Consultation on Proposed Water Framework Daughter Directive on Priority Substances
DEFRA is inviting views on the proposed Water Framework Directive daughter directive on Priority Substances and Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment.
In July 2006, the European Commission published a proposal for a new Water Framework Directive daughter directive on priority substances. The proposal concerns the list of Priority Substances which was adopted (Decision No 2455/2001/EC) by the European Parliament and Council in 2001 and which comprises 33 persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic substances.
The current proposal has the following elements:
- Setting environmental quality standards (EQSs) in water for Priority Substances. This includes an annual average concentration for all substances and a maximum allowed concentration for most substances.
- An obligation on member states to ensure that concentrations of Priority Substances do not increase in sediment and biota.
- Biota standards for 3 substances (with an option for member states to develop more stringent water standards as an alternative).
- Allowing member states to designate ‘Transitional Areas of Exceedance’ where EQSs can be exceeded without prejudicing a water body’s ability to achieve ‘good status’ under the Water Framework Directive.
- Requiring member states to draw up inventories of emissions, discharges and losses of Priority Substances.
- Consequential amendments to, and repeal of, existing directives.
A partial Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the proposal has been completed, which indicates the potential for significant implementation and compliance costs. The evidence of the current partial RIA is that there is the potential for significant additional costs in meeting some of the EQSs, and other obligations, such that these costs may not be proportionate to the environmental protection required or the benefits to be gained.
For this reason, DEFRA is particularly interested in views as to whether current treatments or controls are likely to suffice, or whether additional treatments and controls would be needed and on the costs which might be generated. Responses should be received by 16 March 2007. Further information is available from the Defra website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/wfd-prioritylist/index.htm
Source: www.defra.gov.uk (accessed 02/01/07)