Incorporating nature conservation objectives and measures into the Water Framework Directive

Abstract

The Birds and Habitats Directives are not pieces of water legislation but are integrally, legally linked to the Water Framework Directive (WFD). WFD plans must include measures to support the waterrelated objectives for some 44 water-dependent natural habitats and 22 species protected in Special Areas of Conservation, as well as water-dependent Special Protection Areas. In this opinion piece, it is suggested that insufficient consideration is being given to these linkages, despite the complementary ecological aims of the directives. WFD assessment, with its use of status categories and Ecological Quality Ratio scores, masks biological and ecological meaning, and its focus on relationships to pressure gradients appears to result in biology being used as a surrogate for chemistry. The complexity of WFD language also contributes to poor communication with other natural scientists and the public. Incorporation of nature conservation objectives and measures into the WFD requires an increased involvement of biologists in WFD characterisation, objective setting and planning. AIMS AND SCOPEThe aims of this paper are twofold: first, to provide a WFD audience with some basic background legal and technical material on the Nature Directives (the Birds Directive (79/409/EEC, as amended 2009/ 147/EEC) and Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC)), and how these are interlinked with the WFD (2000/60/EC), with specific reference to Ireland.