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important plant areas in central and eastern europe - Plantlife

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Exist<strong>in</strong>g legislation & programmes<br />

IPAs <strong>and</strong> the EU Water Framework Directive<br />

Context<br />

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) (2000/60/EC) provides a legally b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g<br />

framework to protect the water systems of Europe (rivers, lakes, coasts, estuaries, <strong>and</strong><br />

groundwater).This <strong>in</strong>cludes a commitment to protect <strong>and</strong> enhance aquatic ecosystems,<br />

<strong>and</strong> the terrestrial <strong>and</strong> wetl<strong>and</strong> ecosystems, which depend on those ecosystems. IPA<br />

data can be used to support assessment <strong>and</strong> monitor<strong>in</strong>g of priority <strong>areas</strong>.<br />

Each member state is obliged to <strong>in</strong>corporate the Directive <strong>in</strong>to their national laws.<br />

Article 6 requires a register of the protected <strong>areas</strong> which fall with<strong>in</strong> these water<br />

systems,Article 7 requires management plans for river bas<strong>in</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> Article 8 requires a<br />

network of sites to monitor the ecological status of these water systems. Annex V sets<br />

out the qualitative features that can be used to classify the ecological status of the water<br />

systems.<br />

References<br />

European Environment Agency<br />

(www.themes.eea.eu.<strong>in</strong>t/Specific_media<br />

/water)<br />

EU Water Framework Directive<br />

(www.europa.eu.<strong>in</strong>t/comm/environment/<br />

water/water-framework)<br />

WWF, 2003, WWF’s Water <strong>and</strong> Wetl<strong>and</strong><br />

Index: Critical Issues <strong>in</strong> Water Policy Across<br />

Europe. (www.p<strong>and</strong>a.org/downloads/<br />

<strong>europe</strong>/wwireport.pdf)<br />

IPAs <strong>and</strong> the Water Framework Directive<br />

197 IPAs (25%) conta<strong>in</strong> threatened <strong>in</strong>l<strong>and</strong> water habitat from the EU Habitats Directive.<br />

224 IPAs (28%) conta<strong>in</strong> threatened mire, bog <strong>and</strong> fen habitats from the EU Habitats<br />

Directive<br />

74 IPAs (9%) conta<strong>in</strong> threatened coastal <strong>and</strong> halophytic habitats from the EU Habitats<br />

Directive<br />

IPA data should be used to check on the comprehensiveness of the register of<br />

protected <strong>areas</strong> <strong>and</strong> on the network of monitor<strong>in</strong>g sites, which each country must<br />

produce for the Directive.<br />

BRANO MOLNAR<br />

Water lilies at Bohelovske fish ponds <strong>in</strong><br />

Slovakia.<br />

95

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