European Commission calls on 16 Member States to finalise water plans

The European Commission calls on Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain to finalise their river basin management plans and flood risk management plans. The Member States failed to comply with the Water Framework Directive and/or the Floods Directive. They now have two months, until the 15th of April to respond and address the shortcomings.

The European Commission sent formal letters of notice to the Member States for failing to finalise the revision of the river basin management plans (RBMP’s) as required under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and/or the flood risk management plans (FRMP’s) as required under the Floods Directive. Both directives require Member States to update and report every six years their management plans on river basins and flood risk, respectively.

Failures

Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia have failed to review, adopt and report in time all their third river basin management plans for 2022-2027 and second flood risk management plans for 2021-2027. Denmark, Ireland and Poland are beyond legal time limits as regards the review, adoption and reporting of the third river basin management plans. Luxembourg and Slovakia are beyond legal time limits as regards the review and adoption and reporting of second flood risk management plans.

Infringement procedure

River Basin Management Plans include a programme of measures which are key to ensure good status of all water bodies, as required by the Water Framework Directive. Flood risk management plans are formed on the basis of maps showing the potential adverse consequences associated with flood scenarios. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.

No respite after 2027

By March 2022 Member States had to report the third generation of River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) to the European Commission. Brussels does not intend to postpone the deadline for achieving the WFD targets. “The Water Framework Directive is meeting its objectives and no legislative changes are planned to extend the existing deadlines,” stated an official spokesperson for the European Commission in Water News Europe.