Drainage basin management, local action plans and national policy: the perspective of the European Framework Directive

The EC Water Framework Directive requires that all Member States achieve “good water status” by 2015 for both surface water and groundwater. The procedures by which Sweden intends to implement the Framework Directive are described and involve the establishment of five water districts, each with a water authority; local cooperative bodies based on the main river basin areas; cooperative associations for water conservation; introduction of a system of charges for water conservation; and assigning responsibility for supervision of contingency measures to the water authorities.