The key aims of the EU Water Framework Directive are:

• expanding the scope of water protection to all waters (groundwater, surface waters etc.)
• achieving and maintaining an ecologically oriented "good status" of waters
  
• water management based on river basins
  
• "combined approach" of emission and immission limit values
  
• getting the prices right
  
• getting the citizens involved more closely
  
• streamlining legislation
  
• reduction of discharge of hazardous substances

The European Water Framework Directive thus contains a wide range of rules and regulations that the member countries will have to implement.

For the Austrian Federal Minister Wilhelm Molterer the publication of the WFD on December 22, 2000, in the Official Journal of the European Communities, i.e. its coming into force, is a “breakthrough in European water policy” and the long expected starting signal for the European water protection and a sustainable development of waters. Due to the fact that many of the rules and regulations of the Water Framework Directive are already common practice in Austria, Molterer expects only minor adjustments in Austria.

Examples for rules already implemented in Austria are the authorisation obligation for water abstraction and discharge, the central consideration of ecological matters in the granting of water law authorisations, the monitoring of water amounts and quality by means of a national monitoring network and the special protection of drinking water abstraction sites.

All things considered, Austria is well prepared for the implementation of the new Directive and will also be able to use its experience and achievements in water protection. (Source: aqua press Int. 1/2001)

Information & Contact:
Federal Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry, Environment
and Water Management (BMLFUW)
A-1012 Vienna, Stubenring 12,
Phone +43 1 711 00-7542