COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources
Date: 2012-11-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: drought, fixing of prices, flood, sustainable development, use of water, water consumption, water management in agriculture, water pollution, water protection

EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION 

Brussels, 14.11.2012  
COM(2012) 673 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

A Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources 

{SWD(2012) 381 final} 
{SWD(2012) 382 final} 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
  
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

A Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources 

1. 

RATIONALE FOR THE BLUEPRINT: THE STATUS OF EU WATERS IS NOT DOING WELL 
ENOUGH! 

Water is essential for human life, nature and the economy. It is permanently renewed but it is 
also finite and cannot be made or replaced with other resources. Freshwater constitutes only 
about 2 % of the water on the planet and competing demands may lead to an estimated 40 % 
global water supply shortage by 20301. 

The  EU’s  water  policy  has  been  successful  in  helping  to  protect  our  water  resources.  This 
Blueprint  to  Safeguard  Europe's  Water  Resources  aims  to  tackle  the  obstacles  which 
hamper action to safeguard Europe's water resources and is based on an extensive evaluation 
of  the  existing  policy.  The  Blueprint  is  based  on  a  wealth  of  information  and  analysis 
including the EEA State of Water report,2 the Commission assessment of the Member States 
River  Basin  Management  Plans  (RBMPs)  and  Review  of  the  Policy  on  Water  Scarcity  and 
Droughts,3 and the Fitness Check of EU Freshwater Policy.4 Moreover it is accompanied by 
an Impact Assessment.5 The Blueprint is based on extensive public consultations both in the 
framework  of  its  development  and  under  the  Fitness  Check  which  has  involved  the  general 
public,  stakeholders,  Member  States  as  well  as  other  EU  institutions  and  bodies.6  The 
Blueprint recognises that the aquatic environments differ greatly across the EU and therefore 
does  not  propose  any  one  size  fits  all  solution,  in  line  with  the  principle  of  subsidiarity.  It 
emphasises  key  themes  which  include:  improving  land  use,  addressing  water  pollution, 
increasing  water  efficiency  and  resilience,  and  improving  governance  by  those  involved  in 
managing water resources. 

1 

2 
3 

4 
5 

6 

a 

of 

the 

report 

future, 

our  water 

2030  Water  Resources  Group, 

Charting 
http://www.mckinsey.com/client_service/sustainability/latest_thinking/charting_our_water_future 
http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water/publications-2012.  
Commission  report  on  the  Implementation  of  the  Water  Framework  Directive  (2000/60/EC)  -  River 
Basin  Management  Plans,  and  Commission  Communication  on  the  Report  on  the  Review  of  the 
European Water Scarcity and Droughts Policy, adopted together with this Blueprint. 
Commission Staff Working Document on the Fitness Check of EU Freshwater Policy. 
Commission  Staff  Working  Document  –  Impact  Assessment,  accompanying  the  Communication 
‘Blueprint  to Safeguard  Europe’s Water  Resources’ which  includes  a full  list  of  the  studies  that  have 
fed into the Blueprint. 
European Parliament resolution of 3 July 2012 on "The implementation of EU water legislation, ahead 
of a necessary overall approach to European water challenges",  
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P7-TA-2012-
0273&language=EN&ring=A7-2012-0192. See  also  the opinion of  the Committee  of the  Regions (30 
June  2011)  on  "The  role  of  local  and  regional  authorities  in  sustainable  water  management"; 
http://www.toad.cor.europa.eu/ViewDoc.aspx?doc=cdr%5cenve-v%5cdossiers%5cenve-v-
008%5cEN%5cCDR5-2011_REV2_PAC_EN.doc&docid=2770279;  and  the  opinion  of  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  (15  June  2011)  on  the  "Integration  of  water  policy  into  other  EU 
policies" http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.nat-opinions.18788 

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1.1. 

Policy context 

EU water policy has successfully contributed to water protection over the past three decades. 
Europeans can safely drink tap water and swim in thousands of coastal areas, rivers and lakes 
across the EU. Pollution from urban, industrial and agricultural sources is regulated and this 
has brought about significant improvements in the quality of European waters, particularly by 
reducing an excess of nutrients. As a result, iconic fish species such as salmon and sturgeon 
have, in some places, returned to European rivers. 

In  2000,  the  EU  Water  Framework  Directive  (WFD)7  addressed  for  the  first  time  in  a 
comprehensive  manner  all  the  challenges  faced  by  EU  waters,  making  it  clear  that  water 
management is much more than just water distribution and treatment. It involves land-use and 
management that affect both water quality and quantity; it requires coordination with spatial 
planning by the Member States and integration into funding priorities. The WFD established 
the objective to achieve good status by 2015. This deadline is approaching. The EEA State of 
Water report and the Commission assessment of the Member States’ RBMPs developed under 
the WFD concur that this objective is likely to be achieved in slightly over half (53 %) of EU 
waters. Major additional action is therefore needed to preserve and improve EU waters. 

The  main  causes  of  negative  impacts  on  water  status  are  interlinked.  These  include  climate 
change;  land  use;  economic  activities  such  as  energy  production,  industry,  agriculture  and 
tourism;  urban  development  and  demographic  change.  Pressure  from  these  causes  takes  the 
form of pollutant emissions, water over-use (water stress), physical changes to water bodies 
and  extreme  events  such  as  floods  and  drought,  which  are  set  to  increase  unless  action  is 
taken. As a result, the ecological and chemical status of EU waters is threatened, more parts of 
the  EU  are  at  risk  of  water  scarcity,  and  the  water  ecosystems  —  on  whose  services  our 
societies  depend  —  may  become  more  vulnerable  to  extreme  events  such  as  floods  and 
droughts.  It  is  essential  to  address  these  challenges  to  preserve  our  resource  base  for  life, 
nature and the economy and protect human health.  

The EU needs to focus on green growth and become more resource efficient (including water) 
to achieve a sustainable recovery from the current economic and environmental crisis, adapt 
to climate change and build resilience to disasters. Tackling these challenges holds significant 
potential  to  boost  the  competitiveness  and  growth  of  the  European  water  sector,  which 
includes 9000 active SMEs and provides 600 000 direct jobs in water utilities alone. There is 
also  potential  for  green  growth  in  other  water-related  sectors  (water-using  industries,  water 
technology development etc.) where innovation can increase operational efficiency. 

Sixty per cent of the EU’s territory lies in transboundary river basins. The hydrological cycles 
are so interconnected that land use in one country can affect precipitation beyond its borders. 
Moreover,  the  European  market,  EU  common  policies  and  Member  State  policies  all  have 
significant  impacts  on  water  status.  Therefore,  the  Commission  proposes  this  Blueprint  to 
Safeguard Europe’s Water Resources. Its long-term aim is to ensure the sustainability of all 
activities  that  impact  on  water,  thereby  securing  the  availability  of  good-quality  water  for 
sustainable  and  equitable  water  use.  This  goal  is  already  enshrined  in  the  WFD  in  various 
ways.  The  Blueprint  will  help  us  achieve  the  goal  by  identifying  obstacles  and  ways  to 
overcome them. 

7 

Directive  2000/60/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  establishing  a  framework  for 
Community action in the field of water policy. OJ L327, 22.12.2000.  

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2. 

‘GOOD  WATER  STATUS’  AND  HOW  TO  ACHIEVE  IT:  SOMETHING  BETTER, 
SOMETHING MORE AND SOMETHING NEW 

Although the Blueprint objective is not new, it is the first time that so much information has 
become  available  on  water  status  throughout  the  continent,  particularly  thanks  to  the 
development of RBMPs under the WFD and the above-mentioned assessments. These and the 
views expressed by stakeholders converge in showing that the current EU legal framework on 
water is extensive, flexible and essentially fit to address the challenges faced by the aquatic 
environment. However, there is a need for better implementation and increased integration 
of  water  policy  objectives  into  other  policy  areas,  such  as  the  Common  Agriculture  Policy 
(CAP), the Cohesion and Structural Funds and the policies on renewable energy, transport and 
integrated  disaster  management.  The  reasons  for  the  currently  insufficient  levels  of 
implementation  and  integration  are  complex  and  have  been  analysed  in  the  accompanying 
impact  assessment.  They  consist  of  a  series  of  water  management  problems  related  to  the 
insufficient  use  of  economic  instruments,  lack  of  support  for  specific  measures,  poor 
governance and knowledge gaps. Only in a minority of cases have gaps been identified that 
would require  the  completion of  the current framework by  new action of a legislative/legal 
nature. 

Clearly,  the  success  of  the  approach  proposed  by  the  Blueprint  will  depend  on  Member 
States’  willingness  and  action  to  involve  stakeholders  and  follow  up  to  the  Commission’s 
proposals  to  improve  implementation  of  existing  legislation.  In  this  respect,  the  WFD 
Common  Implementation  Strategy  (CIS),  involving  all  Member  States  and  relevant 
stakeholders, should continue to play a positive role in WFD implementation. The Blueprint 
tries to build on the CIS, where possible, to create ownership and facilitate implementation of 
the  Commission’s  proposals.  However,  relying  on  the  CIS  does  not  imply  that  the 
Commission will give up its enforcement role with respect to water legislation. Depending on 
the  progress  made  by  the  Member  States  to  address  their  implementation  shortcomings, 
infringement cases may become necessary. Legislative initiatives may need to be considered. 

The following sections address the problem areas and suggest ways forward in relation to land 
use/ecological status, chemical status and water pollution, water efficiency, vulnerability and 
cross-cutting issues. But it should be kept in mind that these are all inter-connected aspects of 
water management and the proposed measures will contribute to multiple goals. For instance, 
water  efficiency  and  vulnerability  measures  are  expected  to  have  positive  impacts  on 
ecological and chemical status and vice versa. 

2.1. 

Land use and the ecological status of EU waters: problems and solutions 

The  EEA  State  of  Water  report  and  the  Commission’s  assessment of  the RBMPs  show that 
good ecological status is currently achieved in 43 % of the reported freshwater bodies and that 
the additional measures included in the plans are expected to increase this to 53 % by 2015. 

While  ecological  status  assessments  still  need  improvement,  it  appears  that  the  most 
widespread  pressure  on  ecological  status  in  the  EU  (19  Member  States)  originate  from 
changes  to  water  bodies8  due,  for  example,  to  dams  for  hydropower  and  navigation  or 
draining land for agriculture; embankments for flood protection. 

There are known ways to address these pressures and they should be applied. Where existing 
structures built for hydropower, navigation or other purposes break river continuity and, often, 

8 

So-called hydromorphological pressures which affect about 40% of the water bodies. 

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fish  migration,  mitigation  measures  such  as  fish  passes  and  fish  lifts  should  be  standard 
practice.  This  is  now  happening,  mostly  for  new  developments,  as  a  consequence  of  WFD 
requirements  (Article  4.7),  but  it  is  important  to  progressively  retrofit  existing  structures  in 
order to improve water status. When there are plans to make significant new changes to water 
bodies,  Strategic  Environmental  Assessments  (SEA)9  should  be  made  in  addition  to 
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)10 for specific projects. For instance, national and 
regional plans to develop hydropower should be subject to a SEA to identify where the dams 
could  be  located  to  minimise  negative  environmental  effects  and  vulnerability  to  disaster 
risks,  or  to  compare  the  plans  with  alternative  renewable  energy  sources  development11. 
Similarly,  SEAs  of  plans  to  develop  inland  navigation  should  look  into  which  waterways 
could  support  most  traffic  at  the  lowest  environmental  cost  and  in  the  most  sustainable 
combination  with  other  transport  modes.12  The  Commission  will  be  particularly  vigilant  on 
the  enforcement  of  Article  4.7.  Transboundary  issues  also  should  be  addressed  in  the  EU’s 
relations with third countries, including in the framework of the European neighbourhood and 
enlargement policies.  

Pressure  from  agriculture  and  flood  protection  can  be  mitigated  or  prevented.  Methods 
include  developing  buffer  strips,  which  provide  biological  continuity  between  rivers  and 
their  banks  and  using,  whenever  possible,  green  infrastructure  such  as  the  restoration  of 
riparian areas, wetlands and floodplains to retain water, support biodiversity and soil fertility, 
and prevent floods and droughts. This is a valuable alternative to classical grey infrastructure 
(e.g.  embankments,  dykes  and  dams).  Particular  attention  should  be  paid  to  preventing  the 
degradation  of  headwaters.  These  are  small  water  bodies  (nurseries  to  many  fish  species) 
which  are  frequently  threatened,  according  to  the  EEA,  by  agricultural  works  (drainage, 
filling) and by dry-out. Fish ponds also play an important role in the retention and storage of 
water in the landscape, prevention of flooding and erosion. 

To address this, powerful policy integration tools are enshrined in the Commission proposals 
for the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)13 that could greatly enhance the 
take-up  of  green  infrastructure.  The  proposed  commitment  of  20%  of  the  EU  budget  for 
climate mainstreaming in the MFF should increase support for all water measures related to 
climate adaptation. Elements of ecological focus areas envisaged by the Commission proposal 
on the greening of CAP pillar I, such as buffer strips, could serve as Natural Water Retention 
Measures  (NWRM),  a  type  of  Green  Infrastructure.  NWRMs  could  also  be  financially 
supported  by  the  Cohesion  and  Structural  Funds  as  an  alternative  to  grey  infrastructure. 
The  proposal  for  the  new  European  Maritime  and  Fisheries  Fund  (EMFF)  includes 
measures  to  foster  the  development  of  sustainable  aquaculture  providing  support  for  the 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the assessment of the effects of 
certain plans and programmes on the environment. OJ L 197, 21.7.2001. 
Council Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on 
the  environment.  OJ  L  175,  5.7.1985  as  later  amended.  The  Commission  expects  that  the  upcoming 
revision  of  the  EIA  Directive  will  also  contribute  to  water  objectives  by  helping  identifying  water 
impacts in a more comprehensive way. 
See  WFD  and  Hydro-morphological  pressures  Policy  Paper,  Focus  on  hydropower,  navigation  and 
integration. 
Recommendations 
flood 
http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/thematic_documents/hydromo
rphology/hydromorphology/_EN_1.0_&a=d 
See,  e.g.,  International  Convention  for  the  Protection  of  the  Danube  River,  Joint  Statement  on 
Navigation, http://www.icpdr.org/main/sites/default/files/Joint_Statement_FINAL.pdf.  
http://ec.europa.eu/budget/reform/commission-proposals-for-the-multiannual-financial-framework-
2014-2020/index_en.htm 

activities 

defence 

policy 

better 

for 

- 

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conservation  and  improvement  of  the  environment,  biodiversity,  management  of  the 
landscape and traditional features of aquaculture zones.  

The  Commission's  proposals  on  the  MFF  need  to  be  supported  and  fleshed  out  further  in 
implementing  rules.  The  Member  States  need  to  give  sufficient  priority  to  water  policy 
the  Commission  for 
objectives  when 
programming of EU Funds expenditure. 

they  negotiate  Partnership  Agreements  with 

To  expand  green  infrastructures,  Member  States  should  increase  their  policy  integration 
efforts  at  national  level.  They  should  make  full  use  of  RBMPs  that  require  an  integrated 
approach  to  managing  water  resources  across  policy  areas  such  as  agriculture,  aquaculture, 
energy, transport and integrated disaster management. The Commission proposes to develop 
CIS  guidance  on  natural  water  retention  measures  to  facilitate  this  integrated  approach 
and  will  also  consider  developing  guidance  in  order  to  ensure  an  appropriate  level  of 
protection of shellfish waters. 

The second most common pressure on EU ecological status (in 16 Member States) stems from 
over-abstraction  of  water.  Over-allocating  water  to  users  in  a  river  basin  due  to  an 
overestimation  of  the  available  amounts,  or  to  economic  or  political  pressure,  should  be 
distinguished from water abstraction, which is illegal because it is conducted without a permit 
or in breach of a given permit. 

To  address  the  issue  of  over-allocation,  there  is  a  need  in  many  EU  river  basins  to  put 
quantitative water management on a much more solid foundation: namely the identification of 
the ecological flow, i.e. the amount of water required for the aquatic ecosystem to continue to 
thrive and provide the services we rely upon. Fundamental to this is the recognition that water 
quality and quantity are intimately related within the concept of ‘good status’. However, there 
is  no  EU  definition  of  ecological  flow,  nor  a  common  understanding  of  how  it  should  be 
calculated, even though these are preconditions for its consistent application. To address this 
gap,  the  Commission  proposes  developing  a  guidance  document  in  the  framework  of  the 
WFD  CIS,  using  its  open  and  participatory  process.  Once  a  common  definition  and  a 
methodology for the calculation are agreed, they should be implemented in the next cycle of 
RBMPs due for adoption by the end of 2015. 

On  the  issue  of  illegal  abstraction14,  while  it  is  for  the  Member  States  to  use  all  means  to 
enforce EU and national law, reliance on satellite imagery and derived information, such as 
provided by the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme, could 
considerably  help  them  identify  areas  that  are  irrigated  well  beyond  what  is  allowed  by 
national  permits  or  even  without  permits.  Therefore,  the  Commission  proposes  to  work 
together  with  the  Member  States  that  face  the  problem  of  illegal  abstraction  with  a  view  to 
proposing GMES services that make full use of the information held at Member State level to 
detect illegal abstraction. 

Table 1 

Blueprint's proposed action 

Who will take it? 

By when? 

Develop  CIS  Guidance  on  Natural  Water  Commission, 

2014 

14 

It is difficult to obtain a reliable figure on illegal abstraction but, according to the Spanish Ministry for 
the Environment in 2006, there were 510 ,000 illegal wells in Spain (WWF, Illegal water use in Spain. 
Causes, effects and solutions, May 2006). 

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Retention Measures (Green Infrastructure). 

Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

Green CAP pillar I to support Natural Water 
Retention Measures (through ecological focus 
areas).  

Commission 
Member States 

and 

As of 2014 

Use  Structural  &  Cohesion  Funds  &  EIB 
loans  to  support  Natural  Water  Retention 
Measures. 

Commission, 
and Member States 

EIB 

2014-2021 

Develop  CIS  Guidance  on  ecological  flow 
(and water accounts). 

Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

2014 

Apply  GMES  services 
abstraction. 

to  detect 

illegal 

Commission 
Member States 

and 

As of 2013 

2.2. 

Chemical status and pollution of EU waters: problems and solutions 

The information provided in the RBMPs on chemical status is not sufficiently clear to set a 
baseline for 2009, the year of adoption of the plans. While there have been improvements in 
the chemical quality of water bodies over the last 30 years, the situation as regards the priority 
substances — which are the basis for assessing chemical status as introduced by the WFD — 
is below expectations. 

The  assessment  of  chemical  status  indicates  that  a  large  proportion  (about  40 %)  of  water 
bodies  has  an  unknown  status.  Monitoring  is  clearly  insufficient  and  inadequate  in  many 
Member  States,  in  particular  where  not  all  the  priority  substances  are  monitored,  where  the 
number  of  water  bodies  monitored  is  very  limited,  and/or  where  the  selection  of  the 
compartment  of  the  aquatic  environment  in  which  the  substances  are  monitored  is  not 
suitable. 

Fulfilment  of  the  monitoring  obligations  under  the  WFD  is  fundamental  to  support  robust 
decision making, especially since the cost of monitoring is orders of magnitude lower than the 
cost of taking inappropriate decisions. 

Before  the  WFD,  the  EU  addressed  significant point-source  and  diffuse  chemical  and  other 
pollution  in  the  aquatic  environment  by  passing  several  pieces  of  legislation,  including  the 
Urban Waste Water Treatment (UWWTD),15 Nitrates (ND),16 Plant Protection Products 
(PPPD)17  and  Industrial  Emissions  Directives  (IPPC-IED).18  These  Directives  protect 

15 
16 

17 

18 

Council Directive 91/271/EEC concerning urban waste-water treatment. OJ L135, 30.5.91.  
Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates 
from agricultural sources. OJ L375, 31.12.91.  
Council Directive 91/414/EEC concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market, OJ L 
230,  19.8.1991,  repealed  by  Regulation  (EC)  No  1107/2009  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council, OJ L309, 24.11.2009.  
Directive  2008/1/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  concerning  integrated  pollution 
prevention  and  control.  OJ  L28,  29.1.2008  to  be  replaced  by  Directive  2010/75/EU  of  the  European 
Parliament and of the Council on industrial emissions, OJ L 334, 17.12.2010. 

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water  resources  from  pollution  from  nutrients  and/or  other  chemicals  from  agriculture, 
households and industry. 

Although implementation of these Directives has progressed significantly, full compliance has 
not  been  reached,  and  this  prevents  achievement  of  their  environmental  objectives.  Diffuse 
and  point-source  pollution  are  still  significant  pressures  on  the  water  environment  in, 
respectively,  about  38 %  and  22 %  of  EU  water  bodies.  Eutrophication  due  to  excessive 
nutrient  load  remains  a  major  threat  to  the  good  status  of  waters  as  nutrient  enrichment  is 
found in about 30 % of water bodies in 17 Member States. To counter these threats, there is a 
need to extend nitrate vulnerable zones and step up action programmes. It is also important to 
improve  compliance  rates  on  waste  water  treatment  through  long-term  investment  planning 
and  implementation  plans  (including  EU  funds  and  EIB  loans).  National  authorities  should 
ensure  that  the  industrial  emissions  permits  they  issue  provide  for  Emission  Limit  Values 
(ELVs) that are in line with Best Available Techniques (BAT) and take into account relevant 
water objectives. 

EU legislation on chemicals (REACH)19 and on plant protection products and biocides20 
has recognised the need to assess their risks to the aquatic environment and, where necessary, 
to impose restrictions on how they may be used or to deny authorisation to use them at all. 
Either  way,  upstream  measures  should  be  seen  as  preferable  to  downstream  (cleaning  up) 
solutions. 

The  Directive  on  the  Sustainable  Use  of  Pesticides21  was  identified  in  the  Commission’s 
proposals  for  CAP  reform  for  possible  inclusion  in  the  cross-compliance  mechanism. 
Effective  enforcement  of  this  Directive  could  complement  the  measures  taken  under  the 
legislation on plant protection products and help to further reduce water pollution from plant 
protection product use. To contribute to this, it is important that the Commission’s proposal to 
include this Directive in cross compliance is supported. 

With  regard  to  the  legislation  on  pharmaceuticals,  there  is  a  difference  between  the 
environmental protection  afforded under the legislation  on  human22  and  that  on  veterinary23 
risk,  and  case-by-case 
medicinal  products.  Both 
consideration of the need for protective measures24, but only for veterinary medicines can an 
authorisation  take  account  of  environmental  concerns.  Environmental  pollution  with 

require  assessing  environmental 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006, 
concerning  the  Registration,  Evaluation,  Authorisation  and  Restriction  of  Chemicals  (REACH), 
establishing  a  European  Chemicals  Agency,  amending  Directive  1999/45/EC  and  repealing  Council 
Regulation  (EEC)  No  793/93  and  Commission  Regulation  (EC)  No  1488/94  as  well  as  Council 
Directive  76/769/EEC  and  Commission  Directives  91/155/EEC,  93/67/EEC,  93/105/EC  and 
2000/21/EC, OJ L 396/1, 30.12.2006.  
Directive  98/8/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  concerning  the  placing  of  biocidal 
products on the market, OJ L123, 24.04.1998, to be replaced by Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 of the 
European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  concerning  the  making  available  on  the  market  and  use  of 
biocidal products, OJ L 167, 27.06.2012.  
Directive  2009/128/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  establishing  a  framework  for 
Community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides, OJ L309, 24.11.2009. 
Directive 2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Community code relating 
to medicinal products for human use, OJ L311, 28.11.2001. 
Directive 2001/82/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Community code relating 
to veterinary medicinal products, OJ L311, 28.11.2001. 
Directive  2004/27/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  31 March  2004  amending 
Directive 2001/83/EC on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use, OJ L136, 
30.4.2004. 

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pharmaceutical residues is an emerging problem. The Commission is due to present a report 
on  the  scale  of  this  problem,  along  with  an  assessment  of  whether  amendments  to  EU 
legislation  on  medicinal  products  or  other  EU  legislation  are  required25.  On  the  basis  of 
available  information,  on  31  January  2012,  the Commission  proposed  an  amendment  to  the 
Environmental  Quality  Standards  Directive  and  Water  Framework  Directive26  to,  inter  alia, 
add  15  substances  to  the  priority  substances  list  under  that  legislation,  including  three 
pharmaceuticals.  When  adopted,  this  amendment  will  strengthen  the  role  of  the  Water 
Framework  Directive  in  identifying  risks  to  or  via  the  aquatic  environment.  It  will  also 
provide monitoring data, which will be useful when developing further measures. 

Table 2 

Blueprint's proposed action 

Who will take it? 

By when? 

Water 
reporting requirements. 

Framework  Directive:  Enforce 

Commission  

Ongoing 

Nitrates  Directive:  Extend  nitrate  vulnerable 
zones and reinforcing action programmes.  

Member States  

Ongoing 

Urban  Waste  Water  Treatment  Directive: 
Improve  compliance  rates  on  waste  water 
treatment 
investment 
planning (including EU funds and EIB loans). 

long-term 

through 

Prepare implementation plans 

Industrial  Emissions  Directive:  Ensure  that 
industrial  emissions  permits  provide  for 
Emission  Limit  Values  (ELVs)  that  are  in 
line  with  Best  Available  Techniques  (BAT) 
and 
relevant  water 
take 
objectives.  

into  account 

Member  States  (also 
Commission  for  EU 
funds, EIB for loans) 

2018 

Member 
Commission 

States, 

2014 

Member States 

As of 2016 

Directive  on 
the  Sustainable  Use  of 
Pesticides:  add  to  cross-compliance  under 
CAP. 

Council, 
Commission 

EP, 

as 
in 

the 
As 
soon 
conditions 
the 
Commission proposal 
are  fulfilled  (i.e.  at 
the earliest in 2014) 

25 

26 

See  Recital  6  of  Directive  2010/84/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  amending,  as 
regards  pharmacovigilance,  Directive  2001/83/EC  on  the  Community  code  relating  to  medicinal 
products for human use, OJ L348, 31.12.2010; and Recital 3 of Regulation (EU) No 1235/2010 of the 
European Parliament and of the Council amending, as regards pharmacovigilance of medicinal products 
for human use, Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 laying down Community procedures for the authorisation 
and  supervision  of  medicinal  products  for  human  and  veterinary  use  and  establishing  a  European 
Medicines  Agency,  and  Regulation  (EC)  No  1394/2007  on  advanced  therapy  medicinal  products,  OJ 
L348, 31/12/2010. 
Proposal  for  a  Directive  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  amending  Directives 
2000/60/EC and 2008/105/EC as regards priority substances in the field of water policy. COM(2011) 
876, 31.1.2012. 

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Pharmaceuticals:  Present 
pharmaceuticals and the environment. 

a 

report  on 

Commission 

2013 

Environmental  Quality  Standards  Directive: 
for 
Adopt 
amendments. 

the  Commission’s  proposal 

Council, EP 

2012-2013 

2.3. 

EU water efficiency: problems and solutions 

The sustainable use of Europe’s waters, especially its quantitative aspects, is a real challenge 
for  water  managers,  given  global  phenomena  such  as  climate  change  and  demographic 
developments.  The  EEA  State  of  Water  report  highlights  worrying  trends  showing  the 
increase and wider spread of water scarcity and stress, which is expected to affect in 2030 
about  half  of  EU  river  basins.  To  respond  to  this,  in  addition  to  improving  water  allocation 
based on ecological flow, water efficiency measures should be taken to save water and, in 
many cases, to save energy too. 

Article 9 of the WFD requires implementation of pricing policies that provide an incentive to 
use  water  efficiently.  Pricing  is  a  powerful  awareness-raising  tool  for  consumers  and 
combines environmental with economic benefits, while stimulating innovation. Metering is a 
pre-condition  for  any  incentive  pricing  policy.  Article  9  also  requires  cost-recovery 
(including  environmental  and  resource  costs)  for  water  services,  taking  into  account  the 
polluter  pays  principle.  The  2007  Commission  Communication  on  Water  Scarcity  and 
Droughts27 included options related to ‘putting the right price tag on water’, ‘allocating water 
more  efficiently’  and  ‘fostering  water  efficient  technologies  and  practices’.  These  water 
efficiency measures fit into the overall resource-efficiency objective of Europe 202028. 

As  evidenced  by  the  Commission’s  Review  of  the  Policy  on  Water  Scarcity  and  Droughts, 
limited  progress  has  been  achieved  in  implementing  the  policy  instruments  identified  in  the 
2007 Communication. The Review highlights the high untapped potential for water efficiency 
measures  in  all  the  main  water-using  sectors  (agriculture,  industry,  distribution  networks, 
buildings  and  energy  production).  It  states  that  bringing  in  water  accounting  and  water 
efficiency  targets  at  sectoral  level  would  provide  a  stronger  basis  for  effective  and  targeted 
water protection measures. An assessment of the WFD RBMPs reveals that the situation is not 
much  better  in  relation  to  Article  9:  incentive  and  transparent  water  pricing  is  not  applied 
across all Member States and water-using sectors, also due to the lack of metering. Only 49 % 
of RBMPs plan to change the water pricing system to foster a more efficient use of water and 
only  40 %  include  measures  to  improve  water  metering.  Not  putting  a  price  on  a  scarce 
resource  like  water  can  be  regarded  as  an  environmentally-harmful  subsidy.  Moreover,  the 
narrow  interpretation  of  the  concept  of  water  services  by  some  Member  States  is  hindering 
progress in implementing cost recovery policies beyond drinking water and sanitation29. This 
limits considerably the potential impact of these WFD provisions. 

27 

28 
29 

Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council  and  the  European  Parliament,  Addressing  the 
challenge of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union. COM(2007)414, 18.07.07.  
Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe, COM(2011) 571, 20.9.2011. 
Following  a  complaint,  the  Commission  started  infringement  procedures  against  nine  Member  States 
for their narrow interpretation of the concept of water services. 

EN 

10 

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While continuing enforcement action to ensure compliance with Article 9, the Commission 
will try to facilitate implementation by developing a guidance document, in the framework 
of the CIS. The guidance document will focus on the methodology to assess the costs and 
benefits  of  water  measures  supporting  cost-effectiveness  and  further  implementation  of  the 
concept of payment for ecosystem services. This will help identify water efficiency measures 
and also implement the polluter pays principle. Furthermore, the presence of a water pricing 
policy is envisaged as an ex ante condition to obtain financing for certain projects under the 
Commission’s  proposals  for  Rural  Development  and  Cohesion  funds.  If  these  proposals  are 
supported, they would be a further incentive for efficient water pricing. 

The  Commission  has  identified  a  number  of  additional  actions  that  could  greatly  improve 
quantitative  water  management  and  water  efficiency  in  Europe,  thereby  also  contributing  to 
water quality objectives. 

First,  together  with  the  EEA,  the  Commission  has  developed  water  accounts  at  river  basin 
and sub-catchment level. These accounts will need to be further refined with Member States 
and stakeholders in the context of the WFD CIS, but they provide the ‘missing link’ in many 
river basins for water management. They tell water managers how much water flows in and 
out of a river basin and how much water can realistically be expected to be available before 
allocation takes place. Water accounts fill a gap by bringing together knowledge that so far 
was only available in a scattered and piecemeal manner. If widely implemented, they could go 
a  long  way  towards  helping  to  solve  water  scarcity  problems,  e.g.  by  better  analysing 
structural  and  episodic  categories  of  water  stress  and  providing  better  insights  for  water 
resource indicators. Water accounts are closely linked to the identification of ecological flow 
as they should ensure that the needs of nature are respected and that water balances within a 
river  basin  stay  within  sustainable  limits.  But  water  accounts  alone  are  not  enough  as  the 
information they provide is only the basis for action. 

Second, in order to improve the efficiency of water use, water efficiency targets should be 
developed by the river basin authorities for the river basins which are — or are projected to be 
— water stressed, on the basis of water stress indicators developed in the CIS process and 
applied  at  river  basin  level.  Such  targets  should  address  all  the  main  water  using  sectors 
(industry, energy production, agriculture, households, etc.) and should be closely linked to the 
objective  of  good  status.  They  should  be  relied  upon  together  with  the  above  mentioned 
incentive water pricing, in order to avoid the possible rebound effect (improvements in water 
efficiency increase rather than decrease water use and consumption). They could become part 
of  the  water  allocation  process  and  objective  setting  in  the  RBMPs.  This  could  yield  water 
and energy savings, benefiting the water ecosystems, limiting costs and reducing greenhouse 
gas emissions. To ensure consistency and comparability, the Commission proposes to develop 
a common EU methodology for setting water efficiency targets, to be agreed under the CIS 
process. 

Third, in order to foster water efficiency in the building sector, the Commission has analysed 
the  available  options  and  has  decided  to  develop  voluntary  EU  Ecolabel  and  Green  Public 
Procurement criteria30 for key water related products and to include water-related products in 
the Eco-design Working Plan in the scope specified in this Plan31. This option offers several 

30 

31 

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/;  EU  Green  Public  Procurement, 

EU  Ecolabel, 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/index_en.htm 
Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for the 
setting  of  eco-design  requirements  for  energy-related  products,  OJ  L  285,  31.10.2009;  Directive 
2010/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the indication by labelling and standard 

EN 

11 

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advantages: it is straight-forward for consumers who will in the future only find on the market 
more efficient water devices and products clearly labelled on the basis of their efficiency; it is 
based  on  a  progressive  approach  as  it  does  not  require  retrofitting  existing  buildings  but 
gradual  replacement  on  the  market  of  old  products  with  more  efficient  ones;  it  will  yield 
considerable energy savings as a large part of the water consumed by households is heated. 
Energy  savings  estimated  for  taps  and  showers  are  equivalent  to  10.75  Mtoe  in  2020  and 
around  twice  that  in  2030.  These  savings  are  equivalent  to  around  3.5 %  of  total  residential 
energy use in EU 27 or around 1 % of total energy use in EU 27. 

Fourth,  in  the  field  of  agriculture,  the  Commission’s  proposals  for  reforming  the  CAP, 
which are currently under  discussion,  provide (under pillar II on Rural Development) scope 
for  funding  to  improve  irrigation  efficiency  in  ways  that  are  consistent  with  the  WFD 
objectives and prevent the rebound effect. This includes minimum water use reductions. It is 
hoped that these measures will be supported in the finally agreed CAP texts. This is important 
as agriculture accounts for 24 % of water abstraction in Europe and, although that might not 
sound like much compared to the 44 % abstracted for cooling water in energy production, its 
impact on reserves is much greater. In energy production, almost all cooling water is returned 
to a water body, but for agriculture the figure is often just a third32. 

Fifth, regarding the problem of leakage from water distribution networks, the Commission 
believes that this can only be tackled on a case-by-case basis to assess the environmental and 
economic benefits of reducing the leakage levels. The situation is very different between and 
within Member States as leakage rates vary from 7 % to 50 % or more. The Commission will 
work with the EU water industry to accelerate the development and spread of best practices 
on Sustainable Economic Leakage Levels (SELL) and, more broadly, of a strategic vision for 
the  future  of  water  infrastructure  to  help  it  adapt  to  climate  change  in  a  world  of  evermore 
scarce resources. 

Lastly, water trading is another instrument, used mostly outside the EU, which could help to 
improve water efficiency and overcome water stress, if a sustainable overall cap for water use 
is  implemented.  Water  trading  entails  relatively  significant  administrative  costs  and,  in 
principle, only makes sense among water users in a defined river basin. Although it would not 
be  helpful  to  set  up  such  a  system  at  EU  level,  the  Commission  proposes  developing  CIS 
guidance  to  help  the  development  of  water  trading  in  the  Member  States  that  choose  to 
employ it. 

Table 3 

Blueprint's proposed action 

Who will take it? 

By when? 

Enforce 
water 
obligations  under 
Directive, including metering when relevant 

pricing/cost-recovery 
the  Water  Framework 

Make  water  pricing/cost  recovery  an  ex  ante 
condition  under  the  Rural  Development  and 
Cohesion policy funds.  

Commission 

Ongoing 

Council,  EP 
Commission 

and 

As of 2014 

product information of the consumption of energy and other resources by energy-related products, OJ L 
153, 18.6.2010.  
http://www.eea.europa.eu/articles/the-water-we-eat. 

32 

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12 

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Develop  CIS  Guidance  on  trading  schemes 
and on a cost/benefit assessment. 

Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

2014 

Make water use reduction a pre-condition for 
some 
irrigation  projects  under  Rural 
Development.  

Council,  EP 
Commission 

and 

As of 2014 

Develop  CIS  Guidance  on  water  accounts 
(and ecological flow). 

Develop CIS Guidance on target-setting. 

Include  water-related  products  in  the  Eco-
design Working Plan. 

Develop  volontary  EU  Ecolabel  and  Green 
Public Procurement criteria. 

Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

2014 

Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

2014 

Commission 

2012 

Spread  best  practices/tools  to  achieve  a 
sustainable economic leakage level.  

Commission, 
Member  States  & 
water industry 

2013 

2013 

2.4. 

The vulnerability of EU waters: problems and solutions 

Data from the Blueprint impact assessment show increasing trends in river flow droughts and 
flood-related losses in Europe over the last decades. This underlines the need to improve the 
resilience  of  the  aquatic  ecosystem  to  adapt  to  a  changing  climate,  which  is  also  likely  to 
bring additional pressure such as higher water temperature and invasive alien species. At the 
same time, it is necessary to look into measures based on an integrated disaster management 
approach and specifically aimed at countering the effects of extreme events such as droughts 
and  floods  whose  frequency,  intensity  and  environmental  and  economic  damage  appear  to 
have increased over the past thirty years. 

The  EU  Floods  Directive  requires  the  development  of  Flood  Risk  Management  Plans 
(FRMPs) by 2015, to be fully coordinated with the second cycle of RBMPs also due in 2015. 
The FRMP should also be taken into account when developing cross sectoral and multi hazard 
risk  management  plans.  This  should  hopefully  bring  about  improved  land  use  and  spatial 
planning,  which  takes  duly  into  account  climate  change,  disaster  resilience  and  adaptation 
needs. 33 

Among the measures that can greatly contribute to limiting the negative effects of floods and 
droughts  is  green  infrastructure,  particularly  natural  water  retention  measures.  These 

33 

The Commission has developed the European Flood Awareness System as an effective tool to increase 
preparedness  for  trans-national  floods  in  Europe  and  which  has  been  adopted  as  part  of  the  GMES 
emergency management service (GIO EMS). 

EN 

13 

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include restoring floodplains and wetlands, which can hold water in periods of abundant — or 
excessive — precipitation for use in periods of scarcity. Green infrastructure can help ensure 
the provision of ecosystem services in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy.34 Reducing soil 
sealing is another measure that can diminish flood risks35. These measures should be included 
in both RBMPs and FRMPs and, as mentioned, should become a priority for financing under 
the CAP, Cohesion and Structural Funds.  

The 2007 Commission Communication on Water Scarcity and Droughts included, in addition 
to  the  above-mentioned  water  efficiency  options,  a  suggestion  to  ‘consider  additional  water 
supply  infrastructure’.  The  Communication  also  proposed  a  water  hierarchy  whereby 
additional  water  supply  options  (e.g.  desalinisation)  are  only  considered  after  all  other 
improvements in efficiency on the demand side are exhausted. This should be based on a cost-
benefit analysis. 

In  the  stakeholder  consultations  leading  to  the  Blueprint,  one  alternative  supply  option  — 
water re-use for irrigation or industrial purposes — has emerged as an issue requiring EU 
attention.  Re-use  of  water  (e.g.  from  waste  water  treatment  or  industrial  installations)  is 
considered  to  have  a  lower  environmental  impact  than  other  alternative  water  supplies  (e.g. 
water  transfers  or  desalinisation),  but  it  is  only  used  to  a  limited  extent  in  the  EU.  This 
appears to be due to the lack of common EU environmental/health standards for re-used water 
and  the  potential  obstacles  to  the  free  movement  of  agricultural  products  irrigated  with  re-
used  water.  The  Commission  will  look  into  the  most  suitable  EU-level  instrument  to 
encourage water re-use, including a regulation establishing common standards. In 2015, it will 
make a proposal, subject to an appropriate impact assessment, to ensure the maintenance of a 
high level of public health and environmental protection in the EU. 

Regarding  droughts,  the  Commission  will  continue  to  develop  the  European  Drought 
Observatory to act as an early-warning system to increase Member States’ and stakeholders’ 
preparedness.  It  will  also  enforce  relevant  requirements  under  the  WFD  and  –  through  its 
feedback on the first cycle of RBMPs — encourage Member States to better integrate drought 
risk  management  and  climate  change  aspects  in  their  future  RBMPs  and  when  developing 
cross sectoral and multi hazard risk management plans. 

Table 4 

Blueprint's proposed action 

Who will take it? 

By when? 

Develop  CIS  Guidance  on  Natural  Water 
Retention Measures (Green Infrastructure). 

Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

2014 

Green CAP pillar I to support Natural Water 
Retention Measures (through ecological focus 
areas). 

Commission 
Member States 

and 

As of 2014 

Use  Structural  &  Cohesion  Funds  &  EIB  Commission, 

EIB  2014-2021 

34 

35 

Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  Economic  and 
Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions.  Our  life  insurance,  our  natural  capital:  an  EU 
biodiversity strategy to 2020. COM(2011) 244, 3.5.2011. 
Commission  Staff  Working  Documents  'Guidelines  on  best  practice  to  limit,  mitigate  or  compensate 
soil sealing’ SWD(2012) 101 final/2, 15.05.2012. 

EN 

14 

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loans  to  support  Natural  Water  Retention 
Measures. 

and Member States 

Enforce  WFD 
drought risk management. 

requirements 

relevant 

to 

Commission  

Ongoing 

Develop Flood Risk Management Plans  

Member States 

Propose (regulatory) instrument on  standards 
for water re-use. 

Commission 

2015 

2015 

Further  develop 
Observatory. 

the  European  Drought 

Commission 

2013-2014 

2.5. 

Crosscutting solutions  

The Commission has identified a number of cross-cutting options to further the objectives of 
EU water policy.  

The Innovation Partnerships on Water and on Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability 
launched earlier this year36 will help find solutions to water challenges in the urban, industrial 
and  agriculture  contexts.  This  will  result  in  both  environmental  objectives  and  market 
opportunities.  There  is  a  rapidly  growing  world  water  market,  which  is  estimated  to  be  as 
large as 1 trillion Euros by 2020. A 1 % increase of the rate of growth of the water industry in 
Europe  could  create  between  10 ,000  and  20 ,000  new  jobs.  By  seizing  new  and  significant 
market opportunities, Europe can increasingly become a global market leader in water- related 
innovation and technology. The Innovation Partnerships will try to facilitate links between the 
supply and demand of innovative solutions and disseminate tested solutions, e.g. through the 
creation of an electronic ‘market-place’ and the setting-up of specific networks. 

The  other  cross-cutting  options  can  be  broadly  summarised  into  two  areas:  improving  the 
knowledge base and improving governance. 

Regarding the knowledge base, the Water Information System for Europe (WISE) already 
gathers an impressive amount of EU-wide information on water status and policy. However, 
there are still gaps. Often the information is scattered and not readily available at the various 
decision-making levels. The Commission proposes developing this tool to ensure, through its 
successive implementation plans, its full interoperability with the information systems used 
at  Member  State  and  European  level  with  a  view  to  improving  our  understanding  of  the 
aquatic ecosystems. In particular, the knowledge base will benefit from the development and 
implementation  of  INSPIRE,37  SEIS38  and  GMES  and  from  current  water  research  works 
under  the  7th  Research  Framework  Programme  and  those  to  be  conducted  under  Horizon 
202039.  Regarding  water  statistics,  the  Commission  will  propose  that  the  regulations  on 

36 

37 
38 
39 

Commission Communication on the European Innovation Partnership on Water, COM(2012) 216 final, 
10.05.2012.  Commission  Communication  on  the  European  Innovation  Partnership  '  Agricultural 
Productivity and Sustainability' COM(2012) 79 final, 29.02.2012. 
See http://inspire.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ 
See http://ec.europa.eu/environment/seis/ 
See http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/index_en.cfm 

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Environmental Accounts and Statistics40 include the information requirements that are most 
useful for water policy needs. In close cooperation with the Member States, the Commission 
will  also  seek  to  further  harmonise  reporting  cycles  under  water  legislation  in  order  to 
reduce  the  administrative  burden  by  proposing  further  integration  and,  where  necessary, 
targeted amendments of the relevant legislation (WFD, ND, UWWD). 

The Commission will continue to support work to improve the science- policy interface and 
further  develop  the  prototype  of  the  hydro-economic  model  built  by  the  Joint  Research 
Centre  to  underpin  the  Impact  Assessment  of  the  Blueprint.  This  will  also  help  in  the 
assessment  of  the  costs  and  benefits  of  the  reference  scenarios  and  Member  States’ 
programmes of measures, in co-ordination with other tools at national and/or river basin level. 

Concerning governance, the Commission proposes, in the framework of the CIS, to set up a 
simple and voluntary peer- review system through which river basin district authorities could 
submit  their  draft  RBMPs  to  the  review  by  other  district  authorities,  within  the  same  or  in 
other Member States. This is expected, to favour mutual learning and improve the quality of 
the plans and their compliance with WFD requirements. The Commission could help identify, 
on the basis of its assessment of the first cycle RBMPs, the river basin district authorities that 
could benefit most from such an exchange.  

As part of the CAP reform, the Commission has proposed to introduce specific requirements 
from the WFD in the CAP cross-compliance mechanism. The details of this proposal need 
to be defined in delegated acts, but it could, if retained, give a strong incentive to fulfil the 
WFD  requirements  at  farm  level,  such  as  abstraction  and  impoundments  permits,  thereby 
tackling significant agriculture pressures on the water environment.  

As part of the follow up to the recent Commission Communication on Implementation of EU 
environment measures, 41 the Commission is currently working on strengthening inspections 
and  surveillance  requirements  applicable  to  the  full  body  of  EU  environment  law.  The 
water sector is one of the key areas to be addressed.  The Commission will also explore how 
working  more  closely  with  Member  States  through  partnership  implementation  agreements 
could  improve  future  compliance  on  issues  such  as  over-allocation  or  illegal  abstraction  of 
water.  

As  highlighted  in  the  Commission’s  Roadmap  to  a  resource-  efficient  Europe,  water  is  a 
scarce resource whose efficient use will bring significant economic benefits for a number of 
economic  sectors.  Therefore,  the  Commission  will  look  into  water-related  aspects  in  the 
Annual Growth Survey and into country- specific recommendations where appropriate for 
individual  Member  States  in  the  framework  of  the  European  Semester  process.  For  third 
countries,  it  will  work  in  the  context  of  the  accession  process  and  the  structured  dialogues 
held with EU neighbours.   

Lastly, the Commission supports the use of awareness-raising tools such as communication 
campaigns,42  certifications  schemes43  and  foot-printing44  to  give  water  users  incentives  to 
make sustainable choices. 

40 

41 

42 
43 

Regulation  (EU)  No 691/2011  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  European 
environmental economic accounts, OJ L 192, 22.07.2011. 
Commission  Communication  on  Improving  the  delivery  of  benefits  from  EU  environment  measures: 
building confidence through better knowledge and responsiveness COM(2012)95 final, 07.03.2012. 
See Communication Campaign 'Generation Awake' http://www.generationawake.eu/en 
See European Water Stewardship. http://www.ewp.eu/activities/water-stewardship/ 

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The Blueprint strives to achieve widespread improvement in aquatic ecosystems, which will 
contribute positively to the EU Biodiversity Strategy goal of halting the loss of biodiversity 
and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restoring them in so far as 
feasible. It will step up work to increase resilience to disasters45 and adapt to climate change46 
and  will  achieve  the  ‘water  milestone’  on  the  EU  Resource  Efficiency  Roadmap.  As  land-
based  pressure  also  influences  to  a  large  extent  the  status  of  the  marine  environment,  the 
Blueprint  will  contribute  to  reaching  good  environmental  status  under  the  Marine  Strategy 
Framework  Directive,47  provided  that  there  is  adequate  coordination  with  programmes  of 
measures under the Marine Strategies due by 2015.   

Concerning transboundary water bodies, the Commission will continue its work to encourage 
candidate  and  neighbouring  countries  to  align  their  legislation  to  EU  environmental  acquis 
and provide countries with technical assistance. 

Table 5 

Blueprint's proposed action 

Who will take it? 

By when? 

Implement  the  Innovation  Partnerships  on 
Water  and  on  Agricultural  Productivity  and 
Sustainability 

Commission 
stakeholders 

& 

As of 2013 

Upgrade WISE. 

EEA,  Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

2015 

Streamline reporting & statistic requirements.  EEA,  Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

2014 

Complete the hydro-economic model. 

EEA,  Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

2013 

Continue  CIS  work  on  the  science-policy 
interface. 

Set up and use a CIS peer review system for 
RBMPs. 

Add  Water 
requirements 
CAP. 

Framework 

Directive 
to  cross-compliance  under 

EEA,  Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

Council,  EP 
Commission 

and 

Ongoing 

2013-2016 

as 
in 

the 
soon 
 As 
conditions 
the 
Commission proposal 
are  fulfilled  (i.e.  at 

44 
45 

46 
47 

See ISO http://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=43263 
Communication  from  the  Commission  on  ‘A  Community  approach  on  the  prevention  of  natural  and 
man-made disasters’ COM (2009) 82 final. 
The Commission is working on the development of an EU integrated adaptation strategy by 2013. 
Directive  2008/56/EC  establishing  a  framework  for  community  action  in  the  field  of  marine 
environmental policy; OJ L164, 25.606.2008. 

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the earliest in 2014) 

Strengthening  inspections  and  surveillance 
requirements. 

Commission 

2013 

Look  into  country-specific  recommendations 
on water in the European Semester. 

Commission, 
European Council 

2013 

Support  awareness-raising  tools  on  water 
labelling  & 
consumption  (e.g.  voluntary 
certification schemes). 

Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

Ongoing 

2.6. 

Global aspects 

The primary focus of the Blueprint is on Europe’s waters. Water is a local issue but it is also a 
global  problem  interlinked  with  many  issues  such  as  food  security,  desertification,  climate 
change, impact of natural and man-made disasters etc., which all have significant economic, 
social and security dimensions. The EU is engaged in many of these areas following on from 
its  commitments  under  Agenda  21,  the  three  Rio  Conventions  (on  desertification,  climate 
change and biodiversity), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) relating to water, the 
Johannesburg  Plan  of  Implementation  and  most  recently  the  Rio+20  conference.  This 
engagement will continue to be a high priority for the EU. 

The  world  has  met  the  2015  MDG  target  of  halving  the  proportion  of  people  without 
sustainable access to safe drinking water in 2011, but many African countries remain off track 
as regards access to water. The world is still far from meeting the MDG target for sanitation 
access as currently 2.5 billion people lack improved sanitation. 

Population growth and the competing needs of water users will result in an increase of global 
water  demand  of  35-60 %  by  2025.  This  could  double  by  205048.  These  trends  will  be 
exacerbated by climate change, with serious implications for food security. 
Given the new thrust of EU development policy49 and the priorities and strategies of partner 
developing  countries  and  regions,  the  focus  of  water  management  in  EU  development 
cooperation should be on the following aspects: 

• 

48 

49 
50 

Access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation services, which was declared a 
human  right  by  the  United  Nations  in  2010  and  reaffirmed  in  the  Rio  +  20 
Declaration in 2012.50  

2011/2012  European  Report  on  Development  http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/what/development-
policies/research-development/erd-2011-2012_en.htm 
Agenda for Change —- COM (2011) 637 final, adopted on 13 October 2011. 

See 

http://www.uncsd2012.org/index.html

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• 

• 

Water  for  economic  growth  and  sustainable  development.  The  EU  will  pay 
particular attention to the allocation and use of water in economic sectors, sustainable 
agriculture and the nexus water-agriculture-energy-environment. 

Water  governance:  An  effective  institutional  setting  leading  to  good  water 
governance  at  river  basin  level  is  key  to  achieve  the  Rio  +20  Declaration 
commitment  to  ‘significantly  improve  the  implementation  of  Integrated  Water 
Resources Management (IWRM) at all levels as appropriate’. Adequate governance 
and  sustainable  water  management  at  regional  and  transboundary  levels  also 
contribute to ensure peace and political stability via the water and security nexus. 

There  will  also  be  a  need  for  coordination  mechanisms  between  EU  partners  and  partner 
regions, which could build on the  EU Water Initiative (EUWI). 

EU  support  to  partner  countries  and  regions  should  draw  on  the  experience  and  knowledge 
gained  in  EU  water  management,  particularly  implementation  of  the  WFD.  The  EU 
Innovation Partnership on Water could also provide and disseminate innovative solutions for 
the water challenges faced by developing countries. 

Water  embedded  in  traded  agricultural  and  industrial  products  from  developing  countries 
should  be  taken  into  account  in  water  management  plans  of  partner  countries,  and  in  EU 
policies.  In  this  respect,  the  EU  should  support  the  development  of  sustainable  water 
management  in  exporting  countries,  e.g.  by  increasing  water  efficiency  and  improving  the 
choice of crops and other products, under the EU’s development policy. 

Table 6 

Blueprint's proposed action 

Who will take it? 

By when? 

Support  access  to  safe  drinking  water  and 
basic sanitation services. 

Support integrated sustainable water resource 
management. 

Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

Commission, 
Member  States  & 
stakeholders 

Ongoing  and  as  of 
2014 

Ongoing  and  as  of 
2014 

3. 

CONCLUSIONS AND OUTLOOK FOR EU WATER POLICY 

The  Blueprint  has  set  out  key  actions  that  need  to  be  taken  by  water  managers  and  policy 
makers to address the challenges faced by the aquatic environment. 

It is possible and necessary for Member States to improve implementation of the WFD and 
reduce  hydromorphological  pressure  in  our  river  basins  by  restoring  river  continuity,  for 
instance by using green infrastructure. This can also reduce the EU’s vulnerability to floods 
and droughts. Under the CAP, the Cohesion and the Structural Funds, there is scope to fund 
the  take-up  of  green  infrastructure,  particularly  if  the  Commission’s  current  MFF  proposals 
are supported. CIS guidance could also be developed to support this objective. 

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Over-allocation  of  water  must  be  corrected  and  we  must  respect  the  needs  of  nature:  the 
ecological  flow.  The  Commission  will  work  within  the  CIS  process  to  develop  a  shared 
understanding  of  this  concept  and  ways  to  calculate  it.  During  work  on  the  Blueprint,  the 
Commission has also developed with the EEA water accounts that will enable water managers 
to  have  a  more  realistic  picture  of  water  availability  at  river  basin  or  sub  catchment  level. 
These tools, once refined in the CIS process, will enable much improved water allocation. 

Diffuse and point-source pollution still threaten the status of EU waters, despite the progress 
achieved  under  legislation  on  nitrates,  waste  water  treatment,  industrial  emissions,  priority 
substances  and  plant  protection  products.  Fuller  implementation  of  this  legislation  is 
necessary and the Commission will continue its enforcement action. EU financial support is 
available but it can only complement, not replace, Member State and private-sector long-term 
investment plans in these areas. 

Water  efficiency  can  help  reduce  water  scarcity  and  water  stress  problems.  Water  pricing 
based on volumetric metering is a powerful tool to increase water efficiency but, despite the 
legal  requirements  under  the  WFD,  it  is  not  used  to  its  full  extent.  The  Commission  will 
continue to enforce requirements while working in the CIS to improve the methodology for an 
adequate  cost-recovery  that  includes  environmental  costs.  In  addition,  the  Commission 
proposes  that  the  CIS  develop  a  common  methodology  for  water  efficiency  targets,  which, 
where  relevant,  should  be  integrated  into  RBMPs.  Water  efficiency  improvements  are 
particularly  urgent  in  specific  sectors.  In  agriculture,  the  Commission’s  proposal  on  CAP 
pillar  II  (rural  development)  envisages  support  for  improving  irrigation  efficiency,  if  a 
reduction  in  water  use  is  implemented.  For  buildings,  the  Commission  proposes  to  include 
water-related products  in the Eco-design Working Plan, in the scope specified in this Plan, a 
cost-efficient solution that could have major co-benefits for energy reduction. 

The Commission will consider developing a regulatory instrument setting EU-wide standards 
for  water  re-use,  thereby  removing  obstacles  to  the  widespread  use  of  this  alternative  water 
supply. This would help alleviate water scarcity and reduce vulnerability. 

A range of cross-cutting instruments will support the implementation of the measures planned 
in the Blueprint. The Innovation Partnerships on Water and on Agricultural Productivity and 
Sustainability will support the testing and dissemination of innovative solutions by helping to 
match innovation supply with demand. The hydro-economic model developed by the JRC will 
help water managers assess the cost-effectiveness of the measures included in their RBMPs. 
Developing WISE and making it more interoperable will make it easier for decision makers to 
access  essential  information.  A  peer-review  system  will  be  available  to  facilitate  mutual 
learning  in  the  development  of  the  RBMPs.  If  the  Commission’s  current  CAP  proposal  is 
agreed,  the  addition  of  specific  requirements  under  the  WFD  to  the  cross-compliance 
mechanism  will  provide  strong  incentives  to  respect  those  requirements.  Lastly,  the 
Commission could make country-specific recommendations for Member States as part of the 
European Semester process, to identify economic and water environment win-win actions. 

At  the  end  of  the  current  MFF  negotiations,  the  Commission  will  take  stock  of  their  result, 
and,  should  it  prove  necessary  to  achieve  the  water  policy  objectives,  will  make  additional 
legislative proposals, as appropriate, on, for example, metering, NWRMs and water efficiency 
targets. 

Implementation  and  monitoring  of  the  Blueprint  proposals  will  rely,  where  relevant,  on  the 
WFD CIS in which the Commission will present them and follow them up. The Commission 

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will  develop  and  regularly  update  a  scoreboard  to  check  progress  on  implementation.  The 
WFD  must  be  reviewed  and  possibly  revised  by  2019.  When  preparing  this  review,  the 
Commission will take stock of the state of implementation of all aspects in the Blueprint and, 
if  necessary,  propose  amendments  of  the  Directive  to  facilitate  the  achievement  of  its 
objectives.  Such  amendments  could  turn  into  legally  binding  requirements  of  some  of  the 
non-binding  proposals  contained  in  the  Blueprint,  should  the  voluntary  approach  prove 
insufficient. 

The Blueprint has set out clearly the goal and development path for EU water policy. Getting 
there is a matter of political will and stakeholder commitment in the years to come. 

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Table 7 below provides an overview of the Blueprint's proposals for action described in this 
paper and timelines for their implementation 

How do we achieve them? 

Specific Blueprint 
objectives 

Voluntary 

Regulation 

Conditionality 

Funding priority 

Efficiency  incentive  water 
pricing 

CIS Guidance on 
trading schemes by 
2014 

Enforcement of Art.9 
WFD (ongoing) 

Ex ante conditions under 
the Rural Development 
and Cohesion policy 
funds as of 2014 

Metering take up 

Enforcement of Art.9 
WFD (ongoing) 

Water  use 
agriculture 

reduction 

in 

Pre-condition for some 
irrigation projects under 
Rural Development as of 
2014 

Reduction of illegal 
abstraction/impoundments 

Apply GMES as of 
2013 

Possible EU initiative 
on inspections in 2013

Cross-compliance  under 
the  CAP    as  soon  as  the 
conditions 
the 
Commission proposal are 
the 
(i.e. 
fulfilled 
earliest in 2014) 

at 

in 

Awareness of water 
consumption (e.g. 
embedded in globally 
traded goods) 

Support voluntary 
labelling & 
certification 
schemes 

Maximisation of the use of 
Natural Water Retention 
Measures (Green 
Infrastructure) 

Efficient water appliances 
in buildings 

CIS Guidance by 
2014 

Greening of CAP pillar I 
(ecological focus areas) as 
of 2014 

Structural & Cohesion 
Funds & EIB loans 
(2014-2021) 

EU Ecolabel and 
Green Public 
Procurement 
criteria 2013 

Eco-design Working 
Plan in 2012 

 Reduction of leakages  

Best practice/tools 
on SELL in 2013 

 Maximisation of water 
reuse 

Possible Regulation in 
2015 

Improvement of  
governance 

Peer review of 
RBMPs (2013-2016)

Structural & Cohesion 
Funds & EIB loans 
(2014-2021) 

Structural & Cohesion 
Funds & EIB loans 
(2014-2021) 

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Specific Blueprint 
objectives 

Implementation of  water 
accounts 

Implementation of  
ecological flow 

How do we achieve them? 

Voluntary 

Regulation 

Conditionality 

Funding priority 

CIS guidance Water 
accounts/Ecological 
flows by 2014 

Application of target setting 

 CIS guidance 
target setting by 
2014 

Reduction of flood risk 

Through Green 
Infrastructures (see 
above)  

Flood Risk 
Management Plans by 
2015 

European Flood 
Awareness System 

Reduction of drought risk 

Through Green 
Infrastructures (see 
above)  

Enforcement of WFD 
requirements (on-
going) 

European drought 
observatory in 2013-
2014 

Better  calculation  of  costs 
and benefits 

CIS Guidance by 
2014 

Better knowledge base 

Upgrading WISE 
by 2015 

Reporting/statistic 
requirements by 2014

JRC hydro-
economic model by 
2013 

CIS activity on 
Science Policy 
Interface (on-going)

Support 
countries 

to 

developing 

Support access to safe 
drinking water and 
basic sanitation services

Support for integrated 
sustainable water 
resource management 

(On-going and as of 
2014-2021) 

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Specific Blueprint 
objectives 

Tackling pollution 

How do we achieve them? 

Voluntary 

Regulation 

Conditionality 

Funding priority 

Add the Sustainable Use 
of Pesticides Directive to 
cross-compliance under 
the CAP  as soon as the 
conditions in the 
Commission proposal are 
fulfilled (i.e. at the 
earliest in 2014) 

Report on 
pharmaceuticals 
and the 
environment (2013)

Targeted enforcement 
of directives WFD, 
EQS/PSD, NID, 
UWWTD, IED 
focussed on 

1. Monitoring 
requirements under the 
WFD- EQS/PSD 

2.Extending nitrate 
vulnerable zones and 
reinforcing  action 
programmes (on-going) 

3. Improving 
compliance rates on 
waste water treatment 
through long-term 
investment planning 
(including EU funds 
and EIB loans) by 2018, 
implementation plans 
prepared by 2014.  

4. Ensuring that the 
industrial emissions 
permits provide for 
Emission Limit Values 
(ELVs) that are in line 
with Best Available 
Techniques (BAT) and 
take into account 
relevant water 
objectives as of 2016. 

Adoption of the 
proposed amendments 
to the EQS/PSD 

Cross-cutting 

Innovation 
Partnerships on 
Water and 
Agricultural 
Productivity and 
Sustainability as of 
2013 

Overall enforcement 
of directives: WFD, 
EQS/PSD, NID, 
UWWTD, IED,   

Possible European 
Semester 
Recommendations in 
2013 

Overall prioritisation of 
water objectives under 
CAP, Structural & 
Cohesion Funds & EIB 
loans (2014-2021) 

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