important plant areas in central and eastern europe - Plantlife
important plant areas in central and eastern europe - Plantlife
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 />
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