European regulations encouraging, among other things, the achievement of better physical, chemical and biological water quality, and monitoring this status by body of water.
Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, commonly known as the Water Framework Directive (WFD). It sets environmental objectives and deadlines for improving the ecological and chemical status of surface water bodies and the quantitative and chemical status of groundwater bodies. Certain bodies of water, created by human activity or fundamentally altered in their characteristics by human activity, may be designated as artificial water bodies (AWB) or heavily modified water bodies (HMWB) respectively. In this case, their ecological characteristics and functioning are described by ecological potential. In particular, the WFD sets the general objective of achieving ‘good status’ or ‘good potential’ for water bodies by 2015, and establishes a planning procedure for this purpose. Following six-year management cycles (2010-2015, 2016-2021, 2022-2027, etc. ) and within each river basin or group of river basins, an inventory must be carried out, a monitoring programme must be defined, and public participation must be ensured in the development of the timetable, the work programme and the provisional summary of important issues, as well as draft management plans (which are included in a SDAGE) and programmes of measures. In line with sustainable development principles, economic considerations have been explicitly taken into account in the directive. Thus, exemptions are provided for in relation to achieving good status and good potential by 2015, which may be justified in particular by disproportionate costs. In addition, measures taken in relation to water pricing and the recovery of water service costs must be reported.