The second cycle River Basin Management Plans offered an opportunity for improved water management in Europe with the aim of achieving good status throughout.

This report collates assessments of the draft Plans by various WWF offices. WaterLIFE contributed to the assessment of England’s draft Plans.

Some of the key assessments made:

• The Plans risk repeated the mistakes that were made the first cycle.
• No further improvements can be anticipated.
• Little or no progress can be found in addressing the main gaps identified by the first cycle Plans – diffuse pollution, over-abstraction, changes to flow, physical changes to river channels and too many exemptions were allowed.
• Information as to how to these pressures will be addressed remains missing.

However, the report concludes that correct implementation of the water Framework Directive can still be achieved.

Read the full report: Securing clean and healthy rivers