaches of emission criteria and water quality criteria; to ensure water pricing policy with adequate incentive for users to use water resources in an efficient way; to involve citizens more closely in planning and decision taking procedures; and to streamline legislation. One of the elements of good status for groundwater is a long-term balance between available resources and abstractions. These objectives are valid regardless of whether Member States have larger water resources or not. The objective of the directive is to achieve and maintain water quality, not to distribute water resources. Monitoring and measures to achieve the quality objective (good status) within a set deadline have to be coordinated with a river basin district. The operative part in this context is a programme of measures which ensures achieving the objective of good status.

For public (drinking) water supply systems Community legislation defines the quality of water for the consumer at the tap. This is the 1980 drinking water directive, Council Directive 80/778/EEC of 15 July 1980 relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption(4) amended by the 1998 drinking water directive, Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998(5). There is no obligation at European level to construct public water supply systems. However, construction and improvement of such water supply systems, including measures against leaking distribution systems, may be funded by the structural funds and the Cohesion fund.

Water protection is an important factor in the current accession negotiations. Evaluations of the status quo, objectives and programmes for achieving the objective for the whole range of Community water legislation are an integral part of the accession negotiations. Water resources show a quite diverse pattern from country to country and from region to region, both in the 15 Member States and in candidate countries, a situation to be expected given the diverse geographical and hydrological situation.

(1) OJ C 184, 17.6.1997.

(2) Opinion of the European Parliament (1st reading) of 11.2.1999, OJ C 150, 28.5.1999.

(3) Opinion of the European Parliament (2nd reading) of 16.2.2000 not yet published in the OJ.

(4) OJ L 229, 30.8.1980.

(5) OJ L 330, 5.12.1998.