Reports on the state of waters in the European Union

At the beginning of February this year, the European Commission published the latest reports on the state of waters in the Union. They have sparked numerous discussions in the industry literature. The reports on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, the Floods Directive, and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive highlight the progress made in improving the status of water bodies in the EU over the past six years. They also identify areas where efforts need to be intensified. These reports provide valuable information on the condition of freshwater and marine waters in the EU, actions taken to improve their quality, and measures aimed at reducing flood risk.

According to the report on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, member states have expanded their knowledge of surface and groundwater bodies, improved their monitoring, increased spending, and enhanced compliance with EU water legislation, although there are significant regional differences. Most groundwater bodies continue to achieve good quantitative and chemical status.

The report states that achieving the EU’s freshwater quality and quantity objectives still requires significant efforts. The average status of surface water bodies in the EU remains crucial – only 39.5% achieve good ecological status, while 26.8% reach good chemical status. This is primarily due to widespread pollution from mercury and other toxins.

In its report, the European Commission presented key recommendations to member states for improving water management by 2027, including:

• increasing compliance with EU water regulations by adhering to pollution limits, particularly concerning biogenic substances from agriculture, and ensuring proper wastewater management to protect the environment and public health;
• securing sufficient funding to eliminate existing gaps and guarantee effective implementation of water management measures;
• implementing additional measures to address persistent environmental challenges, such as chemical pollution;
• promoting water reuse and enhancing efficiency and circularity to prevent excessive exploitation of aquifers, combat illegal water extraction, and mitigate droughts.

Report on the floods directive

The second report prepared by the European Commission concerns the Floods Directive. This assessment highlights significant improvements in flood risk management, better alignment of objectives and measures, and the consideration of climate change challenges.

Due to the increasing frequency and severity of floods in Europe, member states must enhance their planning and administrative capacities and invest appropriately in flood prevention. Achieving this goal requires ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions, as well as preparedness measures such as early warning systems and raising public awareness.

Report on the marine strategy framework directive

According to the report on the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, some limited progress has been made, particularly concerning marine litter.

Member states are encouraged to intensify efforts to achieve good environmental status for all EU marine waters and ensure the sustainable protection of resource bases that support maritime economic and social activities. Detailed information on the report related to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, including the assessment of Poland’s reported action program, can be found in the article Marine water protection in EU member states.

Some key EU recommendations for achieving this goal include:

• improving the development and implementation of measures aimed at protecting and restoring marine biodiversity and reducing pollution from biogenic, chemical substances, and underwater noise;
• introducing new and improved financing and management measures to ensure the effective implementation of ambitious and coherent actions across all EU marine environments.

What is the state of waters in Poland?

As part of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Europe, the European Commission conducted an assessment of river basin management plans for each member state. The report on Poland’s river basins is available on the European Commission’s website.

The published document summarizes the river basin management plans developed in Poland between 2016 and 2021, thus covering the entire planning cycle for that period. It includes not only a description and comparison of the status of water bodies but also environmental pressures, implemented actions, and other factors related to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. The numerical data on water status presented in the report originate from river basin management plans, including summaries of the national environmental monitoring program.

Although the report indicates a deterioration in the ecological and chemical status of surface waters in Poland, it is essential to consider that this results from various factors, the most significant being a highly restrictive and continually expanding assessment system incorporating new indicators. Achieving good ecological or chemical status requires meeting criteria across dozens of parameters. Additionally, between the first and second updates of river basin management plans, Poland altered the structure and classification of reported surface water bodies, making comparisons more difficult – a point highlighted in the Commission’s report.

Given this, when analyzing the report prepared by the European Commission, it is crucial to recognize that the interpretation of results is not straightforward. Special caution should be exercised when reproducing any information, as misleading conclusions may arise if they are presented incorrectly. The complexity of interpreting water quality assessments was discussed in our previous article, How bad is bad water status? The devil is in the details.