Environmental organisations demand ambitious implementation of European targets from federal and state governments

Joint press release by BUND, GRÜNE LIGA, NABU, WWF and the environmental umbrella organisation Deutscher Naturschutzring (DNR)

Berlin, 11.09.2020 -

"Water protection is a service of general interest. Without further financial and human resources as well as adaptation of organisational structures and laws, the European obligations to protect water bodies cannot be implemented," declare the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND), the Deutscher Naturschutzring (DNR), the GRÜNE LIGA, the Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) and the WWF Deutschland on the occasion of today's Water Protection Forum of the environmental associations. "The three consecutive dry summers show quite clearly that water is a very precious commodity even in our latitudes," the associations agreed and demanded that the federal and state governments consistently protect water bodies in line with European requirements.

The European Member States recognised the importance of water protection as early as 20 years ago and adopted a comprehensive set of regulations for the protection of rivers, lakes, coastal waters and groundwater resources in 2000: the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Only this year, after a two-year review, the EU Commission confirmed the WFD as a political instrument for European water protection. In its report, however, it appeals to the member states to improve and accelerate implementation.

Germany is currently still very far from the required good status of its waters. According to a report by the Federal Environment Agency, almost 75 per cent of lakes, over 90 per cent of rivers and all coastal waters fail to meet the European environmental targets in terms of their biodiversity. In terms of chemical status, the targets are not met across the board. Groundwater does better: at least 60 percent of it meets the chemical targets. "According to the associations, "the problems are mainly due to massive changes in the structure of water bodies caused by dams and impoundments, but also to high nutrient and pollutant loads.
Currently, the water administrations of the federal states are drawing up the so-called management plans and programmes of measures for the third implementation period 2021-2027. They want to show very precisely where the sticking points are and which measures are necessary in the coming years. The plans will be published at the end of the year. The associations welcome these analyses and will deal with them critically during the public hearing in the first half of 2021.
At the same time, the alliance of associations points out that the necessary backing must come from politics: "It is now necessary to create the financial, personnel, legal and organisational framework conditions at federal and state level without delay." This includes the reduction of environmentally harmful subsidies, for example for agriculture or the energy industry, as well as the establishment of a solidarity fund for some overarching tasks, such as reducing pollution in the Elbe. Only in this way can water bodies make their contribution to the provision of existence and fulfil their socially relevant functions such as drinking water supply, flood protection, carbon storage, nutrient and pollutant retention and recreational space in the long term.
The associations also refer to the European initiatives on the Green Deal, the Zero Pollution Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy, which should be used by policy-makers for an implementation push in water protection.

Background:
The annual Water Protection Forum of environmental associations is taking place today with more than 200 representatives from associations, administration, politics and science. The Water Protection Forum is an information and discussion event on the topic of water protection and the Water Framework Directive. Due to Corona, the event will be offered online this year. More information on the Water Protection Forum of the environmental associations as well as this year's programme can be found at: www.gewaesserschutzforum.de/

First published on 11.09.2020