Informal meeting of EU Water and Marine Directors
Water Director Meetings are informal meetings held semi-annually in the Member State currently holding the rotating EU presidency.Since the year 2000, the primary objective of these meetings has been proper implementation by the Member States of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), whose objective is to have all community waters in good status by 2015. Since May of 2009, the Water Directors have been meeting jointly with the Marine Directors, who are responsible for coastal and marine waters of Member States charged with implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The Wallonia Region welcomes this joint meeting in Spa on 2 and 3 December.
The Water Director meetings constitute an informal meeting group of the primary directors of water policy for the various Member States and the European Commission. These meetings are held semi-annually in the Member State currently holding the rotating EU presidency. Candidate countries and EFTA countries (Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland) are equal participants.
Since the year 2000, the primary objective of these meetings has been proper implementation of the 2000/60/EC Water Framework Directive by the Member States, within the framework of the "Common Implementation Strategy" (CIS).
The objective of the water framework directive is to have all community waters in a “good status” by 2015 (or by 2021/2027 if postponement is justifiable).
Within the context of the "Common Implementation Strategy"(CIS) for the water framework directive, the text of the directive has been supplemented with "guidance documents" drafted by various CIS workgroups. The final versions of these "guidance documents" are approved by the Water Directors in their semi-annual meetings. So far, 24 guidance documents have been published since 2004.
A major milestone in the water framework directive was reached in late December of 2009 with the publication of the first "management plans" required for each river basin district. These management plans include key programmes of measures to get all Member States’ waters into good status.
Since May of 2009, the Water Directors have been meeting jointly with the Marine Directors, who are responsible for management of the Member States’ coastal and marine waters. In particular, the Marine Directors are charged with implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC), with objectives similar to those of the water framework directive, but for marine waters. In 15 Members States, the Water Director is the same person as the Marine Director.
The Wallonia Region welcomes this joint meeting of Water and Marine Directors in Spa on 2 and 3 December 2010.
Invitation-only event, not open to the press, nor the stakeholders.
