The Water Framework Directive's action program is being reviewed

The eased restrictions allow for more personal meetings and in March, Race For The Baltic had the privilege of meeting a representative from The Swedish Regional Water Authorities. Among other things, we had a fruitful discussion about the EU's Water Framework Directive and what is required to increase the chances of goal fulfilment. The implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive is Sweden's largest water management project ever. The measures land with great emphasis on the countryside with measures such as individual sewers and plant cultivation. The overall goal according to the Water Framework Directive is that all water bodies must have good water status in 2021, or by 2027 at the latest, and that water quality must not deteriorate. Good water status refers to the ecological and chemical status of surface water and the chemical and quantitative status of groundwater.

In the summer of 2021, the Ministry of the Environment declared that most of the lakes and watercourses in Sweden, about 60 percent, do not reach the quality they should have, ie. does not have good ecological status.

At the beginning of December last year, The Swedish Regional Water Authorities decided to adopt new management plans and action programs for the management cycle 2021–2027. By 22 December 2021, the documents would enter into force, subject to the Government not deciding otherwise. On 16 December, the Government decided, in accordance with several united referral bodies, to review The Swedish Regional Water Authorities' proposal for action program.

The Government's review is still ongoing and until the action programs for 2021–2027 have been established, the parts of the programs for 2016–2021 that are still relevant will continue to apply.

We do not even have a good status in half of our Swedish waters today and the maximum deadline is only five years away. The consequences will probably be high fines from the EU for most countries, including Sweden. What is required for the goals, implemented in Swedish legislation, to be realized? We believe that it is urgent to raise the discussion of what the consequences will be and how we can jointly gather strength for 2027 and beyond.

The Water Framework Directive in short;

• The Water Framework Directive was agreed by all individual EU member states in 2000.

• The Water Framework Directive requires all European surface water – lakes, rivers, transitional and coastal water, and groundwater – to reach good status by 2021 and ground water to reach good chemical and quantitative status. This deadline can be postponed if certain exemptions are invoked. The maximum deadline possible is 2027.

• The assignment of The Swedish Regional Water Authorities (Vattenmyndigheterna) is to implement the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). The Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (HaV) supports The Swedish Regional Water Authorities through guidance and gives regulations. The Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management reports the work related to WFD to the EU. The Geological Survey of Sweden on the other hand supports The Swedish Regional Water Authorities through guidance and gives regulations concerning groundwater.