Water Framework Directive Overview

The EC Water Framework Directive (WFD) came into force in December 2000. The WFD introduced a new holistic approach to the management of water quality and established a set of common principles for the protection and improvement of the water environment, including all inland and coastal waters. The Directive requires that the status of all inland and coastal waters are protected from deterioration and where necessary and practicable, that water bodies are restored to "good status" by 2015 or alternatively within the 6 year cycles of 2021 or 2027. In accordance with the Directive, plans were published by NIEA in 2009 for the three river basin districts in Northern Ireland. River basin planning takes an integrated approach to the protection, improvement and sustainable use of the water environment. A programme of measures to deliver the objectives of each Plan has been drawn up which involves linkages with other key policy areas such as agriculture, biodiversity, tourism, recreation and flood protection.