German Guidebook on the Implementation
of the EC Water Framework Directive
Dr. Harald Irmer
Germany
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Who is doing what to prepare the implementation?
- 16 states
- 10 river basin districts with sub-basins
- pilot projects (regional scale)
- groups to be involved and coordinated
3 Handbook: Assistance for the implementation of
the WFD
4 Further actions
The 16 States of Germany
River Basin District in Germany
Implementation of WFD in Germany
1. Federal Goverment
- basic law, international cooperation
2. States
- execution
3. LAWA (Joint Water Commission of the States)
- coordination between the States
4. Working groups
- working out technical standards/documents for
the handbook for technical implementation
Groups to be involved
Conference of Environmental Ministers of the 16
States
Plenary session of the Joint Water Commission of
the States (LAWA)
LAWA working groups
1. Data and GIS
2. Surface waters
3. Groundwater
4. BAT including sewage treatment
5. Legal affairs
10 River Basin Districts (national and international
cooperation)
River Basin Management Plan (RBMP)
3 levels
a) whole River Basin District: general planning
and coordination
b) important tributaries: regional planning on
state‘s level
c) small tributaries: working level, detailed local
planning
Result: one RBMP, composed from coordinated
regional and local plans
Rhine River Basin District - Planned Working Areas
Proposed Structure for the RBMP Rhein
Part A
general, superior side constraints for the whole
river basin district
Part B
details of RBMP concerning each working area,
sum of part B covers the river basin district
Part A and Part B form the Management Plan of the
River Basin District
Implementation of WFD
The WFD cannot be applied directly,
it is a „framework“ directive
Preparatory work deals with all technical and
scientific questions important for different
levels:
european
national
river basin
sub basin
Assistance for the Implementation of the WFD in
Germany
handbook using a loose leaf guidance system for
updating
4 Parts:
1. Introduction and project management plan
2. Legal implementation *)
3. Guidelines for the technical implementation,
preparatory work and steps towards the RBMP
4. Additional technical papers
*) not part of this presentation
Handbook Part 1: Project Management Plan (PMP)
The whole WFD was analyzed and more than 150
tasks addressed
Tasks of different character
a) important on European level
b) important for Germany
c) important for the river basin district
d) important for a sub-basin
The tasks of a) and b) within the first 5 years where
addressed to special working groups
The PMP will be revised acc. to the steps forward
Important tasks/questions
significant anthopogenic pressures on surface waters
 quantification of diffuse sources
 classification of surface water body types
 establishment of reference conditions
 methods of analysis and evaluation for each of the biological
parameters
 monitoring
 „heavily modified water body“ delimitation from „normal“
water body

Important tasks/questions
interrelations between surface water body and
groundwater, water
management measures and

technique
 economic analysis
 public information and consultation
 which measure in which case of deficiency is
appropriate
 extrapolation of measures and quality of a water
body

Guideline for Technical Implementation of WFD,
preparatory work and steps toward RBMP
Important tasks coming out of WFD were analyzed
and described as follows:
1. Reference to the WFD
2. Description of the task and correlation to
other tasks
3. What is available and need not be worked
work out again
4. What has to be done to fulfill the task in detail
- a step by step approach
5. Still open
Handbook Part 3: Table of Contents
1. Necessary action/work to be completed until 2004
1.1
1.1.1
1.1.2
1.1.3
Surface Waters
General description

Classification of surface water body types 
Establishment of type-specific reference
conditions for surface water body types 2002
1.1.4 Establishment of significant anthropogenic
pressures
Jan.02
1.1.5 Assessing the impact of pressures
2002
Handbook Part 3: Table of Contents
1.2
1.2.1
1.2.2
1.2.3
Groundwater

Initial characterization
Detailed description
Assessing the impact of human activities on
groundwater
1.3
Protected areas
1.4
Economic analysis of water use

Jan.02
Handbook Part 3: Table of Contents
2. Necessary action/work to be completed until 2006
2.1
2.2
2.3
Monitoring and presentation of surface water
status
()
Monitoring and presentation of the status of
groundwater
()
Additional monitoring requirements for
surface waters in protected areas
2002
Handbook Part 3: Table of Contents
3. Environmental objectives based on article 4 for
- surface water bodies
- groundwater
- protected areas, especially in cases of
article 4, § 3,4,5 and 6
4. Public information and consultation (Art. 14)
Public Information and Consultation
Objectives:
 Creation of confidence between planner and
public
 Development of problem- consciousness
for the participation in the planning process
 Joint aims and measures and improvement of
public acceptance
 Information about common targets and
measures
 Mobilization of active support
Public Information and Consultation
Implementation:
– schedule of WFD lays down only minimum
activities in public information and consultation
– public participation has to be practised in
different levels (regional, local)
– consultation-date necessary
– continuous process (initial planning process, up
to date activities, implementation)
– close to the people
– open-result process, continuity
– use modern information instruments
Handbook Part 4: Working papers on specific topics
1) When is a pressure and anthropogenic impact significant
for the status of a body of surface water?
2) Significant quantitative water abstraction from surface
waters
3) Significant elements in water flow regulation, including
water transfers, in the case of surface waters
4) When is a morphological alteration in a body of surface
water significant to its status review?
5) List of „other significant anthropogenic impacts on the
status of surface waters“
Handbook Part 4: Working papers on specific topics
6) Estimation and extrapolation of the identified pressures on
the quality of surface water
7) Requirements for designation as heavily modified and
artificial bodies of water
8) Other working papers on
 the compiling of protected area registers
 the development of programmes to monitor bodies of
water
 criteria for excemptions
 basic maps
 averaging/trend reversal in groundwater sector
 reference conditions for water body types
Conclusions
Handbook should
combine all articles and annexes
 lead to a logical step by step approach
 be understood easily
 describe all tasks which are a must for the RBMP
Conclusions
The draft of the handbook will be discussed
with experts from all levels and pilot
projects in Germany and abroad to
exchange experience.
The guidance documents of EC-expert groups
will be incorporated.
The next edition of the handbook will be
available in Jan. 2002.