Europe: a challenging new framework for water quality

By 2015 all EU member states will need to have achieved the unprecedented condition of ‘good ecological status’ throughout their national watercourses. This means managing not only point sources of pollution, like sewage outfalls, but also diffuse sources such as runoff from farmland. The new quality requirements are set out in the 2000 European Water Framework Directive, the most significant piece of environmental legislation so far produced by the EU. This paper describes the new legislation, its timeline for implementation and the many technical challenges now facing regulators, engineers, social scientists and environmental professionals throughout Europe as a result.