Water Framework Directive
Introduction
The Water Framework Directive (WFD)[1] is a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union that establishes a framework for community action in the field of water policy.[2] It was created with the aim of guaranteeing the protection of water and promoting sustainable use that guarantees the availability of the natural resource in the long term.
With the WFD (Directive 2000/60/EC of October 23, 2000.[3]) water goes from being considered in the European Union (EU) from a simple resource to being seen as the key factor for the conservation of the living systems associated with it.
Goals
The purpose of this Directive is to establish a framework for the protection of inland waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater with the following objectives:.
In this sense, the Directive itself establishes a clear environmental purpose: by 2015, the good state of the aquatic ecosystems of all the countries of the Union must have been achieved, and management plans must have been developed and applied to guarantee this objective.
Characteristics
The practical application of the WFD represents a challenge for the Member States of the European Union and a homogeneous and as coordinated application as possible is necessary, so that the Member States and the European Commission itself interpret its precepts in the same way. The mechanism through which we attempt to respond to these needs through a non-binding procedure is the Common Implementation Strategy.
The Common Implementation Strategy focuses on four activities:
It should be noted that the WFD establishes the "hydrographic district" as the main unit for management purposes, defined as the maritime and terrestrial area composed of one or several hydrographic basins as well as the associated groundwater and coastal waters.
This directive arises from a new way of understanding water, which goes from being considered a simple resource to being seen as the key factor for the conservation of living systems associated with it, and consequently, an essential element for maintaining the quality of life.