 Implementation
of the Water Framework Directive in the UK and related links
Implementation
To enable the objectives of the Water Framework Directive
to be met requires the transposition of measures into national
law. The Directive states that this must have occurred by
December 2003 – see the relevant web pages on the sites
of the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) , the
Scottish
Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Environment
and Heritage Service, Northern Ireland (EHSNI) for further
information.
Much of the work to implement the Water Framework Directive
in the UK will be undertaken by what the Directive refers
to as the Competent Authorities. These are the UK environment
agencies, the Environment Agency in England and Wales, SEPA
in Scotland and EHSNI in Northern Ireland.
Guidance has been produced at European and UK levels to help
with the implementation of the Directive and to ensure a common
approach. At the European level the guidance has been developed
as a result of a Common
Implementation Strategy.
Guidance at the UK level is provided by the
UK Technical Advisory Group. It includes the UK environment
and countryside agencies, along with representatives from
the Republic of Ireland. Its key tasks are: to provide technical
advice to the UK Administrations; co-ordinate the UK Agencies'
input to the development of European Guidance; and develop
guidance and methods to support the consistent implementation
of the Directive by the UK Agencies. These tasks are carried
out through sub-groups covering groundwater, rivers, lakes
and tidal waters.
WFD links
The implementation of the Water Framework Directive is in
full swing. For useful background material and up-to-date
information on what progress has been made, please use the
following links to Water Framework Directive web sites.
The
text of the Directive
Department
for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Scottish
Executive
Environment
Agency of England & Wales
Scottish
Environment Protection Agency
Environment and Heritage Service
European
Commission
UK Technical
Advisory Group
Water Framework Directive Information Centre
Water UK
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