Brussels, 12 December 2019
The results of the fitness check of the water legislation, among others concerning the Water Framework Directive and the floods directive, have been published on the 12th of December.
The fitness check, which was launched in October 2017, concludes that the Water Framework Directive is overall fit for purpose. It does note, however, that there is room for improving effectiveness.
The evaluation considers that Member States have insufficiently implemented the Directives and the same goes for sectors such as energy and transport. It has also been difficult to reach the Water Framework Directive’s objectives due to insufficient funding. Yet, the fitness check does not seem to open the door for a revision of the directive implying that it is the implementation and the funding, not the legislation itself that is falling short.