Is the UK meeting EU Water Framework Directive objectives?
7 September 2015
On Wednesday 9 September the House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee takes evidence from Defra and Environment Agency officials, in a one-off session on implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive.
Witnesses
The evidence session will take place on Wednesday 9 September in Committee Room 2, Palace of Westminster.
At 11.00am:
- David Cooper, Deputy Director for Water Quality, Defra
- Ed Mitchell, Executive Director for Environment and Business, Environment Agency
Background
The EU's Water Framework Directive (WFD) pursues an integrated approach to the management of water resources. Member States were required to produce a first set of River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) by 2009 as a basis for protecting, improving and maintaining the environmental condition of surface and ground waters.
On 24 June 2015 the Sub-Committee considered the Government's EM on a European Commission Communication on the WFD. The Commission criticised the measures taken thus far by Member States. Following correspondence with the Government, the Sub-Committee agreed to invite officials to discuss some of the issues arising.
Likely questions
The Committee will question the witnesses on a range of issues. Questions may include:
- How ambitious should the UK be to meeting the objectives of the Water Framework Directive?
- What assessment has been made of the failure to meet the objectives?
- How confident are the Department and the Environment Agency that economic modelling has been sufficiently accurate to give both the public and the Department the best information on which to base their opinions?
- How confident is the Department that the consultation process has engaged sufficiently with all involved in the River Basin Management Plans?
- What is the current evidence on the contribution of the agricultural industry to water pollution?
- What assessment has been made of existing and future agri-environment schemes and of the current regulatory environment?
- What evidence is emerging about the effectiveness of the Catchment Based Approach?
Further information
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