Monitoring

Water Framework Directive (WFD); Disproportionate Costs

Reference: 15/RG/08/10
ISBN: 1 84057 792 4
Published Date: 22/09/2015

‘Disproportionate cost’ represents one of the key tests for an exemption to meeting the objectives of the Water Framework Directive. This project reviewed guidance for disproportionate cost assessment available at the time and tested it using three key challenges to the water industry likely to be faced in RBMP2 as demonstration cases. The key challenges tested were: 1) river flow impacts on aquatic ecology; 2) river eutrophication risk from nutrients and impacts on aquatic ecology; and 3) chemical impacts on aquatic systems.

Appendices

Reference: 15/RG/08/10
ISBN: 1 84057 792 4
Published Date: 22/09/2015

‘Disproportionate cost’ represents one of the key tests for an exemption to meeting the objectives of the Water Framework Directive. This project reviewed guidance for disproportionate cost assessment available at the time and tested it using three key challenges to the water industry likely to be faced in RBMP2 as demonstration cases. The key challenges tested were: 1) river flow impacts on aquatic ecology; 2) river eutrophication risk from nutrients and impacts on aquatic ecology; and 3) chemical impacts on aquatic systems.

Learning from the First Cycle of the Water Framework Directive

Reference: 15/RG/08/9
ISBN: 184057 766 5
Published Date: 16/06/2015

This report presents evidence from across Europe to assess which measures have worked well and not so well in the first cycle (2009-2015) of the Water Framework Directive. The report identifies whether other, more effective solutions are available that could be used in the second cycle plans in the UK and also compares the level of ambition across Member States.

In many cases it is too early to have conclusive evidence of the success of measures. However, the report draws upon twelve case studies from across Europe and interviews with Member States. The main lessons from these are: that more action is needed to control substances at source; that stronger incentives are needed to promote action on diffuse pollution; that economic appraisal needs to be consistent across spatial scales; and that unless entire packages of measures are funded they will be ineffective.