The water framework directive and the habitats and birds directives: An overview of the legal and technical relationship

Abstract

The Water Framework Directive not only describes a new method to classify and enhance the status of waters in the UK, it also provides new obligations, a new management framework and additional monitoring requirements for water dependent Natura 2000 protected areas. Most importantly, it requires the achievement of any standards and objectives for these sites before 2015. Whilst the ecological status of waters has been widely commented upon, much less attention has been given to describing the obligations for Natura 2000 protected areas within the WFD, and how these overlap with the other requirements of the WFD. Of particular interest is the determination of water dependency for Natura 2000 habitats and species, which is a pre-requisite for determining which protected areas are relevant for the WFD. Also of interest is the question of which standards and objectives are the relevant ones for Natura 2000 sites, and the role of the conservation objectives established by the nature conservation agencies in the UK for features on these sites. The WFD provides a range of exemptions and derogations from the environmental objectives, and the role of these on Natura 2000 protected areas is also discussed. Finally, the WFD contains additional monitoring requirements for Natura 2000 protected areas, and the conclusion drawn is that the challenge of implementing these additional requirements has yet to be met. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010.