Other Regulations

A number of EU Directives have water as focus, whether from a usage approach or from an environmental approach.
The Water Framework Directive was published in 2000 with the following key aims:

expanding the scope of water protection to all waters, surface waters and groundwater
achieving "good status" for all waters by a set deadline
water management based on river basins
"combined approach" of emission limit values and quality standards
getting the prices right
getting the citizen involved more closely
streamlining legislation

The Drinking Water Directive and the Urban Waste Water Directive can duly be considered milestones in the EU water policy.

But other water related Directives and Regulations also have an impact.

General Framework

Framework Directive in the field of water policy (WFD) – 2000/60/EC
Priority substances in the field of water policy – 2455/2001/EC
Pricing and long-term management of water – COM(2000)477
The assessment and management of floods – 2007/60/EC
Water scarcity and droughts in the European Union – COM(2007)414

Specific uses of water

Drinking water – 80/778/EEC, 98/83/EC
Bathing water – 2006/7/EC
Urban waste water treatment – 91/271/EEC
Water suitable for fish-breeding – 2006/44/EC
Quality of shellfish water – 2006/113/EC

Did you know?

The Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC will rationalise the Community's water legislation by replacing seven of the "first wave" directives: those on surface water and two related directives on measurement methods and sampling frequencies and exchanges of information on fresh water quality; the fish water, shellfish water, and groundwater directives; and the directive on dangerous substances discharges.