Regulation

Convention signed in Aarhus, Denmark, on 25 June 1998 under the auspices of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) dealing with access to information, public participation in the decision-making process and access to justice regarding environmental issues.

Arrangement requiring a specific emission limitation, e.g. an emission limit value, an authorization system or an emission permit.

Goal to be achieved for all waters by 2015, according to the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, unless postponement or definition of a less strict target. The good status of surface water is achieved when both its ecological status and chemical status are at least "good". The good status of groundwater is achieved when both its quantitative status and chemical status are at least "good…

Authority responsible for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) on the WFD basin scale (or district). In France, they are the Basin Coordinator Prefects and, for Corsica, the Corsican local authorities.

Specific organization established to ensure coherence in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC in the Member States. It gathers the European Commission, State governments, experts, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and stakeholders. Several guidance documents were drafted within this framework.

If unable to achieve "good status" for waters (in accordance with the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC) or when, on the basis of a cost-benefit analysis, the measures necessary to achieve the good status of aquatic environments have a disproportionate cost, an objective less stringent than good status can be defined. The difference between this objective and good status must be the smallest possible, focusing only on a limited number of criteria.

A body of surface water which, as a result of physical alterations by human activity, is substantially changed in character. Due to these changes, the water body cannot achieve good status. If the activities cannot be questioned for technical or economic reasons, the water body can be designated as heavily modified and the objectives to be achieved, in accordance with the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC…

Legal act addressed to the Member States which sets targets without prescribing the means by which these objectives are to be achieved. Recipient States have an obligation as to the result but are left free as to what means are to be used to achieve it. At the initiative of the Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Communities may penalize States that do not meet their obligations.

Combination of the definition of emission limit values (or the implementation of best available techniques or practices) with the setting of environmental targets and environmental quality standards (good status, etc). The definition of