Editorial note

Directive 2000/60 of 23 October 2000, as amended, establishes a framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater (Article 1). Member States are to identify the individual river basins lying within their national territory and assign them to individual basin districts. Appropriate administrative arrangements are to be made for the application of the Directive within each river basin district (Article 3(1) and (2)). River basins covering the territory of more than one Member State are to be assigned to an international river basin district. If the river basin extends beyond the territory of the Community, appropriate coordination with relevant non-Member States is to be sought (Article 3(3) and (5)).

The Directive specifies the environmental objectives to be achieved through its implementation and sets timescales for their achievement for surface waters (Article 4(1)(a)); groundwater (Article 4(1)(b)); and protected areas (Article 4(1)(c)). Member States are to ensure that, for each river basin district, an analysis of its characteristics, a review of the impact of human activities, and an economic analysis of its use is undertaken (Article 5). Register(s) shall be established of all areas within each river basin district which have been designated as requiring special protection (Article 6). All bodies of water intended for the abstraction of water intended for human consumption are to be identified (Article 7). Programmes for the monitoring of water status in order to establish a coherent and comprehensive overview of water status within each river basin district are to be set up (Article 8).