Emissions reduction for priority and priority hazardous substances of the Water Framework Directive

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires that surface waters in Europe must reach a good status by 2015. The prerequisite for this is achieving a good chemical status. In the general objective of the Directive it is stated that greater protection and improvement of the aquatic environment is targeted by implementing, among other things, specific measures to progressively reduce discharges, emissions and losses of priority substances and by stopping or phasing out discharges, emissions and losses of priority hazardous substances. The Commission is to work out propositions for limits.  According to Article 16, these should have been presented at the end of 2003. The WFD also provides that limits are to be set independently by the Member States themselves if no agreement has been reached at Community level by the end of 2006.