The European Commission is asking the United Kingdom to ensure that the Water Framework Directive is correctly enacted in national law.

According to the Commission, while some enacting legislation has been adopted, the existing framework is only partial, commenting:

“The interplay with obligations in other legislation impacting on water management is a cause for concern, with potentially negative effects for the UK's citizens. “

The Commission is now asking for the UK to provide more precision in the enactment of some central elements such as environmental objectives and programmes of measures required to attain them.

In addition, the Commission says that under the existing arrangements, national authorities may lack the necessary powers to tackle negative water impacts, a requirement of EU legislation.

The Commission is sending a reasoned opinion spelling out its concerns, giving the UK two months to reply. If the UK fails to act, the case may be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union