Integrated Water Quality Governance and Sectoral Responsibility: The EU Water Framework Directive’s Impact on Agricultural Sector Policies in Norway

Abstract

In accordance with the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), Norway has made the river basin the basis for coordination of sectoral policies. New units of River Basin Districts and Sub-Districts have been introduced. In each district, the joint water management plan and program of measures is formulated by cross-sector and multi-level networks. This network structure is added to and clearly subordinated to the primary structure following the sectoral principle and hierarchical steering. Therefore, the WFD objectives of good environmental status of all waters must be integrated into the goal structure and policy priorities of different sector authorities and levels of government. This paper examines whether and, if so, how the activities within the secondary structure of water governance influence the policies and practices of the agricultural sector regarding diffuse water pollution mitigation. The analyses of sector policy documents and water management plans reveal that even though the WFD's aim of good ecological status of water is integrated into the objectives of the agricultural environmental program, only minor changes have been made in instrument targets and settings. Economic incentives and voluntary measures still dominate. This leads to the conclusion that the corporatist governance mode of the agriculture sector dominates the sector's choice of policy objectives and instruments.

The Water Framework Directive and Agricultural Diffuse Pollution: Fighting a Running Battle?

“…Often, regional authorities may also be made primary responsible for tasks related to diffuse sources, leading to a strongly felt need for vertical coordination in realising WFD objectives (cf. discussions in [35][36][37]).…”

Agricultural Diffuse Pollution and the EU Water Framework Directive: Problems and Progress in Governance

“…This signals serious concerns with policy integration across policy domains, the first main theme raised by Wiering et al [14]. Both De Vito et al [16] and Hovik [15] underline the importance of institutional structures facilitating cooperation, coordination and integration in early phases of policy development. Nevertheless, all studies highlight that the economic threats for, and interest politics lobby of, the agricultural sector lead to a separation of policy fields.…”

“…In her contribution on Norway, Hovik [15] explains how river basins have been made the basis for coordination of sectoral policies. At the level of newly introduced units of river basin districts and sub-districts, cross-sectoral and multi-level networks formulate Programmes of Measures.…”

The implementation of the Polluter Pays principle in the context of the Water Framework Directive

“…Polluter Pays principle: Diffuse pollution (iii) High transaction costs associated with dealing with large numbers of heterogeneous polluters (e.g. farmers, homeowners) (OECD, 2017 [24]);…”