Implementation of EU Water Framework Directive
After the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) (WFD) introduced by the European
Council in 2000, United Kingdom, being one of the members of the Council, has set out
policies to follow the Directive. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra), the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Department of
the Environment Northern Ireland have policy responsibility for the implementation of
the WFD in the UK. Much of the implementation work will be undertaken by the
Competent Authorities, which are the Environment Agency in England and Wales; the
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland; and the Environment and
Heritage Service in Northern Ireland.165
WFD applies to all water in the natural environment, i.e. all rivers, lochs, estuaries and
coastal waters as well as underground water.166