WFD Provisions

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) sets outs key dates for delivery of the requirements of the directives as listed in the table below.

The full text of the Water Framework Directive can be found on the Europa website - Directive

A good overview of questions and answers in relation to UK's implementation of WFD and its requirements is located on the DEFRA FAQ page.

Year	Requirement
Dec. 2000	Directive comes into force
By Dec 2003	§ Transpose requirements to Member State Law § Identify River Basin Districts (RBD) and competent authorities
By Dec 2004	Undertake RBD characterisation § Pressures and impacts upon water status § Economic analysis of water use § Identify heavily modified and artificial waters § Register of protected areas
By 2006	§ Monitoring programmes operational § Publish, for consultation, a work programme for River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) production
By 2007	§ Publish, for consultation, interim overview of significant water management issues in RBD
By 2008	§ Publish full draft RBMP for consultation
By 2009	§ Publish final first RBMP § Designate heavily modified water bodies § Environmental objectives § Programme of measures § Monitoring networks
By 2010	§ Introduce pricing policies
By 2012	Programme of measures operational
By 2013	Review, for the first RBMP: § Characterisation assessments § Economic analysis § Publish, for consultation, interim overview of significant water management issues for second RBMP
By 2015	§ Achieve environmental objectives of first RBMP § Publish second RBMP
By 2021	§ Achieve environmental objectives of second RBMP § Publish third RBMP
By 2027	§ Achieve environmental objectives of third RBMP § Fourth RBMP

22-12-2008

19-12-2007

17-09-2007

19-04-2006