Main Page     I. The Administrative Framework     II. European Environmental Policy
III. Directives Implementing the EU Environmental Policy
IV. Chart of the Directives and Enforcement Dates

Water Management

From 1995, the Community began to adopt a more global approach to water management. This has led to the framework directive for a policy on water which seeks to promote sustainable use of water resources and to ensure the coherence of policy in this area.

Find below the different areas of interest for your business:

1. Framework
2. Chemical Pollution of Surface Water
3. Urban Waste Water Treatment
4. Drinking Water

2. Chemical Pollution of Surface Water

The Directive 76/464/EEC on pollution caused by certain dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment had the ambitious objective of regulating potential aquatic pollution by thousands of chemicals already produced in Europe at that time. The Directive covered discharges to inland surface waters, territorial waters, inland coastal waters and ground water. In 1980 the protection of groundwater was taken out of 76/464/EEC and regulated under the separate Council Directive 80/68/EEC on the protection of groundwater against pollution caused by certain dangerous substances. The Directive introduced the concept of list I and list II substances, which were listed in the Annex to the Directive. The purpose of the Directive was to eliminate pollution from list I substances and to reduce pollution from list II substances.

As a first step, the European Parliament and Council adopted Decision No 2455/2001/EC establishing the list of priority substances in the field of water policy and amending Directive 2000/60/EC. This decision identifies a list of substances of concern
(priority substances , see http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/water/water-framework/priority_substances.htm)
that present a significant risk to or via the aquatic environment. The Commission is currently prep aring Community-wide emission controls and quality standards for the priority substances.

Directive Code	Directive Name	Directive Date	Date of Enforcement
76/464/EEC	pollution caused by certain dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment	4-May-1976	-
80/68/EEC	protection of groundwater against pollution caused by certain dangerous substances	17-Dec-1979	26-Jan-1982