Legislation
Since the beginning of 2000, the European Union has had a new policy on water resource management. A key tool for promoting the new policy is the Framework Directive 2000/60/EC.
The Directive establishing a framework for community action in the field of water policy or else the Water Framework Directive, after a long period of discussion and negotiations between the Member States of the European Union, entered into force on 22 December 2000. The Directive combines quality, ecological and quantitative targets for the protection of aquatic ecosystems and the good status of all water resources and puts the concept of integrated management at the geographic scale of River Basins. In addition, it redefines the concept of the River Basin, which includes the inland surface (rivers, lakes), groundwater, transitional (delta, estuary) and coastal ecosystems.
The new water policy is innovating in four areas:
It aims at integrated water management in order to achieve sustainability
It takes as a basis the integrated water management of the ″hydrological basins″
It recognizes the human needs and the importance of water in the functions of ecosystems
It provides for public participation in planning, decision making and monitoring of the implementation of the water policy
The harmonization of Greek legislation with the Community Framework Directive 2000/60 / EC was conducted with the Law 3199/2003 (Government Gazette 280 Α/09.12.2003) and the Presidential Decree 51/2007 (Goverment Gazzete 54/Α/08.03.2007). The provisions of the above national legislation incorporate the basic concepts of the Water Resources Directive and, at the same time, the new administrative structure is established, as well as the responsibilities of the individual parties, both at national and regional level.
The main priority of the Special Secretariat for Water is to draw up the River Basin Management Plans of the country’s 14 River Basin Districts in accordance with community and national legislation. The River Basins and the River Basin Districts have been designated by the Decision of the National Water Committee of 16.07.2010.
More information on water resource management can be found here.