- Gd 11 - planning process

  The EU Member States, Norway and the European Commission have jointly developed a common strategy for supporting the implementation of the Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (the Water Framework Directive). The main aim of this strategy is to allow a coherent and harmonious implementation of this Directive. Focus is on methodological questions related to a common understanding of the technical and scientific implications of the Water Framework Directive.

One of the main short-term objectives of the strategy is the development of non-legally binding and practical Guidance Documents on various technical issues of the Directive. These Guidance Documents are targeted to those experts who are directly or indirectly implementing the Water Framework Directive in river basins. The structure, presentation and terminology is therefore adapted to the needs of these experts and formal, legalistic language is avoided wherever possible.


In the context of this strategy, an informal working group dedicated to best practices in river basin planning issues of the Directive has been set up. The main objective of this working group, launched in July 2001, is the development of a non-legally binding and practical Guidance Documents on four elements of the Water Framework Directive: Identification of river basin districts, planning process, public participation and integrated river basin management planning. Spain and the Commission have the responsibility of the secretariat and animation of the working group that is composed of technical experts from governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).


The present document is the final version of the Guidance on planning process. It presents a general overview of the whole planning cycle and provides some recommendations for its successful implementation. It builds on the input and feedback from a wide range of experts and stakeholders from both EU Member States and candidate countries.


We, the water directors of the European Union, Norway, Switzerland and the countries applying for accession to the European Union have examined and endorsed this Guidance by means of a written procedure in March 2003. We would like to thank the participants of the Working Group and, in particular, the leaders for preparing this high quality document


We strongly believe this and other Guidance Documents developed under the common implementation strategy will play a key role in the process of implementing the Water Framework Directive.


This Guidance Document is a living document that will need continuous input and improvements as application and experience build up in all countries of the European Union and beyond, We agree, however, that this document will be made publicly available in its current form in order to present it to a wider public as a basis for carrying forward ongoing implementation work.


Moreover, we welcome that several volunteers have committed themselves to test and validate this and other documents in the so-called pilot river basins across Europe during 2003 and 2004 in order to ensure that the Guidance is applicable in practice.


We also commit ourselves to assess and decide upon the necessity for reviewing this document following the pilot testing exercises and the first experiences gained in the initial stages of the implementation.